Building The Grand Trunk Pacific Railway

By Charles LeRoss

The first 280 kilometers – Prince Rupert to Hazelton

In the 1870’s, while doing survey work for the Canadian Pacific Railway, Sandford Fleming found a natural route in Northen BC for a railroad through the Rocky Mountains. This route is almost the same route the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway followed when it was built in the early 1900’s.

The Grand Trunk Pacific Railway Co (GTP) was incorporated in 1903. The company found it could not settle on the exact route before construction started; it had to perform thousands of miles of trial line and surveys as the line was built along the Skeena River. This was because of the very difficult conditions, including marshes that could not be filled, tunnels that were to expensive and other obstructions.

1907

The western terminus for the GTP was assumed to be Port Simpson, but after a lot of machinations by the parties involved, Kaien Island was chosen as the terminus. Construction from eastern Canada was well under way but construction from Kaien Island did not start as soon as it could have because Charles Hays, the General Manager of the Grand Trunk Railway was trying to get huge land concessions from the province. The premier, Sir Richard McBride refused but did agree to support the GTP application to get some Indian reserve land for the railway on Kaien Island. As a result, construction from Kaien Island finally started in 1907.

Foley, Welch and Stewart (FWS) was the main contractor. Mr. Cassius C. Van Arsdoll, was the engineer responsible for the construction of the first 100 miles. Sub-contacts in 2 to 5 mile sections were given to individual contractors.

Deadly Construction

Below is a table showing the staggering number of men who were killed building the first 120 miles of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway between Prince Rupert and Skeena Crossing; almost a man died for every mile of construction.

In those days, when a person drowned and his body was not recovered, the ONLY record of his death might have been a newspaper report or a grave marker. If the police were informed, they would have a record. Further down in this page, Walter Wicks who worked on this section of the railway, relates how a person who died along the railroad grade was buried near where he died. It was not feasible, particularly in the winter, to transport the body to a proper graveyard because of distance and difficulty of terrain.

The wording in the column Cause of Death in the table is taken directly from the death registration, as graphic as they were. I have found no deaths on construction of the line in 1907.

Name	Date	VSTATS/REG	Age	Cause of Death	Location, Source, Description
Charles Benson	October 11, 1908	218699, 218700	33	injury to spinal cord and back by being crushed by a rock	Mile 42, Skeena River
Peter Johnson	October 15, 1908	218723	43	fractured skull-instantaneous	Mile 54, Skeena River, labourer
Kenneth McKenzie	October 28, 1908	218737	26	supposed to be rheumatic fever, no physician	Kerr’s Const Camp, Kitsumkalum, Skeena River BC, NOTE ON DEATH REGISTRATION: This young man was only sick one week and his companions made every effort possible to secure the company’s doctor but in vain as the District Physician had been called to Prince Rupert and no body left to fill his place during absence. Strong indignation was felt by the whole community because of the shameful neglect of the medical interest of the crew at that season.
A. Myhre	October 30, 1908	218731	30	blown to bits by dynamite explosion	Mile 92 Skeena River District, labourer
Robert Knutson	October 30, 1908	218725	24	internal hemorrhaging caused by dynamite explosion,	Mile 92 Skeena River District, labourer
Alfred S. Fredrikson	November 2, 1908	217486	30	premature explosion of dynamite	Little Canyon, Skeena River BC , labourer
Rasmus Knutson	November 3, 1908	217506	23	premature explosion of dynamite	Little Canyon, Skeena River , labourer
Axel Nylund	November 12, 1908	218742	29	asphyxiation in tunnel(coyote hole), powder gas	Little Canyon, BC Skeena River
W. Griffiths	December 23, 1908	218715	23	death by drowning	Mile 30 Skeena River, labourer
Peter Bergland	January 7, 1909	218702	28	disembowelment by premature dynamite explosion	Mile 35, Skeena River
Erik Nicknor Lidstrom	January 19, 1909	218729	26	killed by snowslide	Angus Stewarts Camp No 4, Skeena River, labourer
Edward Anderson	February 23, 1909	218691	33	died from dynamite explosion, was dead when found after excavating debris	Smith Brothers Camp, 39 Mile Skeena River, railroad grader
John Samuelson	February 25, 1909	218756, 218757	43	result of dynamite explosion, was dead when found after excavating debris	Smith Brothers Camp Mile 39, Skeena River BC, railroad grader, as reported in Port Ess Loyalist Feb 27 1909
Man number 4	February 25, 1909			killed with Samuelson and Hoglund	Smith Bros Camp #1, as reported in Port Ess Loyalist Feb 27 1909
Fred Hoglund	February 25, 1909	218717	49	result of dynamite explosion,	Smith Brothers Camp, Mile 39, Skeena River BC, railroad grader, as reported in Port Ess Loyalist Feb 27 1909
Verner Anderson	April 17, 1909	218692	26	drowned	Mile 30 Skeena River, labourer, born Sweden
Alex Watts	May 9, 1909	218767	55	Instant death dynamite explosion	Henderson’s Camp Skeena River, labourer
Dominico Apalione	May 9, 1909	218693, 218696	22	drowned caused by boat running on a snag, causing boat to tip over	Mile 48, Skeena River, labourer
Filippio Petrentone	May 9, 1909	218746, 218748, 218750	21	accidental drowning	Mile 48, Skeena Railway
Mike Dubak	May 9, 1909	218709	23	Instant death – dynamite explosion	Hendersons Camp, Skeena River, labourer, Montenegrin
Alex Watts	May 9, 1909	218767	55	instant death dynamite explosion	Hendersons Camp, Skeena River, labourer
Montenegrin1	May 14, 1909			Drowned while working as labourer transporting dynamite in small boat with two others after boat caught up on snag in river.	Mile 50 Salvus Camp Skeena River, (Van Prov May 14 1909)
Montengrin2	May 14, 1909			Drowned while working as labourer transporting dynamite in small boat with two others after boat caught up on snag in river	Mile 50 Salvus Camp Skeena River, (Van Prov May 14 1909)
Nico V. Kerszpulo	May 15, 1909	217507	27	accidental drowning	Prince Rupert
John Swanson	May 20, 1909	218757, 218758	52	broken leg, by falling rock, internal injuries causing heart failure	Peterson’s Landing, Skeena River BC, railway contractor
Thorvald Erickson	May 22, 1909	218713	30	drowned	Skeena River, labourer
Ole Erickson	May 22, 1909	218712	30	drowned	Skeena River, labourer
John Oscar Erickson	May 22, 1909	218711	22	drowned	Skeena River
George Lagovitch	June 4, 1909	218730	21	instantly killed by falling tree	H McLeod Camp Skeena River, labourer
Reddie Agbaba	June 10, 1909	218695	21	killed instantly by falling rock	A. Stewarts Camp No 2 Skeena River
Mitar Welimirovich	June 24, 1909	218768	23	drowning	Near D A Rankin Camp, from Misich, Montenegro, Skeena River BC, labourer
Thomas Clark alias Thomas Duffy	July 2, 1909	218705	65	accidentaly drowned	Skeena River, rockman
Oscar Waffling	July 5, 1909	218769	27	killed instantly by rock falling on his head	Albi’s Camp, Skeena River, labourer
Man number 5	July 10, 1909			death by being crushed by boulder	Report in Port Ess Loyalist July 10 1909, T. Honne Camp near Aberdeen
Cesare Pitestio	July 24, 1909	218749	34	asphyxiation-few hours in coyote hole	Albi’s Camp Skeena River, labourer, reported in Port Ess Loyalist July 31, 1909
Sidney Herbert Ackland	September 10, 1909	217451	28	death resulted from injuries caused by falling from loft of GTP warehouse in Prince Rupert	Prince Rupert, clerk
August Peterson	October 28, 1909	218751	49	dynamite explosion-internal injuries	Stexis & Company Camp, Skeena River, labourer
Albert Johnson	November 14, 1909	217502	29	internal injuries caused by fall of about 90 feet into rock cut	Prince Rupert Hospital, labourer
William J Smith	December 10, 1909	217569	26	killed instantaneously by being hit on head by rock falling down the slope	D Rankin Camp #2, Porpoise Harbor
Mike Masteron	December 13, 1909	218734	33	killed instantly by explosion of xxx(powder) house	McDougall & Rankin Camp No 1, Skeena River, labourer
Mike Masterson	December 14, 1909	217524	37	blown up by explosion of powder house	Betxxx Landing Skeena River, labourer
Daniel Sullivan	January 8, 1910	217570	60	acute dilation of heart after a few minutes	Camp 4, Skeena River
John Johnson	January 28, 1910	217503	27	due to premature powder explosion	Prince Rupert, labourer
Alexander McIntosh	January 28, 1910			drowned	Report in newspaper of death at Zanardi Rapids, Prov Jan 28, 1910
John Johnson	January 28, 1910	218722	27	due to a premature powder explosion	Prince Rupert, labourer
Antonio Parillo	February 7, 1910	217550	22	fall of rock in rock cut	Washtoks Camp, in rock cut, labourer
Hartig Hanson	February 13, 1910	217495	21	accidentally killed	Swansons Bar, labourer
John Irving	March 18, 1910	217500	28	crushed between two cars rupture of intestines followed by shock	McInnes & McGillvary Camp, Skeena River
William Joseph Salvus	May 21, 1910	217572	26	killed by blast	Mile 143, Skeena River BC, bookkeeper, as reported in the Omineca Herald
Frans Emil Anderson	May 22, 1910	217452	36	killed by fall of rock while working on construction of GTP	15 mile, Skeena River, BC, labourer
Fort Tomicek	May 23, 1910	217588	23	drowning caused by earth slide taking him into river	Mile 128, Skeena River, labourer probably story in Pr Optimist May 28, 1910 see article
Tony Butoroch	May 23, 1910	217457	21	drowned by being taken into river by earth slide	Mile 128 Skeena River, labourer, probably story in Pr Optimist May 28, 1910 see article
Pietro Graziano	June 3, 1910	217492	28	died from injuries caused by a fall of rock	On SS Port Simpson near Prince Rupert BC, working on GTP construction at Mile 96. Coroners Report.
John Morrison	July 10, 1910	218735	22	drowned	Zanardi Rapids Bridge, Skeena River, PR Optimist Aug 2, 1910
Charles Neil	July 10, 1910			drowned	Skeena River, PR Optimist Aug 2, 1910, drowned, no VSTATS record in Prince Rupert for NEIL
William E. Gilroy	July 11, 1910			drowned	Zanardi Rapids bridge, drowned, carpenter, as reported in Prince Rupert Optimist, July 11, 1910, no VSTATS record
Slongo Marco	August 8, 1910	217527	33	died from injuries caused by a rock falling on his head while working on GTP	Hospital at Kitselas Canyon, labourer,construction at Mile 142, Skeena River
Walter Eva	August 11, 1910			drowned while working on a pile driver	Mile 67, as reported in the Prince Rupert Optimist, Aug 11, 1910, VSTATS no record for EVA
Joseph Pregent	October 28, 1910	217555	33	came to his death by being caught between pile driver	Prince Rupert, labourer
Marco Garvish	November 20, 1910	218632	22	asphyxiation	Ross’ R. R. Camp No 2, Hazelton BC, railroader
Tom Nekich	November 24, 1910	217544	38	accidentally killed by being thrown from a haul car	Mile 77, GTP Railway, labourer as reported in PR Optimist, Nov 25, 1910
Eric Kouri	January 11, 1911	217509		came to his death by a premature explosion	Prince Rupert, BC, labourer, while at work on GTP Ry grade near Seal Cove, Prince Rupert. age unknown, Coroners Report, found certificate of death BUT NO RECORD OF DEATH IN ARCHIVES GENEALOGY SEARCH, see article 1911-01-11 5 killed in explosion Seal Cove.jpg
Bowman	January 11, 1911			came to his death by a premature explosion	Prince Rupert, BC, foreman, while at work on GTP Ry grade, at Seal Cove, as reported in PR Optimist Jan 11, 1911, see article 1911-01-11 5 killed in explosion Seal Cove.jpg
Louich	January 11, 1911			came to his death by a premature explosion	Prince Rupert, BC, labourer, while at work on GTP Ry grade, at Seal Cove, as reported in PR Optimist Jan 11, 1911, see article 1911-01-11 5 killed in explosion Seal Cove.jpg
Melosovitch	January 11, 1911			came to his death by a premature explosion	Prince Rupert, BC, labourer, while at work on GTP Ry grade, at Seal Cove, as reported in PR Optimist Jan 11, 1911, see article 1911-01-11 5 killed in explosion Seal Cove.jpg
?????vra	January 11, 1911			came to his death by a premature explosion	complete name not readable in newspaper, Prince Rupert, BC, labourer, while at work on GTP Ry grade, at Seal Cove, as reported in PR Optimist Jan 11, 1911, see article 1911-01-11 5 killed in explosion Seal Cove.jpg
Rada Masalvich	January 19, 1911	217529	28	crushed by rock	Prince Rupert, labourer, VSTATS 217529, Coroners Report
Milan Lundrovich aka Londrovich	February 3, 1911			death by an explosion of a charge of dynamite in the tunnel, due to a missed hole ignited by a mucker	Kitselas Tunnel, Buried in Kitsumkalum Graveyard, Terrace BC, Plot 240 Terrace Cemetery records. Reported in PR Optimist Feb 6 1911 3 killed in explosion.
Nickolas Sekulnia aka Nicola Seculovich	February 3, 1911			death by an explosion of a charge of dynamite in the tunnel, due to a missed hole ignited by a mucker	Kitselas Tunnel, Buried in Kitsumkalum Graveyard, Terrace BC, Plot 240 Terrace Cemetery records. Reported in PR Optimist Feb 6 1911 3 killed in explosion.
Man number 8	February 6, 1911			killed by explosion	Kitselas tunnel, with Lundrovich and Sekulnia, as reported in PR Optimist Feb 6, 1911
John Otasovich	February 12, 1911	217546A	30	death caused by explosion	Big Canyon, Skeena River (small tunnel), rockman, Montenegro, Buried in Kitsumkalum Graveyard, Terrace BC, Plot 240 Terrace Cemetery records.
Eli Ogrezovich	February 12, 1911	217546	30	death caused by explosion	Big Canyon, Skeena River (small tunnel) Buried in Kitsumkalum Graveyard, Terrace BC, Plot 240 Terrace Cemetery records, reported in Evening Empire, Prince Rupert Feb 13, 1911
M F Burgess	February 12, 1911	217462	28	death caused by explosion	Big Canyon Small tunnel Skeena River, 28 years old
E H Kova	February 12, 1911	217510		death caused by explosion	Big Canyon, Skeena River, (small tunnel), Buried in Kitsumkalum Graveyard, Terrace BC, Plot 240 Terrace Cemetery records,
Charles Quarnstrom	February 12, 1911	217557	35	death caused by explosion	Big Canyon, miner, Buried in Kitsumkalum Graveyard, Terrace BC, Plot 240 Terrace Cemetery records.
Peter Sandberg	April 5, 1911	217579	40	crushed by a rock falling on him	Mile 112 Skeena River, labourer,
W H Tully	May 17, 1911	217592	35	drowned with Wm Grant from small boat	Little Canyon, port engineer, body found June 16, 1911, report PR Daily News, May 18, 1911
William Grant	May 17, 1911			drowned with W H Tully from small boat	Little Canyon, report PR Daily News, May 18, 1911, no death certificate, body never found
Samuel Baker	July 7, 1911	217460, 218618	38	Arm severed by a steam shovel- caught arm in gears	Mile 156, Skeena River BC, reported in Om Herald July 8, 1911
Anastassios Valesaracos	July 19, 1911	217594	35	was on hand car that collided with GTP train	Near Prince Rupert, sectionman
Mike Sutia	August 8, 1911	217584	30	killed by rock falling from roof of tunnel	Big Tunnel at Big Canyon, F W & S Camp 11, mucker in tunnel
John Krunich	August 10, 1911	217515	30	Injuries caused by fall of rock in Big tunnel	Company hospital on Upper side of Big Canyon, Camp 11, F W & S, at Big Canyon, Skeena River
Gustavus Wickman	September 3, 1911	218672	30	injuries received from an explosion of powder in a missed hole in a railroad tunnel	Ross’ Station Camp, near Hazelton BC, railroad labourer, near Hazelton, BC, Coroner Inquest held, reported in Omineca Miner Sep 9 1911
Widak Wiginovich	September 23, 1911	218673	26	explosion injury fracturing skull	Hazelton, BC, railroad labourer, one week, Montengran
D. Colletti	October 23, 1911	217478	25	was killed and buried in mud slide	McDougalls tunnel, at McDougalls Tunnel near Big Canyon or Camp #2, was afterwards dug out on the 25th October 1911, mucker in tunnel
Albert Cerci	October 23, 1911	217477	28	was killed and buried in mud slide	McDougalls tunnel, at McDougalls Tunnel near Big Canyon or Camp #2, was afterwards dug out on the 25th October 1911, mucker in tunnel
Charles Berghas	November 13, 1911	217465	35	killed by a blast	Mile 44, GTP
George Koenig	December 6, 1911	217514	30	crushed with accidental fall of rock	McDougalls & Rankins Camp at Hardscrabble, pit man with steam shovel, Montenegren
Djouran P Latkovitch	December 16, 1911	217521	22	fracture of skull	Camp 17, Mile 119, GTP Construction, 22 years old
Dan Redish	December 18, 1911			While riding on a wagon conveying timbers, he fell off and was crushed between the wheels and a log	Reported in Omineca Miner, Dec 23, 1911, no VSTATS, dying ten minutes later.
Dragiza Radocaj	December 18, 1911	217657	26	rupture of right lung by falling off a lumber wagon	Near Duncan Ross’ Camp, GTP Construction, immediate death
Wilhelm Conrad Thorslund	May 26, 1913	220115	38	killed by explosion in Prince Rupert at site of rock work for GTP terminals	Prince Rupert

1908

In early April an investigation by a representative of the Winnipeg Telegram newspaper found a 100 mile stretch of the GTP between Kenora Ontario and Fort William Ontario, in which 50 men were blown to pieces during the previous 12 months, with many more maimed for life. The report included figures, names and dates on which the tragedies occurred. The report further “lends the impression” that some deaths had not been reported and that men had been carelessly buried without religious service or any efforts to identify their resting place. This was a harbinger of things to come along the Skeena River.

In April, the first sub-contract for construction of the line was issued by FWS. This contract, awarded to a firm called Ross & Carlson was for the very first mile right in the center of what would become Prince Rupert. This first mile was very heavy work and would involve the removal of 75,000 cubic yards of rock. All of the rail construction in Prince Rupert would involve removing large amounts of rock. As construction got under way, FWS surveyed along the Skeena River for the site of camps that would be built for the sub-contractors to do the work. The camp locations were important since re-supplying them would require access by the riverboats. Things were very chaotic in the town site. J H Bacon, the harbor engineer at Prince Rupert issued a news release telling men not to come to the area; there would be no work or accommodation until June 1908.

Walter Wicks in his book Memories of the Skeena related his experience, working on the construction of the GTP:

“The Lower Skeena and adjacent region is well known for its heavy rainfall. The high winds whistle down the mountain valleys, and it seemed only superhuman effort could build a railroad into such a rugged country and such a rough climate. When the right of way was slashed and burned, we still had to dig out the tree stumps by hand since we had no bulldozers at that time.

“The heavy powder shots used in blasting out a road bed some of which involved more than a ton in one shot, often caused land slides which would wipe out or bury portions of the proposed road bed. In Prince Rupert, the local newspaper announced that a blast of many tons of powder was to be fired on a certain day to enlarge the railroad yards. For many months the workers had dug ‘coyote holes’ into the solid rock hill which were then connected into the main tunnel. The complete system of tunnels was then packed with powder. It was a thrilling spectacle to watch a small mountain lift into the air, then settle down into many thousands of tons of broken rock.

“We watched many miles of the road hewn out of solid rock with pick, shovel and hand drill only because very little machinery was then in existence for such construction. Horse drawn flat dump cars on small iron rails were used to remove rock from the cuts to be hauled and dumped across tideland bays, some a thousand feet across the mud beach to the next cut. This rock was blasted from hand-drilled holes and shattered with fourteen-pound hammers until men were able to pick it up with bare hands, or in some cases lift it into the cars with block and tackle on an upright pole. Three thousand tons of powder was fired in the first 100 miles. Large powder blasts were fired by fuse light alone. The powder monkey would often have as many as four pockets to fire at one time, each with a different length of fuse. Lighting these, he would run as fast and as far away as possible for safety.

“One such powder monkey depended on a large hollow stump for protection from the blast, running to crouch inside it for safety. Many times he had used the stump successfully, but fate stepped in when a flying rock dropped directly inside the stump, killing him.

“To a considerable extent it was more difficult to replace a horse than a workman, and certainly more difficult to get the animal on the job. This unusual circumstance made the horse’s life more valuable than a worker’s. When horses were killed in rock blasts, the contractor was fortunate if he could find another in Rupert. It would then be loaded into a boat, barge, or raft and towed by power boat to camps scattered along the river.

“Snow slides caused severe problems during road construction and necessitated the building of large snowsheds from heavy timbers. One shed was nearing completion when a landslide roared down the mountainside, pushing the whole structure far out into the Skeena. Then an 1100 foot tunnel was built there through rock that had many fissures in its upper formation. This allowed melting snow and rain to seep from the tunnel roof and later to form into large icicles weighing a ton or more and hanging down to the roadbed. Portions of the roadbed were no sooner filled in over rough terrain or tide land when a land slide would completely bury them. Also, flash floods would roar down the small rivers and wash out the roadbeds. This caused one section contractor to walk out for good, but others continued where he left off. A railroad was in the making.

“Working along the river bank beside steep mountain sides in torrential rains entailed much ditch digging to drain off water before removal of earth and rock could commence. Some ditches drained off water four feet deep and sluiced into culverts built into the roadbed. These were made of heavy split red cedar by men who cut the material on the job wherever it was available as they followed the construction crews. They were followed by tie cutters who also used the timber at hand. This tie cutting was done by French Canadians and brawny Finlanders, considered to be the most expert axemen in existence. When suitable trees were too far from the road, horses were used to drag them to a convenient spot. Ties were surfaced on two sides with a broad axe. Cutters received six cents per tie, which for an average of sixty ties per ten hour day gave them a day’s wages of $3.60. This manner of tie cutting has today become a lost art.

“Our ‘Walking Boss’, who periodically checked on work progress in his jurisdiction, had a mean streak. While walking to our job one day, he gave us the once-over for a few minutes as we grubbed stumps in the muck, then went to the foreman, pointed out three men and said, “Fire them.” This intimidation was to drive us to more work. Another time he came by and seeing a boy about age fifteen in the mud with a shovel, he asked the foreman, “What do you call that thing, a man? Get rid of him.”

“Paul and I once attended the burial of a railroad worker who had died in camp. With the river jammed with ice and many camps far from a settlement, it was not practical to take the body to any established cemetery. In this case the hole had been dug on the side hill above the right-of-way the day before the proposed burial. Arriving on the spot in the morning to watch the disposal of the body, we were surprised to see a man bailing water from the hole with a large cook pot. Evidently it had been dug in line with a mountain stream running beneath the surface, and water constantly filled the new grave.”

“Surely they’re not goin’ to bury a man in that water-hole,” I said.

“Who knows? The bodies of sailors are buried at sea, aren’t they?” Paul answered.

“But why can’t they dig another hole?”

“You suggest that to them and maybe they’ll ask you to dig it. Remember, it’s been terrible wet weather lately. Suppose they don’t want to dig another hole.”

“The coffin had been made from rough boards torn from the wall of a camp building, weather beaten to a drab grey, hard and cold, and punctured with rusty nail holes. It was lowered into this watery grave. A man with a pole kept it from floating up while the sodden earth was hurriedly thrown in. As we slowly walked away, I shook my head and hoped never to see such a burial again.

“Once a camp finished its assigned construction the workers moved on to follow the road for work in other camps east. Lack of medical care and first aid kits in camps was common. The water was sluiced into camp by a wooden trough and any kind of barrel or large box or hole dug in the ground contained our water supply. Each camp was built of rough lumber boards and we used the traditional out-house since no metal plumbing was ever in sight. Workers’ accident and health agencies were never in existence on the country’s largest construction project. The large floating army of men was constantly moving along a 2,000 mile road line. Men washed their clothing and themselves in a wash basin; and felt lucky to have one. Food was delivered to camp mostly by river paddle wheelers. Fresh vegetables were always short, fresh fruit more so. The cook house menu was fair and not so fair depending on the cook, the contractor, and the buying agent. The basic foods were beef, potatoes, and beans. Storage eggs shipped from long distances were frequently rotten and these brought many protests from the men in several languages. The two dogs that prowled camp had fewer qualms about bad eggs and some of us boys felt like the cook should be thrown to the dogs as well.”

“Many railroad construction workers from points far up the river would leave the camp after a few weeks of “Hellish condition,” as they described it. They then would start trudging down the uncompleted road bed for Prince Rupert.

“A year earlier, Walter got a job as an axeman at a railroad clearing job in Prince Rupert.  He relates this episode about a foreman who was hated:

“The foreman was hated more each day as men grumbled about camp conditions and his arrogant attitude.

“I’d like to see that bastard get his some day,” one man commented on a day that three men were discharged for refusing to sharpen their axes on their own time after the day’s work.

“Just one more dirty crack out o’ that guy, and I’m gonna let him have it,” said another. A worker had come into camp one evening with a broken axe handle and had swallowed considerable abuse because of it.

“I think that little snooce-eatin’ Swede got his eye on him,” I heard a man say one night as we were smoothing out the boughs under our blankets.

“Then one wet morning it happened. The foreman peeked into the Swede’s tent, and asked why he had not turned out. As it happened the Swede had a toothache.

“Ay tank Ay go to town, ya, get bad toot out,” he answered.

“You’re fired,” said the boss.

“That was all the little Swede needed to set him in motion. The painful tooth had not sweetened his disposition and he evidently felt insult had been heaped on injury.

“As we straggled to work, someone said he heard-considerable noise in one of the tents. We all hurried back to see what was happening, just in time to see the big foreman flying out of the tent with the Swede hard at his heels. Then he jumped on top of the foreman and the boys chimed in with plenty of encouragement.

“That Bull o’ the Woods got it comin’.”

“Is he gonna put the boots to him? This I gotta see.”

“Give that bugger some more, Ole.”

“Hear him yell. Oh, sweet music to my ears.”

“The little Swede had floored his man into the muskeg and was now walking on him with his caulk boots. No one interfered, a good indication that the foreman didn’t have a friend in camp.

“Maybe you no more call men sonuvabitz,” Ole kept repeating as he continued to walk on the man.

“With little spurts of blood coming from the man’s punctured face, it was like walking with such footwear on a bundle of raw turnips. The next morning his face looked like a piece of raw hamburger, with pock marks he would carry to his grave. Do I remember the day? It was March 17, 1909, my sixteenth birthday.”

By today’s standards, I am sure the working condition could be hellish in some of these camps. It all depended on the individual contractor. However the idyllic, eccentric and whimsical life in the camps, as described by F. A Talbot in his book The Making of a Great Canadian Railway and quoted in my posting “Life in the Railway Camps” was highly suspect.

P. Burns and Company was given the contract to supply all the camps with beef. The sternwheeler Skeena, known as the “meat boat” was used to transport both live cattle and dressed beef to the camps. In June 1908, P. Burns and Company built a new abattoir at Port Essington.

1909

In February 1909, the Kitsumkalum Band stopped the GTP from crossing through the graveyard located on the railway right of way at Kitsumkalum River. The GTP and the Kitsumkalum Band had a very contentious relationship that went on for years. You can read about it in this post.

In July 1909, the YMCA set up tents at the camps, dedicated to the recreational use by the men. The tents had magazines and newspapers and stationary and writing paper for the men.

1910

In March, track laying was begun on the completed part of the line around Kaien Island. The track laying at this point was done by hand, until the arrival of the track laying machine. The steel was put down as far as Zanardi Rapids, where a bridge was under construction, joining the line to the main land. In July, the first construction train crossed the Zanardi bridge, demonstrating that the first 43 miles of the line was now open. Also in that month, “the Pioneer”, a track laying machine also arrived and started putting down steel. Read about the track layer and see it in operation in this post.

In June, a tramway at Kitselas (see picture) was built by the GTP and moving as much as 120 tons of freight per day over a mountain at Kitselas. This tramway was used when the sternwheelers could not get through Kitselas Canyon because of water conditions.

In July steel was laid to about thirty miles out of Prince Rupert and at a rate of 1 mile per day by the track layer, and at the end of the month they were at Mile 40. Also, there were nine steam shovels working on the upper river at this time, as reported by J B L Macdonald, Superintendent of Construction for Foley, Welch and Stewart.

In August, construction of the Skeena Crossing bridge was underway, with rock work on the south side complete, with the exception of the tunnels for anchors. Considerable rock work was needed on the north side of the river. In August, end of steel was reported at Mile 58 near Kwinitsa by Superintendent W C C Mehan who was doing an inspection.

In September a tunnel at Mile 53 being constructed by Freeburg & Stone was completed with steel being put down. Just beyond Mile 53, a pile driver was putting in piles to bridge the Exchamsiks River at Hole-In-The-Wall.

The track was laid all the way to Kitsumkalum without ballasting, referred to as “skeleton” track. Trains could travel on this skeleton track, but at a much reduced speed. Once a trestle crossed the Kitsumkalum River, the railway had access to gravel ballast at Kitsumkalum, needed to complete the line from Prince Rupert. This gravel ballast was taken from the Kitsumkalum Reserve and resulted in a serious disagreement between Kitsumkalum Reserve and Grand Trunk Pacific Railway.

In November, a significant delay in the building of the Skeena crossing bridge was announced due to the requirement for a special compressor to power a drill that had to go down fifty four feet instead of the expected 20 feet to build the foundation for the piers on the bridge. The sternwheeler Skeena would be refitted to allow the transport of the large compressor up river. Also in November Floyd Frank reported the end of steel had passed Eby’s Landing where he lived. Steel went up past the Little Canyon and reached Dobbie’s Landing, near Copper River and was stopped due to excess snow.

A huge snowshed built at Mile 45 was completed in December and was soon demolished by a snow slide.

1911

In January, J B L Macdonald, superintendent of construction for Foley, Welch and Stewart advised that they were bringing up 35 heavy teams (horses) from the coast to use in freighting between the end of steel to the bridge camp at Skeena Crossing where the rail bridge was being built. They wanted to keep moving supplies up to Skeena Crossing to ensure construction would continue in the spring.

In February, muckers and machine men at Kitselas Canyon laid down their tools and went on strike, demanding an increase in pay for the dangerous work in the tunnels. They were getting $3 and $4 a day and wanted that increased to $5 for the machine men and $5.50 for muckers. This action was in response to the many deaths that occurred at the tunnel earlier in February. The strike did not last as the company simply brought in other men to replace the strikers.

Construction of the tunnels at Kitselas Canyon was underway and in early February, 3 men were killed by an explosion at the tunnel. And within a few days, 5 more men were killed by an explosion at the tunnel.

Numerous snow slides in early March closed the line to Copper river and only after major efforts of crews of shovelers and a rotary snow plow, was the line reopened.

In April it was decided that since steel reached Kitselas canyon, the headquarters of the FWS fleet would be moved to Kitselas Canyon from Prince Rupert, since all freight could be carried on the railway to that point. The sternwheelers would continue to transport construction material up to Hazelton from Kitselas.

In June, ballasting of the tracks was completed on the first 100 miles of the line and the first passenger train left Prince Rupert to travel to Kitselas Canyon. At Prince Rupert 400 tons of steel arrived, destined for the building of the Skeena Crossing bridge.

In July, Archie McDougall started the contract to build the tunnel at Mile 43. The tunnel would be 1400 feet long and employ 100 men, working from both ends and the side of the tunnel.

In August steel had been laid to within several miles of the tunnels being built at Kitselas.

In October, the first caisson for the bridge at Skeena Crossing was moved into place. The 80 ft by 40 ft structure, weighting several hundred tons was placed in the river to allow the building of the piers for the bridge. On the north side, one pier was complete along with the abutment on shore. Excavation for the second and last pier on the south side was underway. This work was carried on over the fall and winter when the river was at its lowest.

In late October a land slide carried away the entrance to the big tunnel at Kitselas Canyon, resulting in a further delay of opening the tunnel to steel. A steam shovel went to work cleaning up the slide.

In December steel had been laid through the Kitselas tunnels. At the end of the month it was reported that cave-ins occurred in the tunnels at Kitselas. A steam shovel was put to work clearing the cave-ins.

Over Christmas, 300 men were camped at Skeena Crossing, working on the bridge. At the end of December, 200 men, members of the International Workers of the World were out on strike at the Crossing, still maintaining their demands for higher wages, better conditions and a shorter work day.

1912

In January the trestle bridge at Kitsumkalum River at Mile 98 was completed.

In March, Archie McDougall reported that the tunnel at Mile 43 was complete.

In May, the first steel span was built on the Skeena Crossing bridge, even though work was not yet complete on the last pier to be built.

In July the Skeena Crossing bridge was completed.

In October, the track layer passed Sealey and steel reached and passed New Hazelton.

In December, after passenger service to Sealey had started, a petty dispute erupted between the GTP and Hazelton Board of Trade as to where the train station at Hazelton should be located. As a result of this dispute, passengers from Prince Rupert were being transported as far as Sealey, and then told to exit the train, being told there was no passenger service beyond that point, even though the train was carrying freight and workmen up the line.

In 1913 and 1914 construction continued past Hazelton until the two track layers met at Fraser Lake and with 1,500 people present, the last spike was driven by Bartholemew Brosnan Kelliher, the Chief Engineer for Grand Trunk Pacific Railway. And on April 8, 1914, the first passenger train from the east arrived at Prince Rupert.