Mount Rainier - Date/Photographer unknown.

18 August 1908

Plans Railway Up Mt. Rainier

Dr. N.G. Richmond, a New York capitalist, has been in Tacoma investigating the feasibility of constructing a railroad to the top of Mount Rainier. In company with A.U. Mills, of the Northwest Bridge company, Mr. Richmond made a trip to the mountain, returning to Tacoma Monday. His idea is to not only build a railroad to the summit, but also to construct a large hotel in Paradise park. He plans to exploit the scenic resources of the mountain in an elaborate manner.
 
Mr. Mills said that work on the hotel would be begun as soon as the snow is off the ground next season, states a west aide report. Messrs. Reynolds and Mills state that the construction of the road up the mountain will be comparatively easy as far as Muir. From there on, they say, the difficulties in the path are tremendous.
 
"Beyond Muir", said Mr. Mills, "the construction of the railroad would have to be fought out with nature, with the forces of gravitation, heat, and cold contesting every step. The first objective point would be to get the road to the top of Gibraltar Rock. A straight line drawn from Camp Muir to Gibraltar crosses the inaccessible Cowlitz glacier. To reach the top of the Rock. climbers make a detour, following the cleaver separating the Cowlitz and the Nisqually glaciers. Engineers would have to go over the ground many times, and probably spend an entire summer to find the most feasible route. It is my opinion that the safest and easiest method would be to bore a tunnel from Muir to the crest of Gibraltar, although it might be possible to build a cog road on the top of the cleaver. After reaching the top of the Rock, a cog road would simply have to be constructed over the ice cap to the crater. The road will be constructed. With a cog road to the top of the mountain, travel will be tremendous."
 
Mr. Mills says that one difficulty may be the securing of permission from the government to build the railroad into Paradise park and up the mountain side. Mr. Mills declares plenty of capital will he forthcoming to build the road.

Vancouver Island
British Columbia
Canada