New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-12-06


IRON Our Special Correspondent
sITKA HARBOR, oct. Is, 1867.
A week has elapsed since the transfer OF tins
Territory 10 the Government OF the United States Inc
Commissioners have been engaged making an inventory
ofthe public buildings and property to be transferred
10 our Government and be taken charge OF mmed
atey occupied by the military force now IN the hafDor IL
understood that the duties OF the commissioners are
now completed, and that Gen. Rousseau VIII eaVe this
evening on the Ossipce for Victoria IOuay also Ihe
sodiers greatly TO their satisfaction, are being trans
ferred from the John l. stephens to the barracks lately
occupied by the Russians, For few days past both bar
racks and soldiers have been undergoing much needed
qualification The unmarried officers also taking com
Portable quarters the Club House." and next week
Gen Davis and lady will become occupants Of the Gov
ernors House The lower rooms OF the Custom House
are being fitted up for the headquarters OF the Govern
Meanwhile the weather has been unremittingly du
IL well the ceremonies Of the transfer were
since then there has an pleasant weather
Ina word stka the region OF storms dripping
Puyius reigns with undspued sway IT Is the parSdse
4ri1oDa miners 6ssted with the aridity of that sunny
region, and yearnng for the sight OF cloud, ii no
tka They arrived Just in time TO enjoy the delightful
humidity of August the rainfall averaging about an inch
daily. The desire Of their souls has been satisfied inns
opens way for say few things upon the subject
OF intercollegiate have now been mere II days vi 9se
sunny, two cloudy Without ram, seven p9idil,
and seven constantly rainy According to the Russian
meteorological tables the average amount OF ram ihns
during the past IA years has been 658 inches an
aunualy-a little less than Senator summer
a the d MS months M the Test are rainy and
August, october, December, and March intensely SO
According TO the measurement Of Mr. Ireskoyky OF the
Russian Observatory over twenty2ne lnoheS u ram ICn
during last August On The 26th OF that motD pc eFVt
fan OF three inches When the sun does break through
the clouds IL is augh9Oe to see the cattle mules qOES
eats, and hens well as human beings seek the DIleI
rains especially annoying TO the soldiers since
the transfer Of the territory they have been detailed
town Returning last hight, after four hours endurance
Of the ptes storm, one honest Ce as he came dfpphg
exclaiming, " BE Jasus who bought TINS country IL
Ths temperature here is very equable Yesterday the
mercury stood at o above zero, without varying = de
daybreak and there a slight fan of snow flakes The
line on the mountains is gradually descendlng Inc
old perennial drifts are now covered ana t.e he~i3
fallen reaches down 20 within 200 feet OF The ocean
level The range OF the mercury for the past TWO weeks
has been from $50 70 so above zero. The average has
been 49, The Russian records affirm that tpe highest
p2iht 70 WiSn ,h1 I I5e % lien uiIes IN the
go aud the lowest 10 ABOVE zero uOLeh neS III tIo
interior has much cooler climate than here IN winter,
Keen River In the latitude stk bat 100 miles in
the Interior the mercury goes down 10 ~ below zero
The American Russian Ice Company was organized
IS years ago Their leading purpose was TO procure ice
BY aowage they converted low swamp, mile back OF
stka into pond Of 90 acres and built an icelouse OF
capacity 10 hold 10000 But the Ice is too porous
aud bash for epOratOn and for several years past no
ice has Neon stored here The Company at this time,
adjacent no Kodiac The Winters there afford solid ice
from Is to Is inches thick. The Company, having re
comfy become exclusively Californian, is enlargug its
operations The agent, Gen Dana, is making extensive
Preparations at Redutsky Cape fifteen miles east OF mere
Tor procuring part OF the annual supply a dah mas
been built giving fOwage Of ten teet ana auoidihg at
us fall an excellent chance Ior catchne salmon az o
Prevailing Winter wind sweeps the Lake lonsltudlnaly,
tue ice win be obtained from an artificial BASIN OF esht
to ten at the head OF the dam te N3IeIs WHICH
cannot be disturbed by the winds. The Company mere
expect 20 transport 10000 tun OF ice annually ana
A. to the in Alaska Territory the quantity depends
islands II seldom falls over six 10 eight inches Tie
deepest fan IN tine main street OF Ska within HVe years
a time Ii Is not solid enough for runners but has con
sistency which, among the Yankees, Is calIed %
miles Of fe town and Attitude Of 500 feet Ten
miles distant among tne MAUI in down 10 within
zoo feet OF the ocean level Among The mountains on e
main land lie snow reaches depth almost fabulous
CAM Amos r Whtford OF Victoria who passed the Win
ter OF ls664 on the sixteen Mountains, about 100 n III
diTect line from the coast tells that during the last
az January and the whole February there was an aver
age depth Of 20 feet covering t62t ehS 9ste. y
MAY on the Alaska Peninsula, and in tie vicinity Of
Cooks Inlet the snow fan IS about the same as III lover
Canadasx TO seven ieet acGoIRS 20 rSs1o
authorities IN the broad district further 70 lhe en-
bracing the highlands about INC nesau. waters y" "'
territory, from nine tenths OF me surface OF Mic
iI in some sections glaciers viii be numerous, and at
times, Of great extent There arc none ~ tle SCnly %
this town, but from the entrance 10 sltAa 2ou OS ~
stlnctly visible the northeast hanging on the noun
tain side like glove, with It's dlstenuCu HHfgS
no. 49,, 20 lied because INC early whalemen used to
hail its eight as an omen Of clear arc IaT nv
au atmosphere too cold for the pIOuS uClOn oI hSl
lasting mantle 10 their very base Iheir hlgnl Is
unknown, and then SUBMITS viii never DE Iouueh , ~
human foot. But the long line OF seacoast IIOiu ~
skoen River TO Behring's straits ard the frozen ocean
tho habitat Of the glacier Twenty miles ao0 tc O
records Of the Hudson Bay company deScLioT ~
az 1eire5 ,1iles further north is the mouth OF
the Chlcaht River, from when ior many hI Ii
miles westward there j. succession "a t'' DO
Oyerhancng the Pacific shores. since our ariNi IiOI
George Davidson, Chief OF the Exploring EHpc1uoh on
fhle coast has returned from an examination " Wv ~
en about the Chcaht. Just below the month OF that
rver is large glacier facing the west SIX miles Wide,
and reaching the snowy summit OF mountain IVOy w
od Separating 10 from the bciug less than 100
wards vide The ice "a the base has the Dlue Ahe soio
aud number OF streams issue from It's base ~ eNhlDs
AM texture every variety Of cOntOrtiOn. Further west
"a constant recurrence OF these ONcIntbit
fields one lying directly the coast opposite MI ~
me- has ydr6 Of over 80 miles and clothes ITS crystal
base in the tide waters Of the Pachc Capt VIZ II
Ecntze of san Francisco who for ~ years has MADE ire
oet ttns along H. margin says that in the clear sun
shine ITS cleaning surface ana rich liisndilo Z
Intelligent beholder On the high range 81 mountains
which reach the entire length OF Alaska
glaciers more than a century ago attracted inc afSnio
Of the earliest navigatOrs 1hey wear that uemy
Grandeur peculiar the scenery Of high ATTITUDES.
The rainy weather OF the past week mas preveneu sly
renrsl 10 a stance and compelled me 10 oOnhne my
poes TO the town one OF the features which strikes
the American visitor as peculiar Is the absence o. sSs
Y cannot ind the shingle Of lawyer or adOctOr; not
sPacard Of mlllner or dressnakeri no CONSPICUOUS
~ cy of restaurant hotel Everything mas been owned
and administered by the American KusSlSh SVpP" ~
i0wi which are numbered from unity deas
10 They furnished all the goods ana ~ All the
the products Of aud land wore Stool
uharves and shippug Every specimen Oi NV s'o t
cept the poultry, aud al the pianos Ine S1w The cne
- yere aud are still their exclusive properly IuS
al regnlatOns of these Russian Colonies were
by TIC Directors at 81 Petersburg y ~ m
nt ali executive and judicial authority was NeeoD'
ooyernoT Alaska has had any Judges OF JUROR