Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1883-01-11
Alaska AMI its Resources.

The New York san rescues frcm
the oblivion ot GnverL ment report II
very interesting and valuable paper
Oh Alaska. real by DE- jackson before
an educational convention aud pub
liShed hy the Bureau OF Educntioa.
DIR. Jacks gives the area of Alaska
at 5S0.l07 square miles, hut these Fix
ureses must have been obtained Irom II
Russian survey made before Mr.. Sew.
ard purchased the territory, as our
Government never deemed the coun
try worth the expense of survey. 1t
is a great country, 50 far IA size goes
From the extreme north To south i,
400 miles IN an air line. From it.
eastern boundary to the end of Tia"
Aleutian islands is distance of :. 200
miles, o. rs far as from Wa~hiugtun to
California. The island of Atlu, at the
end of the AlrurIan chain, i, ns taI
ives; OF San Franri .cu a. Maine J. -a,l.
il will give an II,H ut the extent ui
Alaska tn remember dist l. j. II arl.
rs all the New Eugmud uud Mi.ldh
States, together with Ohln, ludlaun.
Wisconsin, Michigan. Kentucky aud
Tennessee cnmhir eel, ar ~ nrg" Il, nlI
nf the L tied States east Of Tia" NJ.
sisSippi river and north of Grnrgin
aud the Carollnas. That j. it i mar
ly one sixth of the area of the Cuirrd
States. IL has n coast line nf 2j.OOD
r,,tt,, ,,,l L.
than the Atlantic and Pacific cUa.r
lines of the remaining portion of the
Union. The total area of the island
ot Alaska. DIR. jackson estimates ai
81 205 square miles, or twice rs much
rs that nf the State of Maine. Oar
highest mountains according tn Dr.
jackson, are in Alaska: they are
Mount 81. Elias. 1900 feet high
NJ uut Cook. Is 900 feet Mount Fair
weather, $500. In addition to its
quiet aud well.bchaveI mountain.
Alaska contains the great volcanic
system of the United States. Il Is also
the great glacier region From
Butte Inlet Ia. Cnimak Pass nearly
every deep guIrh has its glacier. som"
of which are vastly greater aud grad
der than any glacier in the AIp,.'
Hot and mineral springs 20 ahuunn
in Alaska. The Tukon iycr in Ala,
ka Is one of the largest in the Uuit",l
States. II is seventy miles wide acru,-
its five mouths and intervening drIra,;
for the first thou.nnd mile. it i from
one to five miles wide, and it j. nayisa.
bic at certain seasons tor nearly 5000
miles inclu'iing iis principal tributary
A To ait products, Alaska il "A bon.
way above contempt. Most uf tn"
seal>klns used in all countries cnmc
from two litile islands belonging t.
Alaska. The -kiu- of the sen utlr .
are also very valuable. and there are
many choice land fur bearing animals
The wa,ers are wonderfully rich ia
fi-h. Besi Is end. Alaska can supply
the world" says DR.. jackson. with
salm0n, herring aud halihut of the
best quality" II is also THE great r..
serve lumoer region of the United
State" There are "thuusaud. Of
square miles Of yellow cedar. white
spruce, hemlock and basam hr thar
den-ely cover the southern scctinu ui
Alaska" Minerals Of varinu- kind,
are abundant. OF tho climate Dr.
Jackson saws In general way il
may be said that inland Alaska ha-
an artic winter md tropical sum
mer.' At Fort Yukon he thermpmc
tor often rises above 100 degrees in
summer aud indicates from 30 ~ -
degrees below zero in winter. Along
the immense southern coast AMI i,!und-
the climate j. moist aud warm. s.
Sitka. according tn records kept lur
forty five wears. the mean spriug ten.
perature i Il.2 degrees, summer $40.
autumn 44.9. winter 32.j. for the
whole year. 43:3 dcgrc s. 'Ihe sur.
prising fact il brought 10 li.ht," adds
DIR. jackson, that the winter climate
Of Sc utheastern Alaska for forty five
years past has been the average win.
ter climate of Kentucky aud Wet
virginia, aud, the average summer
climate of Minnesota. The mild
climate Of the region is due tn the
warm japan current of the Pacific.
the kurnSiw Pus,ib v Mr.. Seward
purchase a not bad scheme, fiuau
cially considered.