Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1886-09-27
scHWATka's DISCOVERIES.

An Interesting Report Relative to our
Alaskan Possessions.
New York, special: In a letter to the
Tim es, dated Sitka, Alaska, September
10, Lieut.. Schwatka says: The Times
Alaska expedition was left at Icy bay on
July 18th by the United States steamer
Pinta, and began the survey of the bay
at once, with preparations for explora-
tions in the st. Elias alps on and about
Mount. st. Elias, which great mountain
was afterward assembled to q height
above the snow level greater than was
ever made before above Thai line by
Alpine climbers. 10y bay is a mere
%indenation on the Alaskan cost, some
fifty to sixty miles west of Yakutsk
boy, and would have no existence were
1t not for an immense glacier emanatlng
from Mount st. Elias and juttIng out ia
tho Pacific ocean just far enough to
make the western side Of the bay. On
Monday morning, July 10th the expedi-
ton for the exploration of the noun.
tain got under way. The course of first
10y up the eastern shore OF the bay, to
where the Indians said q large river
came in at the head of a bay,
thence up this river to
where it came from under the ice Of
immenes glaciers, or as far the Yakutsk
Indians ever go when hunting bears,
mountain goats and the like, and thence
to the base OF Mt. st. Elias. At $3.50
O'Clock the party struck O small river,
fifty or seyenty.tive yards wide, which
had to be forded middle deep in ice
water from the glacier. The next hours
walk was owe q beautiful pralrIe with
heavy grass and wild pea vines, inter-
spersed with strawberry patches loaded
with fruit, and many pretty dumps of
evergreen trees. This march brought the
party to the great river which empties
into tine head OF 10y bay, and which Was
struck about six or eight miles from its
mouth. Its immense size Was a
great surprise as it was not
supposed that such q river
existed in that part of Alaska, where il
was frat struck. The stream is from a
mile to a mile and a half wide. Eight
hundred to 1000 yards is water, the re-
mainder being low mud, sand and
gravel. The bay is covered at high
water. when the stream must be a second
Mississippi in appearance. Its western
bank is a perpendicular wall of ice, part
of the same great glaciers which forms
the western shore Of 10y bay. 1t was
loaded with glacier mud from the Mount
st. Elias Alps, and its swift current.
with waves about a foot high, was
thought to be eight or ten miles an
hour. 1t was snrmised at the time, and
afterwards partially corroborated, that
the great river is entirely too big in
every way to be draining only the sea-
ward slopes OF the st. Elias Alps in the
vicinity of the mountains from which it
comes. It must head far beyond the
range and break through them at Re-
partan pass, and after draining the
Trayesse Pine districts, its muddy water,
from the glaciers discolor all the waters
of 10y bay, and for many miles out to
1t was named Jones river, after
George Jones, of the New York Times
and geographically was one of the most
discoveries of the expedition.
1t is not thought to be rivaled by any
Alaskan river emptying in the Pacific
ocean. The. real ascent of Mt. st. Elias
began July 25th. After several DAYS
climbing the barometer showed an
ascent altogether above the sea level of
about Z. 200 feet, nearly all of which was
above SNOW level.
This gave to the Times party, it is
believed, the Alpine record of the
climb gbove tile snow level
made, certainly the highest ON an
wholly unknown mountain. The
party returned to Icy Bay we'll satisfied
its record. It's geographical results !
we're beyond its expectations. Three
immense peaks from 10000 to 5000 feet