Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-01-15
WOODS OF ALASKA.
soMBRE FORESTS OF THAT DISTANT
AND DREAa DOMAIN.
Lieutenant schwatka Describes the Physi-
cal Psculiarities Of Region Seldom
Seen BY Tourists.


cal Psculiarities Of a Region Seldom
Seen by Tourists.
philadelphia Times.l
OF the whole vast tract of Alaska, COW
ering over half million of square miles,
probably three fourths is covered by
timber, but of the timbered area again
not more than one third Oft can proper
Nv be said to be "timbered in the sense
OF the word AS we would use it in lower
ATTITUDES, while but small portion of
this again will ever be Of any great COM
mercial value TO that country. These
forests scattered over so wide an extent
as in that great colony differ in many
essential respects from each other and
from the forests We have been accus-
toned to see in the United States proper
and 10 give the most interesting of these
differences is the main object Of my arti
Gle.
The southeastern part OF the Territory
from being the most accessible is the
most frequently visited, and the most
commonly referred to as Alaska as
consequence, though really less of
Alaska than Alaska is of the United
States Fully four iifths of this part Is
quite densely wooded, and the other
fifth is mostly composed OF water, which
winds in innumerable channels like so
many rivers crossing each other at all
angles. but connecting with the sea
their waters are salt, and ocean steam
crs can ply their devious ways.
For this reason "Alnska y Il. e., South
eastern Alaska) has secured the rSputa-
tation OF being a wsllwoOded country,
when. in fact, for every acre Of land the
summer traveller has seen III this part,
densely crowded with timber. there are
square miles OF uAtimbere tracts III the
vast Arctic part termed tundra, that
have never seen plant life larger than
the leaves of moss upon It, with perhaps
an exception here and there along the
low water courses Of stnnted willow
few inches high that the whole family OF
Salix would repudiato as black sheep in
the fold, while there are square town
ships elsewhere of land so sparsely forest
ed or with such Indifferent timber that
from all ordinary useful standpoints they
might have almost been tundra, and
give little more grazing land to the
reindeer thereby.
DENSE FORESTS.
Nowhere in the regions north OF the
dense tropical tangle growth is there q
more thickly-woodcd and brushed part
OF the world than some of these areas OF
Southern Alaska. The country might
well be considered mountainous, although
few OF the elevations average above 5000
to 1000 feet, still the incline from the
very waters edge is generslly so steep to
the very top that no one disputes giving
it an Alpine character as the most faith
full one to describe it. All these steep
hillsides are well covered with an evor-
green growth of Sitka spruce that
is the most sombre green | have ever
viewed 1t is doleful enough at any
time, but when coupled with the dreary
transforms go common in this part Of
the Territory-especially in the fall,
winter. and spring months-One must
have the spirits Of Mark Iapley to keep
from suffering from the bIuest OF the
"blues." The reflections of these deep
green forests give the fjord-like water
WAYS Plutonic shade Of greensh
black that makes one feel that if
he ever fell overheard from the
vessel he would keep sinking in
the cold dark waters for the next three
weeks, and not be sure OF the bottom
then. Going sshore the travellers idea
of the density Of the forest is increased
rather than the reverse, a. would be ex-
pected and be finds added to tie ever
green growth, the top of which he could
only see when on the water, de,'se, de-
| ciduous growth underneath that makes
walking lsborious and difficult in the
extreme. Over oil this again is n
heavy mating Of moss that clings to
everything that would give it the
least hold. The fallen trunks OF
trees do not seem to decay and pass
away, but keep accunulating, probably
for ages, until they have piled up a
mass Of felled timber from a yard to ten
| feet deep and all covered by treache
/ rous carpet Of moss. The topmost trunks
NAV be indicated to the eye by ridge
( Of moss; but let the pedestrian step
aside from this and there is NO telling
where he will bring up, SIS he sinks into
+ the moss mp 10 his middle or srnplts,
+ probably his toes tipping another trunk
I Tar below Add to this the stesp ascents
on which sll this tangle- growth is found
and il forms about as effective barrier
TO travellers progress as any in the
/ known world. 1t ID for this reason that
miners prospecting is SO Intellectual IN
4 this part of Alaska, otherwise so very
accessible. Ten feet OF snow could not
be more effective in hiding outcropping
/ lodges and indications OF precious lodes
from prospector's eyes. In some places
avalanches havs swept down the steep
mountain sides, laying the ground bare
( in narrow winarows, and it is generally
along these that most Of the successful
mine hunting IS done.
THE CLIMATE.
The atmosphere of all this part Of
Alaska is surcharged with moisture, the
cause OF the almost constant rains, re-
leved oftener by heavy fogs than by fine
weather, the short summer alone eX-
copied. This saturates the spongv moss,
and coupled with the water from the
melting snow and icefields on the Alpine
SUBMITS, which drains down the steep
sides and is soaked up by this omni-presen;
turf, il gives soaking sort OF path
way for one to follow in any excursions
/ from the few beaten paths that the IN
dams have to follow for they never pine
for overland excursions as long az they
can accomplish the same journeyin whole
or in part by taking canoe AMI pad
! ding along some Of the numerous water
WAYS, which, after all, are notso wet in "a
/ dissgreeable way as the land trails. So
I a pleasant stroll through the wild woods
of this part of Alaska Is about out of tue
question. except in two or three short
paths of a very few miles IN extent,
where they have been made by white
residents, and these have been de-
scribed too often for me to dwell upon
them. This character of the Alaska
Wild woods is true OF all that part of the
Territory directly facing the great Pa
cifc Ocean, except the Aleutian islands,
which are practically barren OF timber.
y -. 4 L,,k cf,r,ht Il, d.