Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-03-05
THE ALASKAN BOUNDARY.
DIR. Mendenhall Gives some Interesting In
formation About the Preliminary Survey.

DIR. Mendenhan Gives some Interesting In
| formation About the Preliminary Survey.
The attractive lecture hall Of the Cosmos
| Club was crowded to it's fullest extent and
could hold no more than it did last night at the
si1ty-fourth meeting of the National Geographic
| Society. All who were 80 fortunate as to
get within the hall were well repaid, for they
listened to trio of most interesting addresses
The subject for the evening was The Alaskan
Boundary Survey" an illustrated lecture by
Mr.. j. E. McGrath and Mr.. j. H. Turner, with
Introductory remarks by DIR. T. C. Mendenhall.
chief Of the United States coast and goedetic
survey.
In the absence Of the president Of the society,
Mr.. Gardiner @. Hubbard. Mr.. Everett Hayden
called the meeting to order. and after the usual
preliminaries had been concluded resolution
was passed simplifying the methods prescribed
in the constitution of the society for the cleo
ton of new members. DIR. Mendenhall was then
introduced to make an Introductory address
with reference to the work that has already
been done in the preliminary survey Of q boun-
dairy line between Alaska and the British pos
I sessions.
He began'by defining the boundary line ques-
ton and said that il was a mistake to suppose
that either one of the countries could survey
line that would settle the question. 1t could
only be settled through joint commission Of
the two countries. The surveys that are being
made are for the purpose OF fixing upon certain
facts to be presented as the basis of the claims
OF the United States when the matter is finally
settled. On March 81. 1867, the treaty was rati-
fed which transferred all the territory Of
Alaska from Russia to the United States, and
DIR. Mendenhall said that 1T would be interest
ing. as bearing upon the point at issue, to read
so much of the treaty as referred to the bound
airy line. This fixed the line running from
the southern end of Prince of Wales Island
along the Portland canal and the SUBMITS of
certain mountains until it came to the l4lst
meridian of longitude, and this it was to fol-
low as far as the great frozen ocean.
The determination Of the seacoast line is one
of the most important features in connection
with the survey, for the treaty says that the
boundary line along the southern strip shall be
thirty miles from the coast. This matter is es-
pecially important inasmuch as the claim has
been made that the range of mountains along
the submits of which the boundary line was to
run has no actual existence. During the COM
ing season two expeditions are to be sent to
Alaska. one to continue the work of surveying
the coast line, and the other to 60 with the pre-
hminary survey Of the boundary, and the de-
termination more definitely OF the position OF q
number of points, notably Sitka and Mt st.
Elias. The determination of the boundary, so
far as it comedies with the 14lst MERIDIAN is
merely an astronomical problem.
Messrs. McGrath and Turner. both of whom
are members of the coast and geodetic survey,
were sent out in 1889 in charge of two parties
to Alaska They reached st. Michaels, eighty
or ninety miles from the mouth of the Yukon
river, July 8 and left there eight days later.
After reaching Fort Yukon the parties sep
arated, the one led by MIR. McGrath being
landed there to prosecute the work, while Mr..
Turner's party was carried up the Porcupine.
The two gentlemen returned to this country
last summer after performing their arduous
and dangerous task. Their papers last night,
illustrated with stereopticon views, we're inter
esting accounts of their experiences during
their Two years stay in the far north and were
listened to with the closest attention.