The morning call., 1893-09-17
ALASKAN LIMITS.
Fremont Morse Returns
From the North.
IMPORTANT DATA OBTAINED.
Labors of the Boundary Survey Com
mittee at an End Geodetic Agents
to Return To-MOrrow.

Survey party, sent out Dy ne Boundary
Commission at Washington, TO gather data
for the making OF maps for the use OF the
commission in ascertaining the boundary
line to the disputed strip, arrived at his
home in this city yesterday morning, after
an absence OF over five months. The other
members of the party, Messrs. ii. g.
Ogden, o. II. Tittmann and John E.
McGrath, who will stop in San Francisco
before going to Washington, had been de-
tanned at Seattle, and will not arrive until
tomorrow or Tuesday.
Mr.. Morse was found at his home yesteT-
day, resting after his long journey. He
was glad to get home again, he said. after
his long sOjOurn in the frozen north.
The warm winds of California, after en-
during the wet and cold of Alaska felt
good, he remarked, rubbing his hands in
appreciation of the full text Of his utter
ance.
The mission of the party. Mr.. Morse ex-
planned, has been ACCOMPLISHED in much
greater measure than was expected when
its mem bers set out, and the report, which
is as yet n memorandum form, when for
warded to Washington will furnish much
interesting data, the plth of which Will
enable the commission TO map out set
tlemeDt of the long disputed boundary
line. The American party left San Fran
cisco on April II last under orders from
Washington 10 act in conjunction with
similar committee appointed by the Cana
dian Government. On the way up the
Americans were met at Victoria by por-
ton of the Canadians, and together they
journeyed TO Fort WrRngel, where the re-
mainder of the Canad ans were in wait
ing. The entire party, with fleet of two
boats, arrived at Sitka on May 10, and
Immediately organized into distinct par
ties of Americans and Canadians. With
each of the Canadian parties a detail from
the American survey was sent, and with
The American parties Canadian detail
was made.
One of the first moves after the forma-
tion of the surveying parties was the
establishment of four astrOn omlc stations
for the taking of latitude and longitude ID
the districts in which the surveying par
ties were working and TO be furnIs hed to
the heads of the parties daily. The four
points chosen were Sitka, Taku lnle',
Fort Wrangel and Burroughs Bay. AT
Sltka blr. Morse was placed In charge and
remained their during the entire stay OF
the committees. AT Taku Inlet Mr. French
of tie American party Wa put IN charge,
at Fort Wrangel Mr.. Putnam OF tn
American party and al Burroughs Bay
Mr.. EdmOnds of the American party.
With these stations established for the
/ furnishing ef knowledge of the heavenly
! Orbs the parties on May 19. each under
| charge of an assistant in the service of the
! United States Coast and GeodetIc Survey,
/ set out Tor their respective territory.
The first party to leave was IN charge
of II. 6. Ogden. 1t followed the course of
! lie Taku River making tranguation. 1t
was successful beyond all expectation,
nOtH outstanding that during its stay 1t en-
countered some very wet weather and
traversed a country covered with a dense
underbrush, mountainous, wales and
lyons.
The second party was in charge of o. II.
1Ittmann and made q similar survey OF
tbs otikine River.
The third party was placed in the hands
/ of John b. McGrath and assigned to d
/ tTlangulation of Taku Inlet.
/ The fourth party. under the guidance of
! E. I. Dicklus. made its way up the Unuk
| River, completing survey of its course in
/ the first part Of August. Messrs Ogden
/ and McGrath finished their work early in
the season and joined forces with MIR.
| Tittmann on the Stikine. This was rem
| dered necessary on account of the long
! distance of his survey.
| The Canadian party working farthest
| north was IN charge Of Mr.. Ogilvie. He
was accompanied by Mr.. HodgkIns as the
| American detail. The second Canadian
| party, headed by Mr.. Macarthur, started
in at Holkham Bay and worked north to
! Taku Inlet AS the American detail Mr.
! was in charge of Mr.. BrabaZOn and began
work at Holkham Bay. making its way
south toward the Stikine, Mr.. Ritter Of
! the American party accompanying it, Mr.
| Glbbins in charge of a Canadian party,
began work at Stikine, making his way
| was mis- detail. Mr.. Talbot, with a party,
worked south from Stiking with Mr..
! Flemer as American detail. Mr.. st. Cyr,
with party, worked on the course of the
| Unuk River, and Tor portion of the sea-
son was accompanied by Mr.. Dickins of
| the American party. A rowing party o {
! Canadians, under charge of Mr.. hl0tZ,
who acted for the Canadians as a general
/ superintendent, did duty over the entire
| district.
Before starting out 1t was agreed that
| the Canadians should take the topog-
raphy Of the country. and to accomplish h
| this they used the camera, Thin plates
were made so as to hold view measur-
! ing about sixty degrees. They would
cling to the top Of high mountain, ana
from that position take six views, COM
peting the circle. This was 80 arranged
that within the photOgrap hic range from
| the end OF their view another mountain
rose up. By this means their pictures
when finished and laid side by side will
| furnish a complete birdseye view Of the
country. They also took angular measure
ments with their instruments and field
notes.
Tha American parties made their sur
veys by triaDgulation. taking field notes
and memoranda, which, when complied
and forwarded to Washington, will furnish
the commissions data.
The work of the committees was COM
pleted during the last week in August, and
on Septem ber the Hassler and Patterson
steam ed out OF Sitka harbOr with two OF
the parties on board. Calls were made al
the different ports on the way down to
pick up the other parties Both boats ar
rived on September II at Port Townsend,
where the two national committees who
had spent five long mon tbs together, bade
one another good-by to proceed to theiI
respective destinations. The Canadian
party took the steamer for Victoria, while
the Americans scattered in all directions
to reach their homes overland.
The data which were gathered by the
American committee is in the haEds of thu
assistants of the United States Coast Sur
yey, Messrs. Ogdsn. Tittmann ana Nc
Gratb, who, after their arrival, will pro
ceed to compile it from memorandum form
into report, after which they will pro
ceed to Washington to deliver 1t to th,
Alaska Boundary Commission.
ha fx.f0