The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-10-31

Line of the Adjacent Lands.
WASHINGTON. Oct 3O-The report
of the joint commissioners appointed
under the convention made in 1892 be-
tween Great Britain and the United
States for the survey of the territory
of the United States and Canada, ad-
jacent to the boundary line dividing
Alaska and Canada, will be made in
the course of the next three months.
General Duffield, chief OF the coast and
goedetic survey is the commissioner
on behalf of the United States and D.
F. King serves in a like capacity for
Great Britain. The purpose OF the sur
vey is to furnish basis for the deter
mination of the line from latitude "a
degrees, 40 minutes north to where the
boundary line encounters the l4lst de-
gree of longitude, which runs north
ward, marking the eastern boundary
of Alaska. Under the treaty between
Russia and Great Britain in fixing the
boundary line of Alaska and the SUBJ
sequent treaty by which Alaska be-
came the property of the United States
the boundary line was to run from the
point where the Portland canal inter-
sects the 18th degree of latitude north
ward along the crest of the mountain
range, if there should be any, to the
Hist degree of longitude. If no noun
tains were found the line was to run
Ten Marine Leagues.
from the coast line. No range OF
mountains was found, so that the
United States territory under the trea-
ty is a strip of land ten marine leagues
along the coast. Along the coast are a
series of islands, beginning with Prince
of Wales Island to- the southwark,
known as the Alexander Archipelago,
and when the reports of the survey
are made, the question as to whether
the ten marine leagues line is to run
inland from the line of these Islands
or from the mainland, and as to wheth-
err the coast line shall be considered
to run from headland to headland or
to follow the actual coast line must be
determined under the convention by
the president and Secretary Olney on
behalf Of the United States and Queen
( Victoria and Sir Julian P2uncefote
on behalf of Great Britain.
The Canadian maps now make the
boundary line run ten marine leagues
from the outer coast line of the islands
of the Alexander Archipelago, showing
that Great Britain is already prepared
! to make a convention for that line.
The point at which the Portland canal
crosses the 56th degree of latitude has
been determined and also the point at
which the ten marine leagues line
meets the Hist parallel. Mount st.
Elias, it has been ascertained, is in
| longitude 40 degrees. AZ minutes west.
Astronomical Data.
In some respects, more interesting
problem which General Dufield is now
! Io+-
points at which the 141st degree of
/ longitude (the eastern boundary of
Alaska Crosses the Forty Mile creek
and the Yukon river, as this boundary
may involve the ownership of some of
| the gold properties now developing
| there. Oglesvie, British official, de-
| teTmined these points astronomically,
| in 1889. By his observations the 141st
| parallel crossed Forty Mile creek So
miles from its mouth, or junction with
! the Yukon river, and left the bend on
| the latter now in Canadian territory
! The coast line, however, was fixed en-
| tirely by astronomical observations.
! General Duffields line will also be
made from astronomical observations
! but he has other data, which Oglesvie
/ did not have, with which to check pos
! sible errors. The latitude and longi-
/ tude of Cape Davidson above the Yu-
kon have been absolutely fixed from a
/ long series of observations. From THAI
/ point the country has been triangular
! ed to the Yukon and a transverse line
/ has been run all the way to the head
of Forty Mile creek. This work has
| been in progress since 1890 and the fin
al calcula tons will be completed in
about three weeks.
Gold Fields Are Ours.
General Duff1eld does not expect the
! line to vary much from that of Ogles.
vie and from the informa ton he has
he gives it as his opinion that all
Of the gold properties of the Yukon
and Forty Mile creek are within the
| jurisdiction of the United States. Sc
far as he has been informed and the
report of the governor of Alaska agrees
with this information, all the gold dis
ccveries have been to the west of a
line drawn from Cape Barrow to the
extreme southern point of Alaska Gal
of which is United States territory
I There are two ways of reaching the
mining region on Forty Mile creek
one from the southwark by way Of
Chilcdt Pass and the upper tributarie:
of the Yukon, and the other by as
cendlng the Yukon FROM its mouth
The former is through Canadian terri
tory and the latter is entirely in Unit
~ C1oSC0 CCIIAlOIy, save Lon the SIfldl
distance around the bend of the Yu
kon and Sa4 miles up Forty Mile creek
According to the advices from Alaska
British officials have been levying anC
collecting duties on mining materials
as they passed through British terri
tory. This General Duffield says is en-
tirely legal if the Oglesvie line is founc
to be substantially correct. as he be
! lieves it will be. Still, much interes
will attach to the result of the fna
computations General Duffield is max
ing, as they will furnish boundary line
upon which the United States cal
stand.