The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-11-24

bringing Dack q great quantity OF specimens
Of gold and coal-bearing rocks These
specimens are now in the Department of
the Geological Survey. There is one large
room which is filled with tables loaded
with chunks OF Alaskan gold quartz. There
Is a specialist who has for weeks been
grinding chips from these rock speci-
mems into leaves. each OF which is thinner
than a sheet or the finest writing paper, so
thin. in fact. that ii Is entirely transparent.
These leaves are put between plates of
glass and subjected to a microscopic exam
i~nation, by means OF which their ccnstitu-
ents and value can be known. Until the
rocks are analysed the report of the expedi-
ton will not be ready for Congress. The
work. however, is going on rapidly, and by
the first of the year we will receive our first
accurate knowledge OF many of the Alaskan
mines. The member OF the expedition are
scientific gold and coal experts. DR.. George
+. Becker. the chief. Is the man who inves-
tigated the gold fields Of the South for Con-
gress last year. Professor William III. Dali,
another member. has spent years in Alaska.
and he is an expert as to coal mines, while
c. w. Purington, DR.. Becker's assistant, is
also a gold expert. During my talk with
DR.. Becker he showed me a number OF pho
tographs Of the different mining regions.
He was very conservative as to the profits
of Alaskan mining. but said that the output
OF Alaska will be at least 81, 200, 900 this year.
GOLD MINES OF THE YUKON.
DR.. Becker tells me that gold washing Is
going on along the shores of some Of the
islands OF Alaska, and that there is gold in
the sands along the shores of the Pacific
running north along the coast. There is a
great deal of gold washed up daily on the
beaches of the island of Kadiak. A large
number Of miners are engaged in the bust
ness, and they often make big profits. He
tells me that mines have recently been
opened on Admiralty island which have
good prospects. and that the Unga mines, on
a little island further westward, are now
turning out $4,000 a month. These Unga
mines are the property OF the Alaskan Com
mercial Company. They are quartz mines,
having a rock much like that Of the Bodie
mine Of California. The ledge is more than
thirty feet wide, and the ore runs from IS
TO 50 per ton.
The gold mines of the Yukon were not Wis
tied by Dr.. Becker expedition. 1t is a trip
Of more than 1900 miles to them, going
around by the Yukon river, and it takes
more han a year to get there and back
and make any kind of an investigation.
AhCAO oAC = y otCdAiiDOdl5 WllCu SO I'D
the river, carrying hundreds of tons of
freight to the miners. They make their
trip only twice a year. and If one misses
the boat he has to wait until the next year
or come over the mountains to Sitka.
Many of the miners go from Sitka in this
way to the Yukon. carrying their supplies
with them on sledges. which they drag
over the snow. The gold mines are
placer mines found along the rivers and
creeks which flow into the Yukon. These
creeks are almost dry during the winter,
but in the spring there are great freshets,
which carry everything before them. The
miners build fires on the gravel In the win
ter, and when the dirt is thawed they carry
IL up the banks out of the way of the fresh
cts and wash IL out during the summer.
The work Is very laborious, but so far 1t
has paid very well. Fifteen Yukon miners,
who came back with the geological survey
party In September last, had more than
100000 worth of gold with them. which
they had taken out this year, and there are
undoubtedly millions lying in the beds of
the rivers. So far no quartz mining has
been done.
DR.. Dali. who had visited the Yukon
region, tells me that the gold is largely
found in streaks, or what the miners call
strtngers. so that there may be a little
string Of gold without being a long vein.
This by the action of the frost and water
is broken off. and nature grinds up, as it
were, the gold for the placers. He does not
say there are no large quartz leads in this
part Of Alaska, but states that the placers
are not absolute evidence that there are
such. These miners told Mr.. Dali that they
expected TO go back next year. They nave
to undergo great privations. and DIR. Dali
says that a mar must have a capital OF at
least 500 to start out. from Sitka to mine
gold on the Yukon. He ought to take a
years supplies with him, and he must be
prepared for a climate of such a nature
that in the winter the thermometer falls
TO sixty degrees below zero. while in the
summer 1t rises as high as 100 degrees
above that point. There are insects Of all
kinds during the summer and the mosqui-
toes OF Alaska are worse than those OF
New Jersey. The miners live in log cabins,
and their accommodations are of the rudest
possible nature.
ALAsKA'S COAL MINES.
A large number Of coal mines were Wis
tied by this geological survey party, and
DR.. Becker tells me that there are big veins
of coal along Cooks inlet and along Katch-
enak bay. In the latter place the bluffs
rise 500 feet straight up from the water.
and the coal crops out of them. so that 1t
could be easily transferred from the mines
to the ships. 1t is a Ignite coal, about
fve-eighths as good as the Cardiff coal.
1t Is believed that 1t could be taken to San
Francisco and sold there for Sc a ton at a
profit. There is a possible market for this
coal at a future halfway station between
Vancouver and Japan on the Aleutian is
lands. At present each Of the great trans
pacific steamers has to carry 1000 tons of
coal for each voyage. With such a station
they could save 1000 tons OF freight each
way in going to and from Asia.
During the expedition the geological sur
vey party visited and took pictures OF the
new Bogoslov island. This is the last pos
session that Uncle Sam has acquired. It
rose out OF the sea after we bought the
territory from Russia. and as 1t was the
direct gift OF God. there is no possibility
of the English laying claim to it. 1t is a
volcanic island. some parts Of which are