Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-10-30
The Gold Fields on the Yukon Are
Ours.
REPORT OF BOUNDARY COMMISSIONERS
Great Britain May Make a Contest
Over the Surev.
DETAILS OF THE WORK

pointed under the convention made in 1892
between Great Britain and the United
States for the survey of the territory of
the United States and Canada adjacent to
the boundary line dividing Alaska and Can
ada will be made in the course of the next
three months. General Dutfeld, chief of
the coast and geodetic survey, is the com
missioner 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 a basis for the determine
ton of the line from latitude 81 degrees 40
minutes north to where the boundary line
encounters the Hist degree of longitude,
which runs northward and marks the east
ern boundary of Alaska. Gen. Duffield's as
sistapts, l.. F. Dickens and b. A. Welcker,
have been in the field all summer, and are
now engaged in working out their data.
Under the treaty between Russia and Great
britain fixing the boundary line of Alaska,
ana the subsequent treaty by which Alas
ka became the property of the United
States, the boundary line was to run from
the point where the Portland canal inter-
ward along the crest of the mountain
| range, If there should be any, to the 14lst
degree of longitude; if no mountain range
We're found the line was to run ten ma rine
leagues from the coast line.
The boundary Contention.
the United States territory under the treaty
is strip of land ten marine leagues In
width along the coast. Along the coast are
series of islands, beginning with Prince of
Wales island to the southwark, known as
the Alexander archipelago, and when the
reports Of the surveys are made, the ques-
ton as to whether the ten marine leagues
Line is to run inland from the line of these
Islands. or from the mainland, and to
whether the coast line shall be considered
to run from headland to headland. or to fol-
low the actual coast line, must be deter
mined under the convention by the Presi-
mt and Secretary Olney behalf of the
| United States, and Queen Victoria and Sir
Julian Pauncelote on behalf of Great Bri-
tain. The Canadian maps now make the
boundary Line run ten marine leagues from
| the outer coast line of the islands of the
Alexander ar hipelago. shuw.ns that Great
| Britain is already prepared to make a con-
| tention for that line. The point at which
the Portland canal crosses the fifty-sixth
| degree of latitude has been determined, and
| also the point at which the ten marine
leagues line meets the one hundred and for
| ty-iirst parallel Mount st. Elias, 1t has
| been ascertained, is in longitude ~ degrees
and IL minutes west.
| The Oglesvic Line.
In some respects a more interesting prob
lem which Gen. Du1Iield is now at work
on is the determination of the points at
which the 141st degree of longitude Qhe
| 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 de-
| veloping there. Oglesvie, a British official,
| determined these points astronomlcatly IN
| lss3. BY his observations ths 14lst parallel
| crossed Forty-mile creek eight and three
| quarter miles from its mouth, or Junction
| with the Yukon river. and left the bend of
| the latter river in Canadian territory. His
| line, however, was fixed entirely by astro-
| nomical observations. Gen. Dutiields line
| VIII also be made from astronomical OBJ
| serva lions, but he has other data. which
| Oglesvie did not have, with which to check
| possible errors. The latitude and longi-
tude of Camp Davidson above the Yukon
have been absolutely fixed from long
| series of observations. From that point
the country has been triangulated 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 final calcula tons will be completed
! in about three weeks.
| Gold Fields Included.
| Gen. Dufiield does not expect the line to
vary much from that of Oglesvie, and, from
| the information he has, he gives it as his
| opinion that all of the gold properties of
! the Yukon and Forty-mle creek are within
the jurisdiction of the United States. So
far as he has been informed, and the report
| of the governor of Alaska agrees with his
| information all the gold discoveries have
| been to the west of j line drawn from
| Cape Barrow to the extreme southern point
| of Alaska, all of which is in United States
| territory. There are two ways Of reaching
| the mining region on Forty-mile creek-one
| from the southwark by way of Chilkat
Pass and the upper tributaries of the Yu-
kon and the other by ascending the Yukon
| from its mouth. The former is through
Canadian territory and the latter is entire
| ly in United States territory, save for the
small distance around the bend of the Yu-
kon and the eight and three-quarter miles
up Forty mile creek. According to the ad-
vices from Alaska, British officials have
been leyying and collecting duties on min.
ing materials as they passed through Brit
ish territory. This Gen.. Dutfield says is
entirely legal, if the Oglesvie line is found
to be substantially correct, as he believes
it Will be. Still, much interest will attach
to the result of the final computations Gen
Duf1ield IS making, they will furnish a
boundary upon which the United States