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

The report of the joint commissioners ap-
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 Duffield, chief of
the coast and geodetic survey is the COM
missioner on behalf of the United States
and D. F. King serves in like capacity
Tor 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
sistants, 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 an Inc, me SUBSEQUENT treaty by which Alas
IA became the property of the United
states, the boundary line was to run from
the point where the Portland canal inter-
seets the 56th 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 mountain range
We're found the line was to run ten marine
AeoS ueS IFOIu the coast line.
The Boundary Contention.
No range Of mountains was found, so that
the United States territory under the treaty
Is strip of land ten marine leagues in
width 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 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 as 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-
dent and Secretary Olney on behalf of the
United States, and Queen Victoria and Sir
Julian Pauncefote 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 archipelago, showing that Great
Britain is already prepared to make 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-first parallel. Mount St. Elias it has
been aScertained, Is in longitude no degrees
and Al minutes west
The Oglesvic Line.
In some respects more interesting prob
on is the determination of the points at
which the Hist 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 de-
velop.ng there. Oglesvie, British official,
determined these points astronomicaliy in
1889. By his observations the Hist 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 dstro-
nomical observations. Gen. .Duffield's line
will also be made from astronomical OBJ
serva tons. 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 calculations will be completed
in about three weeks.
Gold Fields Included.
Gen. Duffield 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-mile creek are within
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 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 Fcrty-mile creek. According to the ad-
vices from Alaska, British officials have
been levying and collecting duties on min
ing materials as they passed through Brit
ish territory. This Gen.. Duffield says is
entirely legal, If the Oglesvie line Is found
to be substantially correct. as he believes
1t will be. Still, much interest will attach
to the result of the final computations Gen
Duffield is making, as they will furnish a
boundary upon which the United States
can stand.