The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-10-17
FROM COOKS MET.
One Of Homer Pennocl's Party Ar
rives IN DanVer.


Denver. Oct III. Baker Of Detroit
has arrived in this city direct from
Cooks inlet Alaska AIr. Baker is
member Of the party headed by Homer
PennOck. which was organized last
spring for placer mining in Cooks inlet,
and which was largely composed or
Denver. Detroit and Boston men,
Mr.. Baker says that the entire sea-
son has been spent in getting ready to
work next year the main part of the
work being the construction of a ditch
seven miles long. supplied from three
lakes, which. lit is thought VIII furnish
all the water necessary for wa shIng
the gravel bed. In the event that 1t
bic supply can be obtained by extend
ing the ditch two miles farther and
connecting with q river.
The deposit is evidently in glacial
drift extending up from the shore, and
era dually rising for a distance OF sew
eral miles from the coast 1t is intend
ed to commence washing with giants at
the lower end Of the bar. the tide
rises there about 40 feet, but as the
bar is so or 90 feet above high water
mark. and the bedrock is supposed to
be about 35 feet below the surface Of
the bar.nO difficulty is anticipated from
this source. The company has taken
up bout j. 600 acres of land, all or
which is rich in gold 1t has also Sc
cured all the coal land that it needs
The engineer of the company estimates
pany Their are $50 600 GOO cubic yards Of
gravel After the construction Of the
ditch. tests We're made at different
points along the bar and the average
of these tests was 81. SO per yard
The company has also taken UP
large amount of land at the mouth of
the Shuietna river about 100 miles up
the inlet which viii be developed next
year the water to be taken from the
Shuietna river. about three miles above
its mouth The company is supplied
with IL giants and viii commence wash
ing with the first opening OF spring,
taking the utmost advantage Of the
short season by working three shifts
per day Tt is estimated that each
giant viii tear down $50 cubic yards of
gravel every "A hours, and that at the
end of the next season the company
will have a pretty pot of gold to add to
the worlds supply of the yellow metal
The greater part Of the men VIII re
turn to the states between now ana
the LIST of November the Denver con
tingent being expected here the urSI
week i'm November. Fifteen men Will
brave the terrOrs of winter in these
high ATTITUDES. however which IS no
trif1ing undertaking, as the weather
grew so cold last winter that some OF
the men who Wintered on the inlet IN
comfortable log cabin well supplied
with stoves. were frequently competed
to get up at night and walk about the
cabin to keep from freezing to death
A number of the party viii winter at
Seattle. where the company proposes %
build its own steamer and viii prob
ably Law the keel this season.
One of the most Interesting expert
ences of the trip TO Cook s inlet is the
trip to Glacier bay on the inside pafs
age Here a glacier about 300 fdet
high juts into the bay. The extent of
this glacier is unknown. as it has been
explored but about $50 miles inland 1t
moves at the rate OF about 10 feet per
day, and as a result blocks Of ice as
large as two or three Denver business
houses are continually breaking off,
sometimes projecting as much as so or
20 feet above the water Glacier bay
is consequently almost constantly filed
with small icebergs, which are soon
melted by the warm waters of the
Kiro-SiwO, the gulf stream Of the Pa
cific