Cottonwood report. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1893-1901, 1897-02-05
IT Is AN INVISIBLE LINE
DECIDE TO LOCATE THE 141sT
MERIDIAN.
nx,,ars of Roth Nations Assert That
Their Claims Are on Ma
tive Soil.

Washington, Jan. SO.-Secretary oiheS
and Sir Julian Pauncefote today signed
the treaty for definition by commission
of so much of the boundary line between
Alaska and the British possessions as
marked by the 141st meridian. Inc COM
mission will consist of four members, and
will meet in London or Washington.
The formal name of the treaty Isl "A
convention between the United States ana
Great Britain for the demarhalion OF the
141st meridian, west longitude, as may be
necessary for the determination of the
boundary between their respective pos
sessions in North America"
Its purpose is to settle beyond doubt
the exact line of the meridian, and thus
prevent the clashing between the miners
who have been attracted in large numbers
to the vicinity of the boundary, and the
location of these two countries.
The meridian named, the 141st west lon
gitude, is to be selected as the boundary
line by Secretary Olney and Sir Julian
Pauncefote, but was laid down as the
line of division in the treaty of cession
by which Alaska was passed to the Unit
ed States.
can't Locate the MerIuhahs
The difficulty has been to tell just where
the meridian actually runs, by no means
an easy task In such a country as central
Alaska. In even more spitable chimes
the task of defining p' .Jically such an
abstract line is so beset with difficulties
that it was a matter of no surprise that
in the present case the two countries
should clash often. The country Is
known to include extensive and valuable
gold deposits. AS laid down on the
charts, the mouth Of Forty Mile creek,
the Mecca of gold hunters, empties into
= the Yukon river just near enough to the
meridian to cause each side-American
= and British-to set up the claim that II
, lies in their territory. AS at present
!, marked, the northern limit of the merid,
t ian which forms the boundary is a de-
0 markation point at 300 miles west of the
: Mackenzie bay and the southern extrem
t ity close to Mount St. Elias. 1t is said a
S the state department that there is NJ
e reasonable chance for friction or a rad
S ical difference among the scientists whC
n are to undertake the work of laying dowI
the meridian, as this is mainly an astron
omical calculation. The work of the com
:. mission will be final, and no appeal will
lie from their decision.
Does Not Settle Everything.
1t does not, however, settle the who'll
:. Alaskan boundary question, which ha
g been pending for many years between tn
m United States and Great Britain. 1t doe
l., provide for the settlement of that portion
lie relating to the northern boundary, abou
IL half of the actual boundary line between
1r Alaska and the British possessions, and
a fortunately, the portions which demande
f. instant treatment to remove the possibil
a ity of dangerous friction.
Of The south portion of the line, however
remains to be fixed, for it was not onl
ed very insufflciently described in the Rus
k, sian treaty of cession as a line runnin
n, along the tops of mountain range skirt
ing the coast from the southern edge c
hit Alaska to point where it connected wit
n, the 141st meridian. Investigation by
ed coast and geodetic survey is said to hav
ed developed the fact that there is no sue
mountain range.
tn Superintendent Duffield of our coast SUI
$ vey and Mr.. McKing, one of the BIRTHS
"a crown surveyors under a special treat.
made a careful survey of the territory
no the supposed boundary with a view to II
rs gathering of information upon which
IS base negotiations for the drawing of
new boundary line, for it had become al
parent that the Russian definition ws
z worthless and that the subject must
- treated de novo. The reports of the SUI
veyors are expected to be made very SOC
and negotiations will be set on foot for II
1T creation of a commission for the markir
n Of a southern boundary line.