The herald., 1898-12-18

United States government realizing tina
the rush to the Klondike is destined to b
greater than ever next spring, has takei
pains to survey the hitherto but partl.
known northwest territory. The expedi
tion sent forth from Washington has sur
veyed all the most important sections o
the new gold country, has noted the dan
ger spots on the coast, the course of tht
channels most suitable for steamboat trav
ell. and has marked on carefully prepared
maps the result of their work. The expe-
dition has provided us with the first officia
information regarding the geographical
features of the Klondike. SO many con-
flicting statements have appeared concern.
ing this important gold mining district that
Superintendent Prichett has been induced
at last to clear up all mysteries by writing
for us the official account that follows.
WASHINGTON. D. c., Dec 12-(Special
Correspondence to The Herald) The OBJ
ject of the expedition to Alaska was for the
following purposes: To examine the delta
of the Yukon for the purpose of finding out
the depth of water in front of it, and also
on the bars, which are of great extent. This
required the execution of scheme of tn
angulation upon which the required topo--
raphy was based The channel of the
Aphoon mouth of the Yukon river was sur
veyed and mapped. This channel is the one
usually taken by steamboats, going up the
river from the port of St Michael. The
Kusilcak mouth of the river was examined
at the same time, and latitude and longi-
tude station was established we'll inside the
coast line.
The results obtained: 1t appears certain.
from information derived from this survey,
that the Kusilvak is the deepest of the
mouths of the river. One of the most i'm
portant facts brought out was that the Ku-
silvak mouth is really about twenty-five
miles farther northwest than was heretofore
supposed. 1t can be stated that there are
eight feet of water at low tide at its en-
trance. while in the Aphoon mouth only two
feet at low tide can be carried. 1t appears
that the shallowest water at the Kusilvak
mouth on the bar is from three to six miles
off shore. The eight-foot channel is very
crooked and difficult to follow, and the lead
must be continually employed when making
the entrance. Buoys appear impracticable
on account of the outflow of ice each year,
which not only would carry away the buoys,
but also change the channel itself. Between
high and low water in front of the delta hun
dreds of square miles of mud are to be found.
The Kusilvall channel extends very nearly
parallel with the shore until about half
way to the Krypniak, when it turns sea
ward, and when beyond the sight of land
spreads out into a bar, with from six to eight
feet of water at low tide. The flats are
irregular, with blind pockets, etc. The
shores in the vicinity of Kusilvak mouth
are about twenty-five miles further out into
Bering sea than indicated on the published
charts. In round numbers, this difference
includes an area of about 2500 square miles
The high lands of Cape Dyer were almost
obscured by Clouds but it would seem that
its present longitude will not be much
changed, whereas there is a possibility of
placing its latitude more to the southwark.
There is about two feet of water on the
bar at the Aphoon channel entrance at mean
channel. The proposed chart of this To-
cality should be sent to st. Michael by next
seasons coast survey party whose very first
duties should be to re-eXamine for changes
and thoroughly buoy out this channel. as the
ice will carry off buoys left this year; to de-
termine and then mark the buoys on their
charts and turn them over for general dis
tribution.
The up-river traffic for the coming season
will be, as heretofore, deep sea craft to St.
Michael, transfer to river steamers, which
will go via the Aphoon channel
This entrance is the worst one to contend
with and has only about two feet on the bar
at mean low water and is rather intricate.
Its advantage is that river boats can be in
sight of land all the way from st. Michael
to the entrance, the only really dangerous
position being in rounding st. Michael's is
land, distance OF about twelve miles in
n nrt bary or. barans tha 1li1,-al- a1 !
though having sufficient water, has the very |
serious disadvantage OF being so far off !
shore that no natural landmarks can be used |
for finding and entering it.
From the north shore of Cape Dyer to the
Kusilvak entrance is about fifteen miles less
than from st. Michael to the Aphoon en-
trance, and even if the Kusilvak could be
as easily found, this small difference in dis
tance would not be sufficient to change the
routes of the older transportation compa-
nies that have costly warehouse facilities at
St. Michael 1t is now foregone conclu-
sion that the passenger business OF the Up
per Yukon country is and will remain via
the passes, while for long time the bulk of
the freight will 60 by way OF the rivers
mouth.
There are now between sixty and seventy
river steamers in the carrying business. and |
still freight was left behind at st. Michael |
when the season closed in
The ocean traffic has been proportionate.
there being as many as thirty deep-water
vessels at anchor in st. Michael and Orange
at time, the average during the season be
ing twenty. The greatest stumbling block
in the st. Michael freight business is the
transfer from ocean to river craft in an un-
protected roadstead, the water depth being I
such that ocean vessels do not anchor within |
about two miles of the nearest shoal-water |
landing Ocean vessels can be run on a |
comparatively close schedule as to time. |
whereas the uncertainty of the time of ar
rival af the river boats, due to getting
aground, varying strength of currents, etc.
varies at times as much as two weeks, and |
consequent delays to ocean vessls cause
loss, sometime an entire trip during the sea-
son.
II next years examinations should de
velop the fact that somewhere in Scammon
bay the shores were bold enough to enable
sea vessels to discharge at docks. then, by |
artificially marking the Kusivak entrance |
so that it could be readily found, the cost
of freight transportation could be sensibly |
lcssened.
Besides the work at the mouth of the Yu |
kon river, a reconnaissance was madeof the
head-waters and passes Of Lynn canal Dur
ing the season material was obtained which |
will enable the office to map about 800