The record-union., 1898-11-17
United States Has Twenty-Five
Hundred Square Miles
Which Hitherto Has Not Been Included as a
Part Of This Country.

ritory the Past Summer-Much
Work Also Accomplished in the
Interest Of Alaskan Navigation.
| WASHINGTON, Nov. 16-Assistant
U. III. Pratt has submitted to Superin-
tendent Prichett of the Coast and Geo.
sdetic Survey a report of the coast sur
vey party's operations during the past
summer in Alaska. The report notes
the discovery of $500 additional square
miles of United States territory, and
deals with the work accomplished in
the interest of Alaska navigation
Referring to the newly explored terri
/ tory of the United States-which hith-
erto mas not been included as part OF
this country, the report says:
! The Kusivlak Channel extends very
nearly parallel with the shore until
about half way to the Krypniak, when
1t turns seaward and when beyond the
sight Of land spreads out into a bar
with from six to eight feet of it in
low tide. The flats are irregular. with
| pllnd pockets. The shores in the vi
cln1ty of Kusivlak mouth are about
Twenty-Five miles further out into Beh-
/ ring Sea than indicated in published
cnarts. In round numbers, this differ
ence includes an area of about 2.5OO
square miles,
The highlands of Cape Dyer were
almost always obscured by clouds. but
II would seem that its present longitude
VIII not be much changed, whereas
there is a possibility of placing it's lat
ltude more to the southwark.
There is about two feet of water on
the bar on the Aphoon Channel en-
trance at mean low water, and inside
of it quite an intricate channel. The
| proposed charts of this locality should
be sent to st. Michael by next seasons
coast survey party, whose very first
duties should be 10 re-examine for
changes and thoroughly buoy this chan
mel, as the ice will carry off buoys left
there this year, to determine and then
plat the buoys on these charts, and
then turn them over for general dis
tribution''
A chart is recommended covering the
stretch from Cape Dyer to Besboro ISL
land to assist vessels trying early in the
season, as they usually do. to get
/ through to ST. Michael by going
through the Behring Sea ice. supposed
to be swept off shore somewhat by the
! currents from the river mouths. and
the Yukon bar or flats. Continuing the
/ report says:
The up-river traffic the coming sea-
son will be as heretofore, by deep sea
craft to St Michael, transfer to river
steamers, which will go via the Aphoon
Channel. This entrance is the worst
they nave to contend with, and have
only about two feet on the bar at mean
low water, and is rather intricate. It's
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
sounding st. Michael Island a dis
tance of about twelve miles, in norther-
ly weather, whereas the Kusivlak, al
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.
1T. From the north shore of Cape Dyer
to the Kusivlak entrance is about fif-
teen miles less than from ST. Michael
to the Aphoon entrance, and even if the
Kusivlak could be as easily found, this
small difference in distance would not
be sufficient to change the routes of the
older transportation companies that
have costly warehouse facilities at ST.
Michael.
1T is now foregone conclusion that
the passenger business of the Upper
Yukon country is and will remain via
the passes, while for a long time the
great bulk of the freight will go via
the rivers mouth. There are now be-
tween sixty and seventy regular river
steamers in the carrying business. and
still freight was left behind at st. Mi
chael when the season closed in. The
ocean traffic has been proportional,
there being as many as thirty deep
water vessels at anchor in ST Michael
and Orange at time, the average DUR
ing the season being twenty
.The greatest stumbling block in the
st. Michael freight business is the
transfer from ocean to river craft in
an unprotected roadstead, the. water
| depth being such that ocean vessels do
not anchor within about two miles of
the nearest shoalwater landing. Ocean
vessels can be run on a comparatively
close schedule as to time, whereas the
uncertainty of the time of arrival of
the river boats, due to getting aground,
varying strength of currents, ETC., va
ries at time as much as two weeks, and
consequent delays to ocean craft cause
great loss. sometimes an entire trip
during the season. If next years ex-
aminations should develop the fact that
somewhere in Scarnmon Bay the shores
were bold enough TO enable sea-going
vessels to discharge at docks, then by
artificially marking the Kusivlak en-
trance so that it could be readily found.
the cost of freight transportation could
be sensibly lessened."