The Red Cloud chief., 1898-03-18
TO LEARN ALL OF ALASKA
Government to Make an E,plurntiot-T,
bc ~ Thorough Onc.

be Thorough Onc.
WASHINGTON, March iG-Prcpa~a
tons have been made by Director Wal.
colt of the geological survey for m
extensive exploration of tho geologic.
cal, Typographical and other feature,
Of Alaska This will he done under
authority OF congress, which appro.
priatcd $50, 900 for the purpose. Ten
officers of the survey will be assigned
to the work in prospect. viz: George
ii. Eldridgc, Arthur Heath. !. T.
spur, Alfred BROOKS, Il e. Barnard.
W. i. Peters, Robert Muldrow, w :.
Schradcr. Tho latter two are to nc.
company military exploring parties.
In addition To- these, eighteen camp
men will he employed. Four partic,
are to be organized under the general
charge of Mr.. Eldridgc. Seattle will
be the Quitting point, and tho whole
expedition will proceed from there
about April l. Tho gunboa, Wheel.
ing will transport the parties At
Skaguay two parties will he detached,
the first, under Mr.. barnard, proceed.
ing TO the klondiltc region To make n
topographic survey OF the district ad.
j%accnt To the eastern boundary. the
l4lst meridian. The survey will ex.
tend westward from the Yukon, be.
tween the 9th and Gjth parallels of
latitude and will include the Forty
Miles district. The map 10 b., made
by Barnard's party will serve as a ba.
sis for n careful geologic inveStiga-
ton OF the region by Mr.. Keath, who
will use BarharG's camp as n basis,
out will operate TO some extent indie.
pendentIy.
The second party leaving Mr.. FL.
bridge at Skaguay will be i'm charge
Of Mr.. Spur, wine will cooperate
with Barnard III crossing the passes.
On reaching the mouth Of the White
river the party will enter upon its
special field of .gork, namely, the cy.
p!oration OF tis White and Tanaun
river systems. II Is expected that this
party will descend the Ianana TO its
mouth and will explore :l,c Meloyika.
kct with n vieW To future operations
upon the Koyukuk. After orpanizipr
The Barnard aud Spur parties at
Skaguay, Mr. Eldriigc. with the re.
naming members OF the force
will go in the Wheeling to Cooks
inlet. &c land at ,hn month of
The Sushnita river lie Is expected
10 proceed with the entire corp, then
with him up the SuShnita to about
latitude 90 degrees 40 minutes, whore
several forks of the river combine.
ut this point a party under Mr.. Peters
will be detached To explore the north.
eastern portion OF TIE Sushnita drain.
age basin. with the expectation that
their work Will connect with that of :,
party sent from the War department
on Copper river. aud that they will
close on Mr. Spurs surveys down the
Tanana. After detaching Mr.. Pctcrs's
party, Mr., Eldridgc will proceed with
an assistant westward across .hc
divide between the Sushnita and
the kuskokuk ia survey the head
waters of the kuskokuk and TO de.
err ne the navagability of that
stream by descending il TO the usual
portage to The lower Yukon. In the
'NpA'itbio' Wv VT itNtEh anu VII
Eldridge sufficient attention will be
given In tho location of II possible rail-
road from Cooks inlet to the Yukon.
All the parties will rendezvous ut st
Michaels by September IL
The routes travcrscl viii bp criti.
cally inspected with u view to asccr.
taluing the most practical location for
trails, wagon roads or raj roads; the
character and extent OF the timber
will be noted, and the rivers or
streams will bc examined rs to the
possibilities OF navigation and height
of falls or rapids. The rise and fall
OF tides will also be recorded.
The geological survey is To be
so conducted a. to ascertain
tho general diGtribution of rock
masses, their relations and, as far us
may be learned, the character aud or
igin of each All occurrences of val.
uabIo minerals will DO noted and
special attention given to the presence,
or absence Of gold, whether in placer
or coins