The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-04-23
PRATT TALKS TO MARINERS.
VALUABLE IMPORTATION ABOUT
ALAsKA's WEST COAST.
Authority of the Coast asa Geodetfc
survey Tells of What He Found
In the Waters AID Along the
TIME talk given by Capt. ]. F. Pratt

NhE Talk gwen oy CAPT J. r T.alf.
OF tie United States coast and
seodsttc survey. at his oence IN the
Bailey building Friday morning. was
pecla!iy interesting to mariners intending
20 navigate tAs Northern ~atsrs TIE COM
ing season Ia view OF the TACT that the
charts row IN existence and followed last
year are grosay Inaccurate. being oompil-
atoms o. the only information available.
from various Russian and other unreh-
able sources. Much Of his address was
devoted 10 description OF the waters
around the Aleu;sas islands and the mouth
of the Yukon. with suggestions for the
best and safest routes "a soilow
II was announced that the government
would early II the summer place beacons
an1 range 5aoys ~ mark the beat chan
Eei 70 follow into the F1oUth Of tie Yu-
koa ard through Ia. miles OF mud eo1zpos-
ins tire outlying delta IS tae mad 81 so
sot,. b. all vessels following the same
route ss 20 oe indicated by these MARKS.
Il VIII De 5a. a short tine before the ae-
ton q t1e paddle - heels viii throw out :
channel that VIII ~ 5eep enough 70 in
sure against grounding II - said that
Gazen vessels following thu same course
VIII deepen chAaaes 10 he extent Of
t2a.y six lisehes ana that in one season
three feet o: sAs msd will Is washed
away
II dealing with she situation around the
A'ea,iat islands. Capt prats said
The Ai-uaian Islands.
In approaching the three passes 81 the
Eox Islands t1aS are alaa9st exclusively
iaEes from Pacific coast ports Davidson
bark has either - b crossed or closely
sklTtest L shoals very rapidly from rhs.
deep water ~ the gacs1c IL placeS as
mach rs 90 fatAens 70 the nile IN sEick
weather. Eh%g nearing tssis hank the lead
should Do continuously ~rSnrtesa Ia ans
tez - sfzF- e.
Indications s91.d be that the position was
EITHER on this bank cr close Ensaore 20 The
EeSt@ ward of IL, thsn, f lan1m@yas are
Invisible or tae Jog TOO close down - th@
water - recognize them weather Kermit
t3ng. TIRE way tnsscr- should he fe!t very
eau sasly, Tos snoales. portion OF the
southeast. magnetic. from the entrance 10
ITsfn1ak pass where there is as little as
shsrty-seysr fztho-ns
capt. Prars ~em: iHto al exhaustive de-
scripSfon % ths lansafar rv9sfrtafrx ss3-
an2s ard hea1iaI1s az the Norta ~.
nearing fhe three Passes that are S-au~r-
ais usee3- 0t7l7S. Akutan And malaga
safe he. the alsh sc}c&ntc peaks On INT
max island are tire 1rxt landmarks - a.
come vts4ssS~. Relatively 20 tAs outline us
fae isa&na. PoSrssn9ro;. o. Sar5ssaef woiea
10 ls probably ave Or SIX miles fgrs aer 70
tAe northwest tina. Indicated on th-
charts u l@ important - a landmark
h@c@S.s~ sfs Identity eau ne readily estss~
AsAe8 ~ the hAs-snsped appearance % n
q
especially 80 fraEn BsytDx sea. This r.nYs~-
tar "a tae guiding landmark IA rn&xfnlv
tuiEnak pass from the civec;tcn O. 81
'sIg "a thought TIA: re general ,>oss7fe,,
Of toe saan&S Islands Is sruss tsve 4, sew
en miles farther sast. ard from oE1e -
tire. niles farther rsutn tszgn sAawr ~,
the charts n coming sru-r tAe southwark
tae wess ssts OF snss group ri ISLANDS
sao1sc gss ~ approached within twenty
miles o. account - the numerous sysgssx-
q @aef2
TGgStsser Are d0aSstuf F}..sws,svs Snz tlo~
Island ard ItkazcA ts1~& the 0zSsa~~ Sx
naer~ ~ less Aljess witA e&ngerogs -ocks-
hisf stt " s~sgl tAe former HrN8 Ase-elES i -
fHnaga prssfsa fsis tsst ths, rsasss~3 = cate
clear From ths eastern end - Sea i4nn
sssAna ~ tse western esa os Epetak or
AN9fnk sSsan3 the PASSES sssseen the
sinai cham - tsiAuSs are Supposed IS
hAT@ TsGy atsSstsn dangers Reefs ara ~v.-
goFte8 r. sxs@ssS cfs1erN frvzr- kAazss ssE
an5s- sore especially from ta~ seaen-
sate soT large sesa~<osEg vessels so&Qn~ez.s
tAerE w5sHsR two ~ three rnil@s 49, is
satS - ~ 8 good Fsa-sSa 80 between Ekg
S~3AES &u8 taE& Esnska RfsN tAsrez-fsy-s
fsst.s,vssz - ssarsr re- = : s,--ss.-,s,
i%esEr sTHkinx ~ ~ the sgSrfS xAY1 frs--
cape N@te&ata Tor 1sxtaz1ee % &s~eHs
bass s relt~
rta-s currem.. ~na archo~axes
f - advisable ~ rsssss RS 80 -ss sas~zsrga
ts@ passes a - near ssAck waEe~ TIE
rs1e So tHs .5SAi current varies IN Tina
lH&4 faAS (5 Pas as~1 Isf2Ea6 s1 FHm SIX
All h4f+ as-sts &H4 ~ Akatz7 sssAt
seats a1 Ao@- ac& ~ ttafea gne stream
tuv~gs 5s fce tzgS So q ~stt4fr almost s-T
g4sfs&lesk ard 1tsaAas &as9sAx3 -@N6esr s2a
SAFE s~sesssE
s'aeAers AarA&sr 1z tae engsh esd -
esszrAx iz5zaa. ngsvs An ans.Ao~@s~e y sen
eozsiaz <Taes sHe ~zakfE-s&F1s hgst = ssseist
,ee$rs sasas@ ss2se az taa Customary
track. TIE hsst ianas1r i 49, ;1s sSarh
neae t@e nst4ve Village, E&i4Aa cay 81
ssysss Ssse& nEefSss5sa trefA sgzs 1se~sg ard