The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-10-24
MANY MARINE SURVEYS.
VALUABLE WORK DONE N AND
ABOUT MOUTH OF THE YUKON.
cOveries OF Importance to Marin
ers-No Mud Lumps Found-Yukon

Probably in DO single year in the history
OF the service has more important coast
and geodetic survey work been performed
than was accomplished during the pas,
season under the direction OF Cant j. r
Pratt. Of that bureau. by the forces OF the
United States steamship Patterson. The
operations were carried On principally at
the mouth OF the Yukon Goiovin bay,
Cape Nome and Port Safety
Capt. Pratt specially devoted himself, on
reaching the field Of his operations. TO a
search for mud Jumps. which had been
reported by Alaskan mariners as of nu-
nerous existence on the fats about the
mouth OF the Yukon, extending Stewards
a distance Of twenty-five or thirty miles.
A d!ligen, search. during which the Pat
terson ran 500 miles Of soundings failed
to reveal single mud lump. The So
called mud Jumps. Capt. Pratt says. turn
ed oat 10 be simply a long pointed shcal
extending twenty miles 10 sea from the
mouth Of the Yukon.
While Capt Pratt personally conducted
this work. TWO parties were at work under
the direction of r. l.. Farris and G. Il.
Putnam, two Of the bureaus best men.
Farris and his assistants were specially
engaged surveying the mouth OF the river.
discovering among other things that the
coast line of the central part Of the delta
should be ten miles farther To westward
than had been previously charted
Mr.. Putnam made a careful survey. and
one which will be OF incalculabie benefi,
TO river navigation Of the Yukon. dis
lance OF ninety miles up 10 Andreafski,
First this survey demonstrated that the
river from the mouth TO Andreafski is
twenty-five miles longer than has general
iy been supposed. Second. that the stream
for that distance IS easily navigable. In
places depth of eighty-fve feet obtains,
and for long stretches the depth averages
fifty feet, while. however. there are cross
ings In the channel which are not over
five feet in depth. AT certain points the
river Is two miles wide and OF good depth
nearly the whole way across.
A particularly valuable piece of survey
work was done under the direction OF Mr.,
Farris by H NJ w. Edmonds, of San
Francisco, who traversed the entire front
Of the delta of the Yukon. making a map
Of the shore line for a distance Of ninety
miles. He performed the difficult feat In
a Peterborough canoe. and his winding
line carried him so far of shore at times
that he could not see land.
\ great amount OF work was done on
Golovin bay by the Patterson. 4 survey
Of Goiovin bay proper disclosed that Il is
navgahle for vessels drawing sixteen feet
Of water Up tn what is known as The in
side spit. 1t was supposed that lower Go
lovin bay, OF GOODWIN bay sound. and the
charts so indicated. was filled with shoal.
but Capt. Pratts surveys demonstrate
that 1t is safely nav.gable for ssagoing
craft.
The Patterson also found and surveyed
what is known az Port Safety. which is a
long bay with a narrow inlet some twelve
miles east Of Cape Nome bay. This. Capt.
Pratt says, affords the only place Of safe
" for small steamers anywhere near Cape
Nome. The bay proper il two miles wide
and perhaps three long. Before leaving
the Patterson established a system Of
range beacons which will serve as "A safe
pilotage for small vessels through the In
let into the inner harbor.
Leaving Seattle July ) the Patterson.
when she returned to port Saturday night,
including her almost interminabie search
soundings for mud Jumps, had travelled
ls.a1 miles
With her own crew. the men engaged
in survey work and the eight Of the Lau-
rada's engineer crew, the Patterson had
ly- people aboard. returning. The pas
sengers from the I.aurada were Thomas
Short. r. o. Mason W. I. Dodge, G.. Nor
gan. Herman Phil. William Warren,
James Kirk, Harry Tucker.