Omaha daily bee., 1899-06-11

riman it's appreciative thanks for his gem
erous act, and requests his authority to
designate the expedition as THE Hartman
Alaska Expedition under the patronage OF
L. II. Hartman. and with the cooperation
of the Washington Academy of Sciences.
In the makeup of the party, which cen
sists of fifty persons, the following are in
cluded: Prof. William H. Brewer, John
Burroughs, Wesley r. Goa, Ph.D., Leon j.
Cole, Fred V. Coville, Edward S. Curtis, DR..
William H. Dali, Fred s. Dallenbaugh, w. b.
Devereux, Miss Dorothea Draper, Daniel g..
Elliot, Prof. B. X. Emerson, Prof. b.. r. d..
| Fernow, DR.. A. X. Fisher, Henry Gannett,
G. X. Gilbert, e. II. Hartman, Charles A.
| Keller, T. Kincaid, DR.. Charles Palache,
Robert Ridgway, Prof. w. E. Filter, Edwin
C. Starks, DR.. William Trelease, etc.
Trrveling in style.
On May % the persons selected to ac-
company Mr.. Hartman joined the party at
New York, where a special train was
provided to convey them westward. This
train consisted CT the Pullman composite
buffet smoking and baggage car Utopia"
the Pullman special dining car 'Gilsey,"
and two Pullman compartment cars. Reach
ing Chicago in the afternoon OF May "a, a
fine repast was given by Mr.. Hartman to
the party and some invited guests at the
Auditorium hotel, after which the journey
was continued over the Chicago & North
western to Omaha, the headquarters Of the
famous Overland Route, the Union Pacific,
in which road Mr.. Hartman is largely in
terested.
After surveying the chief objects of in
terest in Omaha the journey to Seattle on
the Pacific coast commenced.
President Burt q the Union Pacific at
tached his private car to the train and &C
companied the distinguished personages
over the Union Pacific to Granger. On the
way to Portland a stop-oyer of one day was
arranged at Shoshone, enabling the visitors
to get a view OF Great ShOshone falls, which,
except in point OF shape and volume or
water, compare with Niagara. Niagara river
falls 22S feet in twenty-three miles; Sho-
shone, 500 feet in five miles.
Leaving Portland for Seattle the party
sailed on the steamer George w Elder May
81, and from Victoria, B. c., at II a. m,
June /, the steamer being specially char
tered by Mr.. Hartman for this trip.
Along the Northwest Const.
The projected tour is along the archipel-
ago ~fringing the northwest coast. The
Coast range presents a bold front TO the
ocean from the Columbia river %northward,
and the Columbian and Alexander archipel-
dBOt6 arc idll EuDlIN4 Sou l'Aho hAAAA AN'bN'
the veritable sea of Mountains" Gla-
ciers stud all these Cordilleran slopes, and
the tide water glaciers at the head Of Alas
kan inlets are paralleled only in the ex-
IRENE polar regions. The scenery is sub
lime and a cruise along the northwest coast
has we'll been termed a "monotony OF mag
nihcence." The mountains are covered with
dense forests, the waters abound with
countless varieties OF fish, and the northern
moors are the camping ground OF great
focks of aquatic birds.
The exploration Of the vast Yukon dis
trlct would be impossible in the limited
time at the disposal of the members Of the
expedition, but the Coast range mountains
in southeastern Alaska, in which the great
J Yukon has its source, may furnish many
new facts to he explorers. These ranges,
with an aggregate width Of about eighty
miles, the whole Of which is close set with
high mountains, constitute an important
geographic feature in the entire region. In
IN sse mountain chains granite rocks appear
IN greater CT less force, the Typographical
features Of Which have been modified by the
events Of the glacial period.
The timber line of the whole interior Of
Alaska follows the coast, but at varying dis
tances Of from 100 to $50 miles from the
seaboard, the trees being mostly evergreen.
1t is understood that in the interests Of
forestry all varieties of timber will be care
fully investigated.
The fauna Of the region trayersed by the
explorers will furnish much interesting
data. Alaska yields furs Of exceptionally
high grade. 1t has been stated that gold
and furs are at present the only articles OF