The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1900-07-22
ALASKah PLORhTl0k.
Surveys That Are Being Made
In the Far North.
THE WORK NOW IN FULL PROGRESS.

Largest Survey Is Being Carried on
In the Seward Peninsula - Rapid
Growth of Our Knowledge of the
Country-SIans of the Geological
Survey Party.
The @alue of Alaska to the United
States constantly increases as the ter
ritory and its resources become better
known, says the New York Sun. The
scientific exploration and mapping of
this vast region, which is a sixth as
large as the rest of the country on the
American mainland, have progressed
rapidly in two years. 1t is doubtful II
the knowledge of any other part Of the
world has grown so rapidly In that
time. The work has teen resumed this
season with equal yigor. The purpose
Of the government to explore and map
the whole territory SO that its resources
and their location may be known, min
ing and other enterprises may be In
telligently established and develop
ment facilitated, commends itself to
the people.
So little was known Of Alaska tePog-
raphy even four years ago that range
of mountains. represented as an of
shoot of the Rocky mountains, was
shown ON all the maps as coming down
to the sea in the Cook inlet region. 1t
la now known that no such faage ex-
lists. The fact that in every region
where surveys are being made this
summer great resources are known to
await development illustrates the rap
i'd growth of information. None of
these regions was known at all three
years ago except that coast lines were
imperfectly outlined on the maps.
The largest survey work now In prog
ress is in the Seward peninsula, the
westernmost extension of Alaska.
which has an area of 5000 to 1000
square miles between Kotzebue and
Norton sounds. geological survey
party, under Mr.. E. G. Barnard. is
making a typographical survey of the
entire region. which is at present the
centre of largest interest in Alaska.
On it's southwest coast is the Cape
Nome gold district; on its northwest
side is the newly discovered gold dis
trict of Cape York, near Port Clarence:
and inland, stretching northeast toward
the neck of the peninsula, is the still un-
explored extension of the Cape Nome
gold bearing belt. The map Of this
region is to be on the fairly large scale
of four miles to the inch. While Mr..
Barnard's party Is surveying and map
ping the peninsula a geological party
under Mr.. Alfred Brooks is investigat-
ing the gold resources In the Cape
York district, and will endeavor to To-
cate and define the gold bearing
formations from which the placer gold
of the Nome beach and the foothills
and river valleys back of 1t is derived.
This party, however, will not go far in
land. but another expedition. including
Mr.. w. ]. Peters. topographer. and Mr..
W. G. MendenEall, geologist. will land
In Good Hope bay in Kotzebue sound
and will endeavor to traes southvaFa
the great gold bearing belt which
seems to extend across the peninsula
Ia a northeast and southwest direction
and is now being worlked II its Cage
Nome TERMINUS on the Hea-
While these parties are AZ work near
tha coast and In the inssrisr af the
peninsula the coast and geodetic sur
vey has sent two steamers, the Path
finder and the Patterson, to survey the
entire coast line from St Michaeps to
Cape York and Port Clarence. giving
special attention to harbor facilities, n
matter of great Importance, as the
coast, particularly between Cape Nome
and Cape York, is almost unknown.
and the discovery of harbors. if any ex-
ist. is very desirable for that entire
gold region. This survey will at least
result in the determination of places
for the best anchorages. Thus FIVE ex-
peditions. three from the geological
survey and two from the coast and
geodetic survey, are now ut work on
Seward peninsula and its coasts. and
the result of this seasons pioneering
will undoubtedly make the entire re-
gion known in all its aspects.
The geological survey is also making
preparations this summer for the ex-
ploration next year OF the large terri
tory lying between the Koyukuk river
and the Arctic ocean. This region is
entirely in arctic ATTITUDES. between
the arctic circle and 73 degrees north
The headwaters of the koy ukuk, which
is large northern tributary of the
lower Yukon. were explored last year
by geological survey party. Gold is
found along the Koyukuk and its trib-'
utaries. and this region. now entirely
without white settlers, is likely to be-
come important. In order to carry out
the work proposed for next summer it
Is important to leave the starting point
on the koyukuE early enough in the
season to reach the Arctic ocean and
return to the Yukon before the close
of navigation in tie fall The survey
proposes. therefore, to cache supplies
for this expedition this summer at the
mouth of the Allenkakat river, a large
northern tributary of the Koyukuk.
just within the arctic circle. party
with I;Ob% ,x,;ll 40 t-,fo-l l..