The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1900-08-14
ALASKAN EXPLORATION.
Surveys That Are Being Made
In the Far North.
THE WORK NOW IN FULL PROGRESS

Largest Survey Is Being Carried ON
| In the Seward PeninsuIa- Rapid
Country-Plans of the Geological
Survey Party.
The value of Alaska to the United
States constantly increases as the ter
ritory and it's resources become better
known, says the New York Sun. The
scientific exploration and mapping of
this vast region, which is sixth as
large as the rest of the country on the
American mainland, have progressed
rapidly in two years. 1t is doubtful if
the knowledge of any other part of the
world has grown so rapidly in that
time. The work has been resumed this
season with equal vigor The purpose
of the government to explore and map
the whole territory SO that it's resources
and their location may be known, min
ing and other enterprises may be in
diligently established and develop
ment facilitated, commends itself to
the people.
So little was known of Alaska topog-
raphy even four years ago that a range
of mountains, represented as an Off
shoot of the Rocky mountains, was
shown on a. the maps as coming down
to the sea in the Cook inlet region. 1t
is now known that no such range ex
lists. The fact that in every region
Ia.
summer great resources are known to
await development illustrates the rap
id growth of information. None of
these regions was known at all three
years ago except that coast lines We're
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 its southwest coast is the Cape
Nome gold district; On it's 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 I'M
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 distric 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 it is derived.
This party, however, will not go far in
land, but another expedition, including
Mr.. w. j. Peters, topographer. and MI.
w. G. Mendenhall, geologist, will land
{ in Good Hope bay in kotzebue sound
and will endeavor to trace southwark
the great gold bearing belt which
seems to extend across the peninsula
in northeast and southwest direction
and is now being worked at it's Cape
Nome TERMINUS on the sea.
While these parties are at work near
the coast and in the interior of 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. Michael's to
Cape York and Port Clarence, giving
special attention to harbor facilities, a
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-
list, 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.
petitions, three from the geological
survey and two from the coast and
geodetic survey, are now at work Oh
: Seward peninsula and it's coasts, and
the result of this seasons pioneering
will undoubtedly make the entire re-
gion known in all it's aspects
The geological survey is also making
preparations this summer for the eX
0 ploration next year OF the large terri
e tory lying between the Koyukuk river
and the Arctic ocean. This region is
entirely in arctic ATTITUDES, between
the arctic circle and 10 degrees north
: The headwaters of the koyulluk, which
is large northern tributary of the
j. lower Yukon, We're explored last yeal
$ by a geological survey party. Gold is
found along the Koyukuk and it's trib
utaries, and this region, now entirely
without white settlers, is likely to be
It come important. In order to carry ou
the work proposed for next summer il
is importani to leave the starting poin
ON the koyukuk early enough in the
season to reach the Arctic ocean anC
return to the Yukon before the CLOSE
OF navigation in the fall. The survey
proposes, therefore, to cache supple.
for this expedition this summer at the
mouth of the Allenkakat river, a larg,
northern tributary of the Koyul1uk
just within the arctic circle party
with light outfit will go inland b,
sledge next winter and early in tn,