The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-04-01
SURVEY OF BOUNDARY.
Expedition Soon to Leave for the Far
Northwest.

At the direction of the state department
an expedition is being organized by the
geological survey to start from this city
at an early date for the purpose of sur
veying and making the far northwest
boundary between. the United States and
Canada. This is the line over which Eng
land and this country were once on the
verge of war. Mr.. L. c. Barnard has
been designated by the secretary of the
interior as tOpographer to run the line
III which work he viii cooperate with
Mr.. c. II. ST. Chair. an astronomer from
the coast and geoJetic survey. The state
department requested that three geolo-
gists be sent from the geological survey,
and Bailey Willis, f L. Ransom and G.
q Smith have been named for that pOr-
ton of the expedition. They will have
work of making the boundary, but will
undertake Eto study the geology of the
country in the vicinity of the dividing
line between the two countries.
The task before the expedition is a very
difficult one. and the results viii neces-
sarily be somewhat tentative. The state
department will notify the English gov
eminent of the organization of the ex-
petition and it is hoped that Canada Will
send similar expedition to cO-ODerate
with the Americans in determining the
exact boundary But this preliminary
work viii eventually, of necessity. be fol-
lowed by a treaty between the United
states and Great Britain describing in
detail the location of this portion of the
northwest boundary and the monuments
by which it is marked.
In this connection a very thorough
search has been made at the state depart
ment and elswhere in recent months
for the original documents that should
describe the northwest boundary, but
the search has been unavailing 1t may
be that the British government has some
Such documents, but II so, nothing def
mite IS known about IL here in Washing
ton. This does not mean that there is
probability of any controversy between
the two countries about che location of
the boundary. On the contrary there ire
certain definite points well established in
the boundary which make any dispute
well nigh impossible. But the monuments
along the boundary between the summit
OF the Rocky mountains to the Pacific
coast are very far apart. and sometimes
for as long a distance as fifty miles there
Is nothing TO indicate just where the ter
rltory OF the United states ceases and
where the territory belonging 10 Great
Britain in the Dominion of Canada be-
gins.
The northeastern boundary. extending
from the eastern coast of Maine to the
Lake of the Woods, was agreed upon by
the treaty of peace at Client, Dec.
"a, 1914, and was eventually surveyed and
marked in a satisfactory manner. Gran
it's posts, for the most part were used
TO mark the boundary, and they were
placed at intervals of about one mile.
The portion of the boundary between the
northwest portion OF the Lake of the
Woods and the summit of the Rocky
mountains. along the torty-ninth parallel.
was the subject Of the second article of
the convention between the United States
and Great Britain, Oct. 20, 1918. This was
surveyed by the northern boundary CONS
mission in 1872 and 1876. and marked in
substantial manner, 3SS monuments hav-
ing been established IN distance OF about
S5l miles.
The water boundary at the extreme
treaty proclaimed Aug. 3. 1916, and de-
fined by Emperor William of Germany,
as arbitrator. in 1871, as extending from
Point Roberts through the waters Of
Georgia. Haro and Juan de Fucs straits
to the Pacific ocean. He decided in favor
of the United States.
The actual survey of the land portion
OF TINS northwestern boundary, winch IS
40 miles long, was undertaken about 1856
by a joint commission. The Americans
on the commission included Archibald
Campbell as commissioner. and the late
General John G.. Parke. as astronomer
and surveyor. They cid not actually be-
gin work till the summer OF 1851. There
was a large party of scientists and others
attached to the commission. The COM
lneXpeu1ent TO cut a track through the
dense forests, because of the great eX-
pense, the consumption of time, and the
impracticable nature of the country.
g g G,
It was agreed to designate certain as
Economical stations along the boundary,
within a half mile of which on either
side a track not less than twenty feet in
width in each country should be cleared.
II seems that about 100 miles of the
whole 40 miles were marked according
to the agreement. The civil war followed
So9n after the completion of what field
work the commission accomplished, but
probably on account of the active hos
tilities between the two sections of the
United States, no report of the opera
tions of the survey was published. There
Is eFidSnce that sucn report was pre-
pared, but no trace of the manuscript can
be found, although careful search has
been made through all the departments
and the files of congress.
Various manuscript maps relating to
the northwest boundary are on file at
the state department The most import
ant are ten detailed sheets. seven relstt-
ing to the land portion and three to the
water portion of the boundary On the
former are shown trails. timber camps
monuments and vistas cut through the
forest. The British minister in 1871 depos-
tied with, the state department an atlas
geographic positions relating to the
northwest boundary According to these
British tables there are 1e1 monuments
marking parts of the boundary line, 40
miles in length.
The difficulties before the new expedi-
ton are much the same as confronted
the commission before the civil waE
when it was decided as impractical to at
tempt to mark the boundary through
some of tina widest and most rugged
parts of the Rockies and Cascades Much
of the country to be traversed is without
roads or trails. Richard L Goode. in
charge of arrangements on the part of
the geological survey. says that the sum-
init OF the Cascades. adjacent 80 the
boundary, is above the timber line. and
immense glaciers lay athwirt the bound
airy Turbid and impossible streams,
born of the glaciers, dow between pre-
cipitous ridges and lofty granite peaks.
making long detcurs uecessarSrfto an adj
vance IN any direction. On either size
of the. summit, below the timber line, is
thick mantle of vegetation with great
frs and cedarS growing uA from mass
OF tangled undcrbrush TfN same diff
cult conditions exist in a somewhat less
degree along the remaining unsurveyed
portion of the line.
Meanwhile contests are becoming more
and more frequent, as that section of
the country is penetrate ed, as to which ma
ton jurisdiction over prOp4rty belongs.
A recent controversy is over valuable
mines. claimed 10 be both in Montana and
in British Columbia. 1t is expected that
at least three or four years will be re-
quired TO execute the survey necessary
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