The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-04-15
THROUGH UNKNOWN LANDS
Lieutenant Herr0n's Report on His
Alaskan Explorations.

The very interesting and valuable report
of First Lieut.. Joseph s. Heron, Eighth
United States Cavalry, who with ms
small command, was reported to be lost
In the vicinity of the Mckinley Range
Alaska. in the fall and winter Of 1888 Is
in type and is about 70 be published by
the War Department. portion OF the
territory traversed by Lieutenant Herroh
and his men was never before pressed oS
the feet Of white men, and the narrative
of that officer represents the HerelC emu =
of a small party in unknown regions
oc,;ret almost insurmountabie obstacles,
deserted by guides. caught IN the TONS
of winters ice and snow, and deprived OF
transnortation and hampeTed by scarcity
Of food II was only in the early spring
~ 1891 that intelligence reached the war
Recruitment that the gallant band had
finally arrived in safety at Port Gibbon.
The report Includes a sketch of route OF
the Portage Bay detachment, May, 1883;
a map Of route explorations from COOK
Inlet TO the Yukon via the kuskokwIm
country: sketches of the Mckinley Range
and Of Simpson Pass; sketch OF dog
harness and sleds; miscellaneous matter
relating to the commercial advantages OF
the country traversed for an all-Amerlcan
route; an index map of Alaska and pho-
tographs illustrating the nature OF the
country. different kinds of transportation,
and groups Of Indians met with en- route
After engaging in some explorations in
and about Cook Inlet during the months
Of Nav and June. 1893. Lieutenant Heron
and the men who We're to accompany him
into heretofore uneXplored regions, were
landed by steamboat al the head of navi-
cation of the <eechatno, hitherto un-
known and also unexpiored. From this
pofnt began the series OF overland eXplor-
atior- 10 the Yukon. the object being to
discover the most practicable route TO the
junction Of that river with the Tanana
The detachment was comprised, in add
ton TO Lieutenant Heron. of five men
Fifteen pack horses carried rations to Oe-
tober g. The Indians knew very little
about the country beyond the divide by
reason Of their territory and hunting,
trapping. and fishing grounds being re
stricted by ancient tradition and customs.
Those of them with whom the matter was
discussed refused to aid in seeking pass
over the divide via the Tentna River,
declaring that the Yeutna heads In gia-
eiers, and that there is no way around
them.
Two Indian guides were finally engaged,
and on July !, 1899, the expedition began
its tourney The first objective was TO
get through the Alaskan Range, a mass
Of enormous peaks and glaciers about sew
enty miles wide extending across Alaska,
and constituting the chief barrier to the
interior The expedition consumed the en-
tire month in exploring these mountains.
Moose and bear were occasionally encoun-
tered. which gave the expedition fresh
meat. July . the crest Of the divide was
crossed and the expedition started down
the other side Of the watershed. East Of
the divide the drainage is into the Pacific
Ocean; west Of it into Behring Sea. The
latter is closed by ice in winter, while the
Pacific Ocean is open. Hence, routes to
the interior must connect-with the latter
In the latter part Of July the Indians de-
serted and went back to the coast. This
proved a severe blow to the expedition.
Thereafter Lieutenant Heron travelled by
the compass and sun. With September
came frosts that killed the grass and
leaves and the horses were FED on flour.
great deal OF food was subsequently
lost during the month by accidents Of one
kind or another from which men and
horses suffered. One night a gigantic
brown bear knocked down a cache and ate
fifty pounds of bacon. Fortunately an In
dian crossed mis- trail and killed him,
whereby members Of the expedition evened
up matters with bruin by eating him in
turn.
For two months Lieutenant Heron was
compelled to remain among the Indians
before he could figure a way out TO civil
zation. In the meantime he was not idle.
He learned the language of the tribes in
order that he might gain all possible
knowledge Of the country yet to be eX-
plored and by so doing worked the rescue
of himself and men. In the meantime the
horses had either died natural deaths or
had been killed and eaten. The horse
blankets carried by the party were made
into clothing socks and mits. Their food
when they could get it. was moose, beaver,
and fish. The Indians were hospitable, but
required careful management.
The latter part OF November Lieutenant
Heron. with four Indians as guides, re-
stunned the exploration OF the last III
miles on snow shoes, cutting and blazing
a trail and mapping the country as he
went along Nine dogs and three sleds
hauled such baggage as remained 10 the
expedition. During the extremely cold
nights that ensued the men biyouacked on
the ground digging through the snow
using their snow shoes as shovels, piling
shelters Of spruce trees around them and
keeping the FIRE going all night in order
10 keep from being frozen 70 death. II
was only when they found band OF In
dfans camped at Coschaget, on the Tana'
ma, that such luXuries as bread, butter
and tea passed their lips.
on December II, 1899, the little band OF
hardy explorers reached their objective
point the junction of the Tanana and
Yukon Rivers. after having passed nVe
months, and eleven days on the trail. Inc
total number Of miles Travelled was lVJO
all on foot They had forded icy rivers
climbed through pertlous canyons, anc
over mountains Of ice and snow.
IN his observations on the country traV-
ersed. Lieutenant Heron says he should
Judge the kuskokwim TO be naVigable foi
large steamboats, as far as the Echeatnu
and for small steamboats, as FAR as Inc
Tatathno. The general characteristics OF
interior Alaskan rivers are strong cur
rents, great erosions, and sedimentarS
deposits, shifting channels and rapid rise
IN spring. They are frozen from aDou
November ] 10 May ].
Lieutenant Herrous observations on the
west. and those Of William Morley IT., OF
the east of that part Of the great range
lying south Of west Of the Cantwell or Ne
mana River, heretofore called part OF
the Alaskan range, have convinced hin
Of the utility Of a separate designation
The distinct break AT the Neuana OF cant
well River. makes the mountains south
west separate range, by physlcal con
formation. while the direction OF thelI
trend and their situation as the Suchitna-
- KuskokWim divide make them a separate
range by geographical location. The VleN
Of Mount Mckinley from the west has th'
advantage OF having no intervening noun
fains 10 obstrUct it.
Lieutenant Heron claims 70 have dis
covered a second great mountain IN tins
range 20VGo feet high. which he has named
Mount Foraker, after the senior Ohio Sen
ator The Suchitna Indians call the noun
tains. 'Bolshoi.' which IN Russian mean:
big The Kuskokwims call them, 'DinaZ.
e., and the Tananas and Yukons, Din