Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-10-26
Geological Survey Parties Return
to Washington.
CoMBAfED ice, WATER AND SNOW
Data Gathered for Biographies
Map of Alaska.
NOME THRIFTY AND. QUIET

After involuntary plunges In Ice water,
wandering for weeks In the most desolate
parts of UNEMPLOYED Alaska, padding up
and down unnamed rivers and landing on
bleak beaches through drenching surf,
members Of several parties sent out by the
geological survey returned to the city to-
day. They include MIR. T. G. Gerdine. A. J..
Collier and w. ]. Peters.
Mr.. Gerdine was the topographer IN
charge and with party Of assistant geol-
ogists and men hired to help in the work
OF overland travelling, he traversed the
Seward peninsula, about 40 miles wide
and somewhat longer, just north OF Nome
The peninsula forms about one-twentieth
part of Alaska. Mr.. Peters and his party
penetrated into the arctic circle and pro-
ceeded north over vast wilderness to
Point Barrow.
The parties brought back reports to make
sportsman eager to go over their course,
at least in the Seward peninsula. Mr.. Ger
dine says he saw thousands Of ptarmigan
about as big prairie chickens wherever
he went. and that his party shot as many
of them as they cared to, using little %
caliber rifles Boiled, fried or baked, he
said, the ptarmigan were delicious, and they
formed one of the few, If not the chief, of
the delights of the dreary trip In the heart
of Uncle Sans northernmost territory.
Besides ptarmagan, wild reindeer were seen
at intervals, and that was about all the
life the scene presented, except few lit
tie willows and the moss.
Nome Is Subdued.
From Nome the biologists bring the re-
port that the town has settled down to g
steady, thrifty city. They say it now has
a number of good buildings, including a
commodious three-story hotel, with good
service at So day. By coincidence nearly
thirty members of different government
surveying and exploring parties met in
fop fha ,.nt,r frir fn hn IN no
They had carried on to a great extent the
vast and arduous work the government is
doing to map the northern part of Alaska
and gather all other data which the depart
ments should have on hand for the use of
the public.
In general the character of the country
visited by the biologists last summer Is de-
scribed as a wilderness. which Will PROB
ably be of little value except through min
ing. In some parts of the Seward penin-
sula the industry of raising reindeer Is
developing. The herds increase rapidly and
thrive on the moss, and Investments are
reported to be successful at points ovel
100 miles north of Nome. 49, -
MI. Gerdine's party left Nome about July
/, summers advent being three weeks
late, leaving snow on the ground too deep
for the horses, which were used in the
overland transportation of supplies. Trav-
cling in small boats, the party of scientists
went north along the coast, their pack
train moving along the beach. The first
thriving little city of 1900 Inhabitants.
about 100 miles north Of Nome. Teller is
on sandspit, Port Clarence and Granite
harbor. and the water about it is big in
let OR salt lake, which Is practically a part
Of Boring sea.
In Ice Water to Their Necks.
From Teller the party went westward,
making maps and surveys and geological
Investigations and getting specimens They
io1ruevad low rolling hilIs fordipc tho
cold streams sometimes up to their necks In
water at about 80 degrees, toward Cape
Prince of Wales. which juts out close to
Siberia. The whole country traversed was
barren and desolate. The black soil was
soft about a foot below the surface, where
the earth was frozen and remains SO all the
year round.
In this wilderness the great difficulty was
to get fuel to use In making fires for cook
ing. There was almost no wood to be
had.
Mr.. Gerdini reports that the temperature
of this country IN winter falls as low as
30 below zero, but this Is unusual. What
persecutes the inhabitants in the winter are
the icy blasts-cutting, cold winds, which
seem to penetrate almost any kind Of cloth
ing. Summer begins usually about June 10
and continues until October l.
From point near Cape Prince of Wales
the party went east, inland from the Arctic
ocean coast, to the head of Schismoneff in
let, and there saw some caribou. From the
inlet the course of the explorers in this
unprecedented tract was south to the Kuz-
trim river and across low mountains easily
traversed. There was, of course. no such
thing as a trail in the entire district, and
so the party wandered where they would
beyond the Arctic circle, using their horses
all the way. There was plenty of excellent
water to drink.
The work Of making typographical map
of Alaska is not yet completed. by any
means, says Mr.. Gerdine, but when the data
of the parties just returned Is all worked
up great deal will have been accomplished
toward that result.