Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1901-12-09
ALASKAN EXPLORATION

ALASKAN EXPLORATION
During the past field season the
United States Geological Survey has
had four parties engaged in exploring
and mapping different parts of Alaska.
The first under Mr.. w. ]. Peters, as
sisted by Mr.. F. G. Schrader, started
from Skaguay early in February and
went 1000 miles with dog team to
Bergman, a trading post on the Koy-
uku river in central Alaska, near the
arctic circle. where a cache of canoes
and provisions had been made the pre-
vious year. The parity then pene-
trated north to the divide of the Yu-
kon, making portages to the head
waters of the Colville river. and de-
scended through an entirely unknown
country to the Arctic ocean The
country from the mountains to the sea
was found to be All expanse of rolling
tundra. Owing to the lateness of the
season the party were unable to re-
turn overland by another route as
planned, but were obliged to skirt the
coast to the west in canoes and whale
boat, secured from the natives, in the
hope Of reaching Cape Nome before
the ice set. After working down the
coast for $50 miles they were FORUM
ately picked UP by a collier.
The second party under MI. T. G.
Gerdine, assisted by Mr.. A. J. Collier,
penetrated the Seward peninsula, on
which is located Cape Nome, for about
100 miles and spent the season in COM
plotting the exploration and mapping
the western part of the peninsula,
north of the Nome mining district,
which was surveyed last year.
The third party under MIR. ". c.
Mendenhal, assisted by Mr.. d. L. Rea-
burn starting from Fort Yukon sur
veyed the Yukon river for a distance
of about 200 miles down it's course,
then crossing the divide to Bergman,
where S was made of the cache es-
tablished the year before, penetrated
unknown country to the westward and
descended the Kowak river to Kotzbue
Sound, an arm of the Arctic ocean.
The fourth party under the command
of Mr.. A. H. Brooks worked in south
eastern. Alaska examining the mineral
deposits and exploring the region from
Juneau to Skagway. Two months
were spent on Prince of Wales Island
and the adjacent mainland, and much
development in the progress of that
section was found.
The work of the Geological Survey
of the past a practically marks the
close OF the exploration stage of it's &C
tivities in Alaska. The districts of
which nothing is known are now of
less extent than formerly, and hence
forth more detailed mapping and ex-
animation of the territory's resources
will take the place of the rapid and
SAS~H NoA Lie lC1ClI1dlSdiiCc ILDS ulLu-
erto necessary. The size and remote
ness of the country, the shortness of
the field season, the difficulties of
travel, and the danger of losing sup
plies or of being caught by oncoming
winter has made the exploration of
Alaska comparable to the work of
Lewis and Clark in their early Journey
across the continent. but in spite of
the difficulties, the survey parties have
carried out their work through five
seasons without failure or loss of life.
The results of the Alaskan work
have appeared in the annual reports of
the survey for the last three or four
seasons, together with maps of the
routes traversed. They are available
for distribution except where the edi-
tions are, already exhausted. '
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