The Nome nugget., 1902-07-09

miles and stretches through nearly 70 degrees of latitude and 5o degree, of longitude. Practically no detailed in- yestigations of any part of this vast territory have been made. and at least third part Of it~ area has not even re- ccivcd preliminary topographic and geologic surveys. Our knowledge of its mineral resources iS, therefore, very incomplete. What i, known of is coal resources ha, been compiled and is pre- sented by Mr.. Alfred Ii. Brook, in part III of the tWenly-,econd annual report of the United States geological survey, copy of which has just been received by the NU0GET. Thi, ron- plation is not from printed sources alone, but is largely from manuscript notes made or the spot by Mr. Brooks himself and by cther~.
 Mr. Brooks divides Alaska, for pur- poses of his report, as follows: Begin hing on the south, Soul Lcasteln Alaska inrlade, the Pa i ic ocean coastal belt and islands, extending rOwhWard to Mount 5t. Elias and northwcotward SO as to include the Copper river basin.
 Beginning on the west, Southwestern Alaska embraces the Aleutian islands, Alaska peninsula and ad jacent islands. Kenai peninsula and the Cook inlet region, with the drainage basin of il, tributary rivers.
 The KuskokWim region lies west of Bristol bay and Cook inlet and east and south of the Yukon, and drains into southeastern l5ering sea chiefly through tho Kuskohwiu river. The eastern part of tn $ region is broken by the Alaskan range of mountains. To the west ot these mountains is the broad 'a>in of the Kuskollwim river. A alua.l southern part of this region drains directly into Bering sea by d number of short rivers.
 The Yukon basin includes a great area lying partly in Alaska and partly in Yukon territory and British Columbia. The chief tributaries of the Yukon are the Koyukuk, Panama. Porcupine, White, Pelly and Lewes rivers, the two last uniting to form the Yukon proper, and their drainage basins are wholly within Canadian territory. The larger part of the basin is occupied by the great Yukon plateau, s}oping from about 1000 feet above sea level near tue headwaters to 2,500 feet at the great bend of the river. East of this plateau lies the northern extension of the Rocky mountains, which, near the Arctic coast, turn abruptly west parallel to the cUast, forming the Romanzof, Davidson and Del4ong mountains, the Arctic-4 ukOn water shed. On the southwest side of the Yukon basin the Coast range and the St. Elias range and the Alaskan ranges form the barrier and in part the watershed of the basin.
 Northwestern Alaska includes an ill., defined area northwest of the Yukon basin.
 Seward peninsula, cut off from the
  and and Kot2ebue sound on the north, is an important feature of this section. Several rivers drain from this area into Bering sea aud lhe Arctic ocean.
 Northeastern Alaska has been but little explored. It includes the drain- age basins of rivers between Point Barrow and the international boundary. The geology and mineral resources of this region are unknown.
 The occurrence of coal in Alaska, as in the western United States, is limited to the rocks of the later geologic periods Uhe Mesozic and Tertiary. The rocks of these ages have an ex- tensive distribution in the territory, and at d number of widely separated localities workable coal beds have been found. In 1852 the RusSianAmerican company prepared to open eoal mines at Port Graham, on the western side of Kenai peninsula, but soon abandoned their operations, though an American company mined coal at Port Chatham and supplied the Russian company's steamers for about ten years longer In 1868, few tons of coal were mined at Kootznahoo inlet, Admiralty 1sand for the United States steamship Sag inaw, and in 1868 coal was reported near Point Gardiner, Admiralty island
 Considerable prospecting has beer done at kIlisuoo. Admiralty island and the FirestCne mine has beer worked for local use since 1880. The Admiralty Coal and Fuel Company did considerable development work ai Point Gardiner. In 1872 coal wa. mined at Coal bay, Unga island, for the United States steamship Humboldt, and the mining of these Southern Alaska coals has gone on in small way for