New-York tribune., 1902-05-17
THE ALASKAN BOUNDARY.
REPORTS THAT CANADIANS HAVE RE.
MOVED LANDMARKS To BE IN
VESTIG ATED AGAIN.
Try TELEGRAPH TO THE rR1BuNE.I

Try TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE-I
Washington. May 16-Lieutenant Georpa -
Emmons, L. S. N, has been ordered to Alaska
TO ascertain beyond dispute whether or no,
Canadian officials have surreptitiously removed
destroyed ancient landmarks said to have
been erected by the Russian Government to
mark the international boundary. His dispatch
to the scene is due to his geographical expert
ence and his familiarity with the subject hav.
ing served in surveys and explorations in
Southern Alaska several years ago before the
discovery of gold opened the country to imui
grafton and brought about the acute stage Of
the boundary dispute in the neghborhood ~
Skagway. Lieutenant EmmOns retired from
active service after the war with SPAIN and has
since been connected with the Museum of Natural
History in New-York. He is satisfied that hs
can locate the positions said to have been
occupied by the old monuments and establish
the truth or falsity of the reports which were
published several months ago that American
territory had been violated by British officials
His mission follows closely fruitless in
vestigatan conducted by the army at the in
stance of the State Department. Last fall the at
tention of the State Department was brought
TO the reported transactions of the Canadian
surveyors, several months in advance Of the
newspaper publication on the subject, and a
search of the records and maps was Immediately
instituted to find out where the Russian monu-
ments were located. their existence. if they had
ever existed. having escaped the attention OF
American officials familiar with the boundary
controversy, we'll as the experts of the Coast
Survey. which several years ago ran the pro-
vsional line claimed by the United States. No
mention of such monuments or other ancient
marks appears to have been recorded 1, but in
order to be that they had not been over
looked. If they existed. General Randall, COM
manding the Department Of the Columbia, who
is familiar with the whole Territory Of Alaska
called upon for a report. and he promptly
sent his aid. Captain W. H. Richardson. Sth
Cavalry TO the head of the Lynn Canal to make
extended reconnaissance. Captain Richard
son returned recently, and an exhaustive re-
port of his Investigations was received in WASH
ington a few days ago. His mission was kept
secret In order that by no possibility should his
search be impeded. in any surTeptitious
methods had been practised. He found nothing
suspicious. no trace of monuments their re-
mOYal. but il is understood that he accumulated
considerable material that will be OF value to
the United States when the final negotiations
for permanent boundary are taken up with
Great Britain. and for that reason it has been
determined TO withhold his report from the
public for the present
There is an intimation that Lieutenant En-
mons viii push his investigation deeper into
Canadian territory than die Captain Richard-
son. who confined himself largely to the ex-
treme American claim, lying ten marine leagues
from tidewater, parallel to the indentatOns OF
the coast. the Canadians asserting that the line
from which the ten leagues should be meas
ured ought TO jump from headland to headland-
The latter claim is, however, thrown out by the
Hay-PauncefOte mOduS vtvendi of October 90
1899. Lieutenant Emmons thinks that a Rus
sian monument formerly existed about eighty
miles inland. and will Depend on certain natives
with whom he is acquainted TO take him to the
spot whether this monument was intended to
mark grave or boundary. and whether il
was erected before the purchase OF the terri
tory. In 1h67, he expects TO settle beyond any
further question.