The Nome nugget. (Nome, Alaska) 1901-1904, 1904-06-08
From KOyukuk to the
CoIviIIe Country.
SECTIONS GEOLOGY
MetaIliferOuS PIaCerS Found in
That Region Have Source in
PaleOzOiC Rocks.

"A Reconna ssance in Northern Alas
ka" is the title of an article published
recently by the United States Geologi
cal Survey. This trip, which is called
remarkable" was made in 1901 by
Messrs f. G. Schrader and w. j. Peters
of the geological survey. The report
will be read with interest. 1t states:
"Messrs Schrader and Peters left
Washington in January and sailed for
Alaska early in the spring. An ardu-
Gus preliminary journey of 200 miles
by dog sled was made down the Yukon
to "the Koyukuk' above the Arctic
circle, the most northern placer camp
on the continent. Conditions there
were found to be prosperous, $l5 day
being the average wage. From there
were made by dog sled to
discover pass over the rugged noun
tains to the north. Fortunately, one
was found, and as soon as the ice of the
rivers broke up in June, the dogs were
abandoned and the journey was con-
tinued northward by canoe up the tor
rental waters of John River, thence by
portage across the pass, and by canoe
down the Anaktuvuk and Colville to
the Arctic coast. The journey was en-
livened by trifling accidents, such as
the occasional loss of provisions in mid
stream, but an abundance of game hap
PLY made good such losses. After
weeks amid primeval solitudes, the rude
hospitality of the Eskimos found on the
Arctic coast seemed very acceptable.
Point Barrow was reached Sept. 3, but
no vessel was in port or in sight, and as
the ocean was about to freeze up for
the winter. the party put to sea in an
open whaleboat and cOasted southwark
for 300 miles. Near Cape Lisburne a
collier was fortunately encountered,
which landed the party al Nome late in
To make Nome seem gen
timely horne-like one should approach
it from the north.
Though the purpose of the survey
was essentially economic, it has yielded
rich geographic and geologic results.
This region was found to consist of
three wellmarked geographic provin-
ces-the Mountain or Middle, the Koy-
ukuk or Southern, and the Arctic Slope
or Northern-which are comparable to
the Rocky Mountains, the Great Inter-
ior Basin, and the Great Plains in the
Western United States. The middle
province consists of belt of rugged
100 miles in width and 5000
feet high. They are continuation of
the Rocky mountain system, but turn
here and run east and west at right
angles to their main trend. On either
side is gently rolling upland country.
To the north it slopes down to a nearly
fiat coastal plain along the Arctic.
"The geology of the region is inter-
esting. Evidence is cited to show that
Northern Alaska has been tilted to the
westward in geologically recent time.
The rocks are sedimentary, ranging
from Paleozoic to Recent in point of
age. The PaleOzoic rocks are of eco
nomic Importance, since they seem to
be the source of the metalliferous plac-
ers found in the country. The relations
of the various rock masses are graphi-
cslly shown in geological section
nearly 400 miles in extent, which prom
Uses to be of far-reaching Importance in
making future correlations with Asiatic
as we'll as Alaskan stratigraphy.
Occurrences of gold, silver, copper,
lead, antimony and coal are described.
The most important Of these minerals
is gold, which has been produced there
in commercial quantities since 1899. 1t
is found in the district above the 9th
parallel, where it occurs in widely dis
tributed placers. The production for
1901 was about 5000, 900, and that of 1908
about $3.50, 600. Prospects are also re-
ported from the Arctic side of the d.
vide. Coal is widely distributed. 1t
occurs in the Koyukuk province, prob
ably in economic quantities, as bitumi-
nous coal. Some is also found on the
Arctic slope, on the Anaktuvuk river.
Considerable quantities of Ignite are
exposed along the bluffs of the Colville.
A fair grade Of bituminous coal is min
ed ut Cape Lisburne. In 1901 it COM
manded $40 q ton in the Nome market,
where it was used for domestic pur-
poses.
"The report is illustrated by maps,
photographs and text figures, including
profiles and sections. showing the vege-
tation, the types Of topography, and
the character, structure and relations
Of the rock formations in the several
geographic provinces"