The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-06-04
READING ROCKS
OF ALASKA HILLS
What Geological Survey Is Do
ing to Help Miners in
the North.
EXPERTS GOING INTO FIELD
TO FOLLOW UP THE WORK PRE-
VOUSLY BEGUN.

The geological survey Is planning
campaign Of investigation and research
which. when added to the work already
done in that region, Will add immeasur-
ably to the store Of technical knowledge
so essential to the work Of the prOspector,
miner and agricUlturist- An outline Of
this seasons work and the bTiefest kind
of a synopsis Of what has been done Is
found In a bulletin just issued by the
survey, as follows:
In southeastern Alaska MeSsrS- G W
and F E Wright. assisted by MI * w
PumpeIly will continue their geologic
work north and west Of Lynn canal, in
Guiding the Glacier bay region and Chlch-
agOf island As in previous years the
work will be carried on with the aid OF a
gasoline launch. The glaciers on Glacier
bay. which always interest the tourist,
will be specially studied. These were
very much shaken by the earthquake IN
1899. and an attempt Will be made to de
termine how much the ice has retreated
since Professor H F. Reds survey in
1891.
Mir Eliot BIackwelder. who will have
the assistance of Mr.. y. g Madden. viii
explore the lower course of the Alsek
river as far as the International bound
airy. The Alsek is a Elacier-fed. turbulent
stream. 1t will be Mr.. BlackwelderS spe-
ciaI purpose to study the geology of the
St. Elias range and determine If possible.
the relation of the rocks of this field with
the gOld-bearinE rocks of southeastern
Yakutat Bay Region.
Professor R : Tarr- assisted by Mr..
Lawrence Martin. viii continue his work
I'm the Yakutat bay region He proposes
10 cross the upper reaches of the Malas-
pima glacier and make his way westward
to YaktaE This means that he viii have
10 cross about 100 miles Of ice by sled It
IS Professor Tarrs general purpose to
carry the geologic reconnaissance work
westward and. If possible esJabuSh the
relation to the coal and oil bearing rocks
OF Controller hav He will also examine
the beach Dlacers and the oil SeepaEeS at
Naktag-
Controller Bay Region.
As rapidly as means at hand viii per
nit, the coal fields of Alaska are being
Systematically surveyed During the COM
ing field season. Mr.. George &. Martin,
assisted by VI. G. r. Weaver. viii com
plete the detailed mapping of the Con
troIIer bay region. As this field carries
high-grade bitUmiUous and seTni-anthra-
cite Goals and is now the objective point
of q railroad from OrCa- it IS evident that
the results of this work will be of great
commercial importance
The correlation of the various coal
bearing horizons of Alaska viii be under
taken by Mr.. W. W. Atwood: who VIII
spend a few weeks with Mr. Martin, ia
miIarizing himself with that field Lat
er he viii. with the assistance Of Mr.
Weaver examine the coal fields of the
The Sushitna Basin
Great interest has been felt i'm the
Sushitna basin. which contains not only
important coal fields, but also some pla-
Ger beds. and embraces the largest areas
of agricultural land i'm Alaska. In re-
Spouse to the demand for further sur
VeyS in this field, Mr.. IT. q. GeTdine
sailed on May Is with party of twelve
men and fifteen horses from Seattle for
Knik at the head of Cook inlet He was
h.
viii take charge of a section of the party
Mr.. Sidney Paige viii be with the eNpe-
ditiOn as EeOlOgiSt. and with him viii be
associated Mr.. A1olph kuopf. The gen
eral purpose of the investigation viii be
to carry reconnaissance surveys mp 10 the
head of MatanUSka river and thence west
ward 10 the SUShIina- Inc geolQElSts viii
pay special attention to the Matanuska
coal fields which have been described 10y
Mr. Martin in d recent report
In Yukon-Tanana Region.
Prospectors i'm the inland region have
the greatest need OF tOpUgra phICal and
geologic maps. To supply this demand
MessTs. d. G. WitherspOOn and l. VI.
PTindle will continue the work i'm which
they have been engaged during the past
four years. Mr.. WitherSpOOn. who viii
be assisted 10y NIr. r. b Oliver. viii pro-
coed with nine men and twelve horses TO
make his way inland 10y the White pass
route 10 Fort Hamlin- Here his party
viii divide. one section coins 10 the east
that during the summer the topographic
mapping can be completed as far west as
Yukon river Mr.. PTindIe. assisted by
Nj G. 5 Blair. viii investigate the newly
discovered placer field ON kantishua riv-
or. He Will go i'm by the White pass
route. down the Yukon and up the Tan
ana, thence southwark 10 the base OF
the mountains. where ne viii examine a
coal field on CantweU river and then
westward 10 the kGntisEna placer dis
trict.
Yukon-Porcupine Region.
As a thorough investigation Of the min
eraI resources cannot be made without
geologic maps. stratigraDhic studies are
very essential for the determination OF
the geologic horizons. Mr. z NJ. Kindle
who last year Investigated the strait
graphy of southeastern Alaska. viii this
year do similar work in the Yukon basin
He viii 20 down the Yukon in a canoe
ascend the Porcupine TO the boundary
and make such stratigTaphic studies as
time and circumstances may permit
In Seward Peninsula.
The detailed topographic surveys which
have been carried on in the Seward pen.
Ursula during the past two years have
been crowded out this season by press of
other work Geologic work viii. however
be continued in this region by Mr.. r IT
Moffit, who will be assisted by Mr.. p :
smith Mr.. MOffit VIII complete the
areaI mapping of the Nome special an,
.1r.rraF enacia1 unaTranrrIae NO.