The San Francisco call., 1907-06-10
WILL STUDY MINERAL
RESOURCES OF ALASKA
United States Geological
Survey to Send Out
Eleven Parties
TO VISIT COAL FIELDS
Water Supply of Territory
Will Be Thoroughly
Investigated

investigated
WASHINGTON. June s--For the last
nine years the United States geological
survey has been Investigating the min
eraI resources of Alaska. During the
coming season this work is to be con-
tinued by IL parties. which have al
ready been made UP and some OF which
have started for the field of operations.
Some of these parties will be SO di-
vided in the field that IA groups OF ex-
plorers will be at work in the territory.
The parties comprise 20 technical men
(geologists. topographers and hydro
graphers) and 81 assistants and camp
hands.
Five geologic parties will study eco
romic problems in widely separated
districts. five topographic parties will
map areas in the Yukon-Tanana region
and one party will be employed on map
work in Kasaan peninsula, southeast
ern Alaska, and two photographic par
ties will study the water resources OF
the most important placer districts.
The copper deposits of the valley OF
Chitina river. a tributary of Copper
river, will be examined by Fred n. Mof-
fit, who will be assisted by A. G. Mad
dren- This field is important because
of the large amount of development
work going on within it. Mofht will
also make reconnaissance down Cop
per river and, time permitting, will
visit the more important localities Of
the Prince William sound copper dis
trict.
The study of the geology and mineral
resources of the Yukon-Tanana gold
fields will be continued by L. M. Prin-
die. Prindle has been engaged in this
work for the last four years. and he
expects this season to complete the
necessary preliminary work in the dis
trict and thus be prepared to begin
more detailed Investigations next sea-
son.
NEED OF PLACER MINERS
In Seward peninsula, where general
reconnaissance work. both topographic
and geologic, has been completed, de-
tailed topographic and geologic surveys
are under way. During this season
Philip s. Smith, assisted by Professor
George I. F1nIay and Frank j. Katz,
will study the areal geology and min
eraI resources of the Solomon and Casa
depaga quadrangle. Smith will also
continue his general study OF the
geology and mineral resources of Sew
ard peninsula and keep in touch with
mining developments in the various dis
| tricts
The urgent need OF the placer miner
has led to study of the available
water resources of the territory. The
| investigation of the water supply Of
the Nome district, begun In 1906 by J.
c. Hoyt and F. F. Henshaw, Will be
continued this season by Henshaw, as
sisted by Raymond Richards, and will
be extended into the Kougarok and
adjacent districts. The work includes
| the measurement of the quantity of
water flowing In the natural streams
and the artificial canals and bitches
and the collection OF rainfall and other
climatic data
Similar work will be done by c. C..
Covert in the Fairbanks district, which
Covert will make a preliminary recon-
naissance of the entire field for the
purpose of obtaining general knowI-
| edge of the district on which to base
future detailed investigations
Investigations of the coal resources
! of the territory, begun last year, will
be continued by w w. Atwood. At
| wood reached southeastern Alaska In
| the early part of May, and after spend
| ing a month In studying the coal bear
| ing rocks of that district he will visit
the Yukon coal fields as far as they are
| accessible from the Yukon river. He
| is assisted In this work by H. NJ.
| Eakin.
PREPARING CONTOUR MAPS
In accordance with the plan of map
ping the important mining districts in
detail, the ore deposits of the Ketchi-
kan mining district, In Kasaan penin-
sula, Prince of Wales island, south
eastern Alaska will be studied by
Messrs. c. w. Wright and Sidney Paige.
| A contour map on scale OF an inch to
the mile is in preparations as a base
| for the work.
The tin deposits of Seward peninsula,
both lode and placer, Will be. examined
by Adolph Knopf. who will make a
special study of the manner OF occur
renee and mode OF origin of the ores.
Knopf will visit all districts known to
| contain important deposits.
Topographic work in the Fairbanks
r-gion will be In charge Of Thomas G.
Gerdine, who will be assisted by r. H.
Sargent, topographer. and George Nu-
| ner, 1evelman A detailed map on a
scale of one inch to one mile will be
made.
A contour map of Kasaan peninsula.
| on the inch-mile scale is being made by
of this work Witherspoon will map. on
the scale of a half inch to the mile,
the region between the international
boundary west of Dawson, Y. T., and
Fairbanks, Alaska, adjoining the south
ern boundary of the area already
mapped in this region. ]. w. Bagley
will assist Witherspoon.
Alfred H. Brooks, the geologist IN
charge of the division of Alaskan min
eral resources. will be engaged in ONCE
work in Washington until midsummer.
He will then visit southeastern Alas
ka, the Fairbanks district, the Seward
peninsula, paying particular attention
to- economic developments In the vari-
Gus fields, In order that his plans for
future work may most effectively pro-
vide for the pressing commercial needs
OF the territory.
HINDU SWAMI LECTURES