The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1909-11-25
THE SURVEYORS IN ALASKA
-- Shsa4 2RnIKMEMan
Report of the United States Geological Survey
SPECIAL TO THE NAIL

SPECIAL TO THE NAIL
Washington, Nov. 23.-All of the
Alaskan parties of the United States
Geological Survey have now return
ed or are on their way to Washing
ton. The plans for the field season
or 1903 were all successfully carried
out and many important results
were obtained, preliminary state
, ment of which will be issued in the
spring of 1910. ....
Two Lakes Mapped.
Two parties under the leadership
of ID. C. Witherspoon and George G..
Martin, assisted by F. J. Katz and G..
e. Gitfin, surveyed Iliamna Lake and
Lake Clark, in the region west of
Cook Inlet. These two lakes, the
largest fresh water bodies in Alaska,
had never before been mapped.
Lake Hanna is about 100 miles
long. and 80 to 40 miles wide. Lake
Clark is so miles long and only 4 TO
6 miles wide.
Surveys East Of Seward Peninsula.
P. S. Smith, assisted by H. NJ.
Eakin, made an exploratory survey
iof the region between. the Yukon
and Council CITY. The portion Of
| this region lying between the Yukon
and Norton Bay had previously been
! uneApIored, and the results are
therefore geographically important.
The geologic results of this survey
show that the region extending east
ward from longitude 161 degrees is
occupied by Late ,,MesQzoic Or early
Tertiary sediments, which hold out
but little promise Of containing val
| liable mineral deposits. To the west
| OF this. lipe there are metamorphic
| rocks which may be auriferouS.
Geologic .WoESe On Kenai Peninsula.
Some gold and copper lodes have
been found in the eastern part Of
Kenai Peninsula, and this field was
therefore examined by U. s. Grant
and D: f. Higgins, who obtained
| much information about the geogra-
ply, geology and mineral deposits of
! the region.
Alaska Coal Fields.
The great Importance OF Alaska
| bituminous coal fields led to a de-
| tailed survey of the Matanuska coal
| tield, which was made by R. H. Sar"
| gent. assisted by j. B. Leavitt Next
year the resulting map will be used
AS base for delineating the coal
| bearing strata. When this field is
| reached by the Alaska Central rail-
way, of which approximately II
miles have now been completed, de-
tailed information regarding the dis
| tribution and occurrence of the coal
will be available.
| The Copper River Railway.
Alfred II Brooks, under whose
supervision the ALASKA surveys are
! carried on, visited apart of the
Chitina copper precinct last summer.
He reports that construction work
is being energeticaliy pushed on the
Copper River railway, about IS miles
having been completed. This rail
way will connect the copper deposits
Of the Chitina with tide water or
Prince William Sound. Mr.. Brooks
was panied by Fred II. Motif
and S. r. CapDs, who completed z
detailed geologic map Of the region
adjacent to Nizina river, the best de
veloped part Of the Chitina copper
bearing district.
Work Near Fairbanks.
After leaving the Motif party; Mr.
Brooks made his way overland tt
Fairbanks, where he Joined l.. M
Prindle and B. J.. johnson in q pre-
liminary study Of the newly discov
cred auriferou5 lOdes Of that vicinity