The Alaska citizen., 1910-09-05
m s se s;s ss s:& s:s s m s s:s 3 Work of Geological Survey in Alaska 5 B By BROOKS E
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to kuSkOkwlm waters, ueSteuueu the latter river to it's mouth. and return . ed to Cook Inlet by route which i crossed the Alaska Peninsula.
 The same year two most import ant southern branches of the fu- kon - the Panama and White rivers were surveyed. A party led by Peters and Brooks crossed the Chil- koot Pass and went inland on the snow and ice to Lake Marsh, where, after delaying until the ice broke up. they embarked in canoes for the White river at which point the sur veys began. The ascent of the river was made by dragging the canoes against the rushing current. Six weeks of this toilsome task in the glacial waters brought the party near the head of Snag river, northern tributary of the White, whence the Panama was reached by portage, af- ter which the downstream trip to the Yukon was comparatively easy. Ex- ploratory surveys of about 10000 square miles were made by this par ty. The same year Barnard, follow ing a similar route from the coast to the Yukon, made survey of about 2.0O0 square miles in the For tymile river basin.
 In 1899 Peters and Brooks contin- ued their explorations by survey extending westward from Lynn Canal along the northern base of the St. Elias range to the headwaters of the White and Panama rivers and north ward to the Yukon at Fortymile. The journey was made with horses. only five out of the original fifteen reaching the Yukon.
 In this year the work of exploring the great waterways was extended north of the Yukon to the Koyukuk, which was mapped by Schrader and Geraldine. Leaving Fort Yukon in canoes. they ascended the Chandlar
  portage reached Koyukuk waters and followed them to the Yukon.
 In the fall Schrader and Brooks met at St Michael and after the close of the work decided to visit the newly discovered placers at Nome The investigations. while very hastily made, had their value, because they enabled the Geological Survey to publish a report contain ing authentic information before the exodus to the new gold fields, which took place in the following spring.
 The great demand for maps of important mining districts, in 1900, forced the Geological Survey to post pone further explorations. One party, under the leadership of Schrader, Gerdine and Spencer, mapped large area in the Copper river basin, both geologically and typographical ly, while Barnard, Brooks, Peters and Mendenhall did similar work ;n S. ward Peninsula
 In 1901 the work in northern Alas ka was resumed, and a network of surveys completed connecting the Yu kon, koyukuk and kobuk rivers, the Arctic ocean and KotZebue Sound Schrader and Peters made trip which included a journey the entire length of Alaska from it's southern most limit to Point Barrow. Starting in winter they travelled to the Koyu kuk with dog teams, thence ascended one of the north forks of that stream with canoes, crossed to a branch of the Colville, and followed it to its mouth. They then skirted the coast westward to Point Barrow and final ly southward to Cape Lisburne, where they were so fortunate as to find a steamer. In the course of their jour ney they traversed the Endicott mountains, and brought back the first authentic information in regard to this great range. Theirs was prob ably the most notable exploration which has been made by the Geo. logical Survey. In the same year Mendenhall and Reaburn also made surveys and explorations in this northern region. They rached the mouth of Dall river on the Yukon in June, ascended that stream in canoes, and then by an 18-mile port age reached Koyukuk waters. They descended the Koyukuk to the mouth of Alatna river, which they ascended for about 100 miles, and then made a second portage which brought them to the Kobuk river, which they fol- lowed to it's mouth. This expedition is of particular interest in that it made the first instrumental survey from the Yukon to tidewater. The topographic survey was begun at Fort Yukon and carried through to kotzebue Sound. It established an altitude of 800 feet for the river at Fort Yukon, which is probably ap- proximately correct
 | During the same season Brooks was engaged in geologic studies in Southeastern Alaska, and Gerdine Collier, and Witherspoon did areal |