The Alaska citizen., 1912-10-07
WHAT THEY DID
 HERE THIS YEAR
UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL
 SURVEY ANNOUNCES SCOPE OF
 THIS YEARS INVESTIGATIONS.

The delay in passing the appropri- alton bill has made it impossible for the united State Geological Sur. vey to carry out all the field plans for Alaska that had been formulat- ed for 1912, but the funds that be- CaInc available by emergency ap- propriations made it possible to dis patch several of the smaller parties for full seasons work. and others started for Alaska as promptly as the appropriation permitted.
 In southeastern Alaska the survey proposes this year to study the gyp- Burchard, who sailed from Seattle about the first of September, has been put i'll charge of this work and will visit the marble deposits near Wrangell and at the north end of Prince of Wales Island.
 Detailed surveys are being made of the west end of the Chtna cop per belt, where important discover ies of ore, have been made A topo- graphic survey of this field was be- gun on July 15 by D. C. Wither- spoon and will be continued up to the close Of the field season. The study of the geology and mineral re sources of this district is being un- dertaken by F. H. Moffit. assisted by 1 Theodore Chapin and j. B. Mertie Jr. Mr. Chapin has been working with Mr WitEerspoon. Messrs Moi fit and Mertie sailed for Cordova on the first of September
 A detailed survey of the copper | bearing region adjacent to Galena and Landlocked bays is also being made this summer by R. H. Sargent and C. E. Giffen, who are engaged ill making the topographic base map of this district, beginning work about the first of September. The geo 1 iogy of the same region is being studied by s. R. Capps and B. L. Johnson.
 The violent volcanic eruption that took place in the Alaskan peninsula in June caused the deposition of much material on the northern part of Kodiak Island and created great hardship among the settlers. In view of this condition it appeared desir able to undertake an investigation of this field. G. C. Martin, who was detailed to make study of that area, reached Kodiak on the first of July. Under the joint auspices of the Geological Survey and the Ma tional Geological society. he spent six weeks in Investigating the vol canic phenomena. His work was facilitated by the courtesy of the revenue cutter service, which fur nished local transportation. On the completion of the investigation MT. Martin undertook a preliminary ex- animation of the mineral deposits of the western part of Kodiak Island.
 The discovery of gold in the Ruby creek district and the large gold production from the Iditarod district made it imperative that the Geo. logical Survey continue its investi- 9ation of this field. and H. M Eakln was detailed for this purpose. He arrived at Ruby creek about the mid dle of July and later extended his work sOuthward to the Idtarod dis trict.
 For a number of years the Geo. logical Survey has been Investigating the water supply available for plac- CT mining in the Yukon-Tanana re. zion. This year R. w. Davenport was detailed to investigate the Wa ter resources of the Fortymile dis trict and c. E. Ellsworth those of the Birch creek and Fairbanks dis i tricts. This work was begun about the first of May and will be continu- ed until the end of the open season The important developments in lode mining in the Fairbanks district making it desirable to supplement the detailed surveys already made of this field, Philip s. Smith was intrusted with this investigation. He arrived in Fairbanks about the first week in September, and it is hoped that he will be able to study most | of the important discoveries of auriferous quartz in the district.
 Through the couresy of the United States commissioner of the interna- tional boundary survey. geologist was permitted to accompany the par ties which are surveying the bound ary north of the Porcupine river A c. Maddren was detailed for this purpose and accompanied the boun- dary party which reached it's field of operations about the first of June. It is expected that during 1912 the