The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1914-08-06
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
PLANS FOR ALASKA
DEPARTMENT TO SEND PARTIES
INTO FAR NORTH TO Ex-
PLoRE MINERAL WEALTH..
Mining World)

lie SCOIOSINdi SulNCs has NpliIPltltb
its preparations for the annual cam
paign of Investigating the mineral re-
sources OF Alaska. For this season S
work supplies We're started inland
from the coast early last January, and
are now cached at convenient points
located 200 to 300 miles inland for use
of the parties during the working sea =
son, which lasts from June through
September. Eleven parties will be put
in the field this year, and as in the
past special heed will be given to the
investigation of the resources of those
districts which are tributary to the
several routes that have been advo-
Gated for the proposed government
railways.
A party under J. w. Bagley and
Theodore Chaplin will undertake the
exploration OF the region tributary to
Talkeetna river and will connect with
the surveys of the Board pass region
made last year. This party, consisting
of men and Is horses, will go up
Matanuskf river early in June and
start work near the scene of the new
gold discovery on Albert creek 1t
will penetrate region now but little
known, lying in the headwater country
OF the Talkeetna river. On returning,
the party will survey the region be-
tween the headWaters of Matanuska
and Copper rivers that has been ad
vocated as railway route.
An exploration Of the region lying
between Lake Clark on 'he, east and
the Iditarod district on the west will
be undertaken by r. Fl. Sargent and
Philip S. Smith. Here there is a belt
Of country over 100 miles in width
which is an almost entire blank on the
map. The party, made up of seven
men with 20 horses, will follow a route
that has been suggested for railway
into the great Kuskokwim basin.
A. c. Maddren will investigate the
gold placer districts tributary to tho
lower Kuskokwim. He will ascend
Iditarod river by canoe. portage across
the divide to reach the Kuskokwim,
and visit the Annak, Tuluksak and
Goodnews Bay placer districts.
Stephen r. Capps and c. E. Griffin
will carry geologic and topographic
surveys across Skolai pass into the
White river basin and thence to the
international boundary This is also
a region where railway building has
been considered. Mr.. Capps will give
special attention to the investigation
of the newly discovered gold district in
the Chisana basin. This work is an
extension of previous reconnaissance
surveys in this field.
A detailed base map will be made of
most important gold lode camp in
Alaska. The purpose of the base map
is to make possible an exhaustive
study of the occurrence Of the gold
ores. d. c. Witherspoon will under
take the making of the base map,
which will be on scale of three
inches to the mine.
A detailed survey of the Kotsina
copper bearing area was undertaken
in 1912, but unfortunately the delay in
the appropriation during the last two
years has prevented it's completion 1t
is planned that F. Fl. MofTit and ]. Is.
Mertie now complete this work. B. l..
Johnson, with one assistant. will UNI
dertake the detailed geological survey
of the Port Valdez gold and copper
district The base map necessary for
this work was completed in 1913.
To coordinate and correlate the
various geologic surveys in Alaska 1t
is necessary to continue the studies OF
the general geology and mineral re-
sources. Three biologists will be en-
gagged in this work during 1914. George
C. Martin. assisted by r. NJ Overlook
will continue his studies Of the Me-
sozic stratigraphy He Will visit I'M
portant localities in southeastern
Alaska, in the Chitina valley, and
along the Yukon.
E. M. Eakin will undertake supple
mentary Investigations of the tin de-
posits Of Alaska. He will examine
some of the occurrences of tin in the
York region Of Seward peninsula and
the Hot Springs district of the Ia
mana valley. Mr.. Eakin will also un-
dertake some general studies OF the
occurrence of mineral deposits and
mining development in the Nome,
Fairbanks and Juneau districts.
Alfred H. Brooks. the geologist in
charge of the Alaska surveys and in
vestigations, will devote special atten-
ton to the problems of Qnarternary
geology, including the genesis and oc-
currence Of placer deposits. He viii
visit the Iditarod and Fairbanks dis
tricts, and, time permitting, the Nome
district. Mr.. Brooks will also join the
Moffit party in the Kotsina district.
and the Johnson party in the Valdez
district for brief periods of time.