Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1914-05-06
BROAD LINE TO ,
MARK BOUNDARY
UNITED STATES AND CANADIAN
PoSSESSIONS IN FAR NORTH
VIII LBE MADE DISTINCTIVE By
GOO MILE LINE.
TO BE FINISHED SOON
WORK ON MARKING BOUNDARY.
UNDER WAY SINCE 1907. IT *
EXPECTED WILL BE CONFLICT
ED DURING COMING SEASON.
(Associafod Press Correspondence,

AsSOcidfed Press CDfTcspDRdeacc.)
Sitka. Alaska, Nav 6.-Scarring "A
broad line across An miles of wilder
ness in the far north. in order hat the
possessions of the United States and
Canada may have a distinct SEPARATION
al every point. will he completed II iring
The CORNING open season. The work has
been m progress since 1907 under thr
direction If Thomas Hibhs .Ir.. civil or
ginecr. representing The United States III
askan Boundary commission. and =. 10.
Craig. representing Il similar commits
sioncf Canada.
Although the United States and Gan
ada have bccn ncighbors in the far
north for over Il half century. the exact
dividing line between their possessions.
especially, as 10 the northern portion,
was previous Ia this survey. Indefinite
and conflicting. Many disIsItcs arising.
the two governments decided. finally,
through their commissions. that an ali
solutc survey. clearly established and
marked for all time. should he made
along the one hundred and forty first
meridian, from the NJ. -, Elias Alps
ON the Pacific. to the Arctic Ocean. %
distance of approximately Gao miles.
The United Stairs surveying part,
consisted Of from I'D 10 III men each sea
son since the work was undertaken.
Chief Engineer Riggs. himself a Young
college man. selected his aids from the
hardest cla>srs-cowboys, forest ran
gers. ~proSrnctors. timber cruisers aud
fronticrsmcn with n liberal Sprinkling
Of engineers. New expeditions were or
ganized each spriac although MANY of
the men who started at the beginning
have remained in The service M ~ the
present time. II was the custom. too. 10
leave a few men in the north each win
ter 10 care for equipment ana supplies.
The actual visible results of the six
or seven wears of efforts a lfoot vista
cut. like a gigantic avenue. or lane.
through all timber and brush districts.
together with monuments set az visible
points from two to four miles apart.
The monuments erected are of two
types. depending upon the importance
of the locality. At prominent stream
crossings and main points of travel the
lincmahcr consists Of a Jfuot alumni.
um-bronzc shaft. weighing :I0 pounds.
set ~ 600 pounds of concrete. At less
important points The monument j. small
or. being designated aS a cone. east of
the sane metal. and requiring oaly 1000
pounds of concrete FOR the base. There
are approximately 200 Of these monu-
mestS al"n. the tam miles Of boundary.
The work of conveying III. heavy mater
ials for their construction mostly ON
pack animals. sometimes on the shoul
ders Of The men themselves. Was very
slow and laborious.
This survey j. declared bv engineers
Ia he the S%traichteSt of the world for
the length en%compassed. I'm speaking of
IL, one of the engineers said:
The start was made from one Of the
desloate peaks ~ the Nj: ~. Elias Alps.
~ the southern extremity. There We
LAID our course straight far the Northern
Lights and thereafter swcr,ed not SO
murh n a hairs breadth peaks. gulchrs
bottomlcs> swamps-wherc,rr The nee
die pointed there we went one dav cut
ting our way through brush %tanglcs.
the next building a track across marsh.
or crawling over docks aud through ere
Masses.
new typc of fender I'M Berlin II recf