Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1914-06-12
ALAskA's BOUNDARY.
Line IS Marked BY Approximately
200 Monuments.

200 Monuments.
Unlsss States and Canada Havs sssn
Jsiatly Working on Prejsct since
1907 Distance Over coo Miles
Markers Massive.
Washington.-Scarring . broad hne
across 600 miles OF wilderness In the
far North. in order that the posses
sions OF the United States and Canada
may have distinct separation at ev-
cry point. win be completed during
the coming open season. The work
bas been In progress since 1907, under
the direction Of Thomas Riggs. Jr.
civil engineer. representing the United
States Alaskan boundary commission,
and T. d. Craig. representing similar
commission Of Canada.
Although the United States and
Canada have been neighbors In the
far North for over . half century, the
exact dividing line between their pos
sessions, especially as to the northern
portion. WAS, previous to this survey,
indefinite and conflicting. Many dis
putes arising, the two governments de-
cided finally, through their commits
sions, that an absolute survey, clearly
established and marked for all time.
should be made along the 141st mer-
dian, from the st. Elias mountains,
on the Pacific, to the Arctic ocean,
distance of approximately 600 miles.
The United States surveying party
consisted Of from 60 to 80 men each
season since the work was underta-
ken. Chief Engineer Riggs, himself
young college man, selected his aids
from the hardest classes-cowboys.
forest rangers, prospectors, timber
cruisers and frontiersmen, with a lib
eral sprinkling OF engineers. New ex-
petitions were organized each spring,
although many Of the men who started
ut the beginning have remained in the
service up to now. It was the custom.
too, to leave few men In the North
each winter to care for equipment and
supplies.
The actual visible result Of the six
or seven wears Of efforts Is 20.foot
vista cut. like gigantic avenue. or
lane, through all timber and brush dis
tricts, together with monuments set
NJ intervisfhla noints from three to
fnur mile. xnart II. w..
The monuments erected ara ~ two
tvnea demanding mon the importance
Of the locality. At prominent stream
cro..,n~. and main mint. ~ travel
the linz. marker consists Of : f,ve-foot
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. shaft Weighing 400
nnund. at - > oof nonnds ~ con-
crete. A. la.a IMMIGRANT noints the
monument I. smaller. hein1 desis.
n.te1 :. . cona c..t a. the same
mar ana raouirinr onfv 900 mounds
~ concret. for the h.ae There are
,apnroximatelv 800 az these monuments
alonx thu 600 miles OF boundary. The
vorF ~ conyevine tia heavy mate
rials sor their oonstruction. mostly on
fpack animals. sometime, on the shout
dearr. ~ tha man themselves. was very
slov ANA lahorioua ..5
Thia survey Il declared by engineers
h 81 the straixhtest Of the world for
the length encompassed. ~
In speaking OF Il one Of the ensi-
~The start vas made nom one Of
he desolate peaks Of the st. Elias
mountains. on the southern extremity.
There We laid our course straight for
the Northern Lights, and thereafter
svervsd not 20 much az a hair breadth
-peaks. xulches. bottomless swamps
-vherever the needle pointed there
10 went, one day cutting our way
through brush across marshes. anoth-
er day crawling over rocks and
through crevasses."
Small steamers plying the Yukon
and Porcupine rivers co-operated with
the expedition, but they were able to
reach with supplies only q small por-
don Of the actual route. South Of the
Yukon Is vast region, over ESQ miles
"a extent over which all supplies had
70 be transported. for the most part,
on the backs Of horses and mules, the
eommissary wagons being rendered
useless by the terrible mud which fol-
lows the escape Of frost from the soil
IN that region. IL & 81
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