The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1914-12-11
GREAT RIVER
IN YUKON
Is Fifth In Size in North
America.
Federal Survey Gives Interesting
Data About Waterway Of
Alaskan Country.

Washington. Dec. S.-A report re-
Gently issued by the United States
Geological Survey gives same inter
esting facts relative to the size and
kin River in Alaska, which the sur
vey says, are not generally known.
The Yukon Is given fifth place
among the large rivers of North Am
erica. by A. II. Brooks. of the survey.
He estimates that its drainage area
IL about 100000 square miles and
gives its length, including the Lewes
and Teslin Rivers, as 5000 miles.
This, the report says. may be compar-
ed with 5000 miles for the Missis-
.sippi and Missouri; 2.s6s miles for
the Mackenzie: 1000 for the Colo
RADIO combined with the Green River.
and 1900 for the Ohio and the Ale
gheny combined.
One of the characteristics of the
Yukon discovered in an investigation
by +. A. Porter and X. w. Daven-
port, of its discharge at Eagle. Alas
ka. is the relatively small discharge
of the river in comparison with its
Length, The report says the dis
charge OF the Yukon River varies
from a maximum of $4,000 to a
minimum of 10.100 cubic feet a sec
ond or an estimated flow of 1920
kcubic feet a second. The average
fiow of the Mississippi is placed at
1000 cubic feet; that of the Ohio
100000 and that of the Colorado,
25,500 cubic feet a second. The Nile
with a drainage area of 1.e62,00e
Square miles, has an average flow of
10000 cubic feet second.
The report says the apparent an
omaly in the flow of the Yukon as
related to its drainage area. is &C
counted for by the fact that the in
terror of Alaska has the small rain
fall characteristic OF that portion of
the United States which lies between
the Sierra Nevada and he Rocky
Mountains north of the latitude of
Salt Lake City.
So important a bearing has navi-
cation of the Yukon on transporta-
ton in interior Alaska that it has
caused the general recognition of two
seasons, the report states. One is
known as the "closed season." when
the Yukon is filed either with float
ing ice or frozen over. The other
is called the "open season." which
begins about the middle of May. and
extends for five or six months. Dur |
ing this period the river is open for
navigation.
The measurements of the Yukon |
were made by the survey experts dur
ing the winter at point about two |
miles above Eagle where the river
is /, 500 feet wide. Holes were cut |
thru the ice at intervals of fifty feet |
and soundings made. The exposed
tsection of the stream was determined
in this way and the velocity of the
river at each hole was obtained by
a current meter. During the period
of the breaking up of the ice, meas
urements were made by means OF ice
floats and in the open season the
flow was determined by the usual
methods employed on large rivers.
The report contains a description
of the scenes attending the breaking
up of the Ice, which the survey says.
are thrilling. The roaring of the
crushing of the ice as 1t starts down
the stream in great foes draw many
watchers to is banks. Great masses
of ice larger than ordinary dwell
ings and weighing many tons, pile
up and with the advent of warmer
weather are set adrift.