Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1914-06-13
ALASRE'S BOUNDARY
Line Is Marked by Approximately
200 Monuments.
United States and Canada Have Beer
Jointly Working on Project Since
19o7-Distance Over 600 Miles
Markers Massive.

Washington.-Scarri a broad line
across GOO miles OF wilderness in the
far North in order that the posses
sjOns OF the United States and Canada
may have a distinct separation at eV-
cry point, will be completed dunng
the coming open season. The WORK
has 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 a 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 f41st meri-
dian. from the st Elias mountains,
on the Pacific. to the Arctic ocean.
distance OF approximately coo miles.
The United States surveying party
consisted OF from 60 to so 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
at the beginning have remained in the
service up to now. II was the custom.
TOO. TO leave a few men in the North
each winter to care for equipment and
supplies.
The actual visible result OF the six
or seven years of efforts is a 20foot
vista cut. like gigantic avenue, or
lane. through all timber and brush dis
tricts. together with monuments set
at intervisibie points, from three 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 line marker consists OF five-foot
aluminium bronze shaft, weighing 300
pounds, set in 1000 pounds of con-
crete. At less important points the
monument is smaller. being desig-
mated as a cone, cast of the same
metal, and requiring only 500 pounds
Of concrete for the base. There are
approximately 200 of these monuments
aiong the 900 miles Of boundary. The
work Of conveying the heavy mate
rails for their construction. mostly on
pack animals. sometimes on the shout
ders of the men themselves. was very
slow and laborious.
This survey Is declared by engineers
TO be the straightest Of the world for
the length encompassed
In speaking of It one OF the engi-
neers said:
The start was made from one of
the desolate peaks of the St Elias
mountains, on the southern extremity.
There we laid our course straight for
the Northern Lights. and thereafter
swerved not so much as hair breadth
peaks, gulches, bottomless swamps
wherever the needle pointed there
we 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 a small por-
ton of the actual route. South of the
Yukon Is vast region. over $50 miles
In extent, over which all supplies had
to be transported. for the most part,
on the backs of horses and mules, the
commissary wagons being rendered
useless by the terrible mud which fol-
lows the escape Of frost from the soil
in that region.