The Alaska citizen. (Fairbanks, Alaska) 1910-1917, 1915-05-17
NAVIGATION
ON TOLOVANA
IMP TACTICAL
DR.. THERlANO SAYS THAT
BIG BOATS CANNOT GO
UP TOLOVANA RIVER.


tically impossible to navigate the
Tolovana river with any kind of a
craft larger than launCv is the
opinion of DR.. J. A Sutherland. who
returned yesterday afternoon from
trip 10 the log jam on the Toto
vana in his launch.
The reasons given by Dr. Suther-
land are that the river is very
crooked and that only few miles
from its mouth, or after the mouth
of the Chatanika is passed, it mar
rows down until it is not more than
40 feet wide at its widest part, be
ing in most places not more than
80 feet in width. 1t would therefore
be practically impossible for steam
ers to navigate the stream, even if
they were of small draft, on account
of the fact that they could not turn
around in the river.
Returning with DR.. Sutherland yes
terday were Luther Schooling and
iNt iNob4ilStii- NilO' W ilii btoi Sc
A. Coleman, manager of the North
ern Commercial company, made the
trip in with him. The trip in itself
was uneventful and all of the plans
of the party We're carried out to
such nicely that they made what
is believed will be considered rec
rr1 friy oh 1nt, ~ ~
made the journey.
DISTANCE TO JAM.
According to Dr. Sutherland it
is about 200 miles by the river route
from the mouth Of TIE Toloyana
to the mouth of Liyengood
creek He estimates the dis
lance by the time of his boat and
further states that in his opinion
it is about lao miles from Tolovana
station to the log jam. From the
log jam up to the mouth of Liven-
good is an estimated distance OF
50 miles by river although it is
stated to be only 35 miles overland.
DR.. Sutherland states that he left
Mr.. Coleman with the Rutherford
party at the log jam, and that all
Of them contemplated continuing
their journey in another launch,
which is located on the river above
there The Rutherford launch, how
ever, had to be left below the log
jam. The members OF that party
were therefore unable to state just
when they would be able to get
back to town.
BUILDING TRAM
The members OF the returning
party report that Chris Stadleman
and John Wager are constructing
a tramway across a portage on the
Tolovana river, which will entirely
eliminate the log jam. They have
the ties all cut now and are getting
ready to cut out right of way
after which they Will proceed to lay
the track.
1t is thought that the tram will
not have to be more than about one
half mile in length. 1t will connect
two portions of TIE Tolovana river, !
one above the jam and the other .
below and, if it be found that its use
is feasible, it will be a means of
transporting freight around the jam, |
unloading and loading it only once. |
1t is believed by the men who are |
the tram that they can
carry freight nearly to the mouth of .
LNengood in this manner Wager |
is the owner of the launch which |
is operating on the upper Tolovana |
at present
PAUL. PARTY LOST.
While no apprehension is felt by
their friends as to anything having
befallen them, ii is believed here
that AL. PAUL. and the party which
left Fairbanks last Wednesday, or
a day after the Sutherland party, is
lost among the many streams which
are tributary to the Tolovana. The
of the Sutherland party
say that they saw no evidence of the
Paul. party anywhere beyond hear
ing on their return that the latter
had passed Tolovana going upstream.
DR., Sutherland gives it as his opin-
ion that the Paul. party went up the
Chatanika when they reached the
mouth of that stream, instead OF
on up the smaller stream.
Others think that it is probable that
PAUL. went up the Tatlina, which
stream is stated to come into the
Tolovana on the left limit, few
miles below the log jam.
There are several lakes along the
Tatlina which it is possible TO navi-
gate and several Tolovana men now
in town say that it would be en-
tirely possible for the PAUL. party
to portage from the lakes into the
Tolovana river again. and thus avoid
the log jam 1t was at first thought
that these lakes and a little dredg-
ing would eventually be the means
Of carrying freight to the miners
Of the Tolovana.
SCHOOLING'S REPORT.