The daily progressive-miner., 1916-06-08
Alaska Surveys and h.
 vestigations in 1916
By U. S. Geological Survey

| BY U. ,. GeotogfCat SufNSJ
 The United States Geological Sur vey began it's systematic inyestiga- tions in Alaska in 1898, Since that time the work has been continued without interruption. and large part of the territory has been mapped to- geographically and geologically par ticularly those areas that are produ- I cers or prospective producers of val uable minerals. However, much re mains to be done. and during the coming summer F parties will be i sent to Alaska to continue or extend the surveys already begun or com pleted Four of these parties will work in Southeastern Alaska, two will ] be sent into the Prince William Sound region. one will be in the lower Cop per and Chitna valleys, one in the Nenana and Bonnifie districts, one on the lower Yukon. and one in Fair banks, Tolovana, and Nome districts. Among all these investigations those of the Juneau and Nenana districts are of special interest and importance.
 In southeastern Alaska Theodore Chapin will continue the geologic surveys that he began last year in the Ketehikan district and will study the mineral resources of this area, giving special attention to mining develop wents and production George H. Garfield will continue the investiga- ion of the water resources of south eastern Alaska. This work is car ried on in cooperation with the For est Service and was undertaken to supply the demand for nformatiaon about the available water power of his part of Alaska Juneau is the most important lode-gold mining dis trict of Alaska and promises to be come one of the largest gold-produc- ing camps of the continent. D. c Witherspoon will complete the de- tailed topographic map of the Juneau district on which he was engaged last year, and A. c. Spencer and II. NJ. Eakin will undertake an exhaustive study of the gold deposits.
 J. w Bagley will make topographic reconnaissance surveys inthe Prince William Sound region. These sur veys are made by the phototopogra- phic method and will include the northwestern shore lines of the Sound eastward from Passage Canal, thus embracing the Port Wells mining dis trict and connecting the work done in this area with previous work in he vicinity of Port Valdez.
 B. L. Johnson will continue the stduy of the geology of Prince William Sound, on which he has been engaged for a number of years. One of the most important parts of this investigation is to map the geology and study the mineral resources of the mortimer part of Latouche Island. in which is situated a property of the Kennicott Corporation-one ofthe largest copper producing companies of Alaska.
 The lower Copper River region, in- eluding part of Chitna valley, will be studied by Fred H. Moffit, who will ex- tend the existing geologic surveys into some areas not yet covered and will visit the mining districts.
 G. c. Martin, assisted by c. A. Mad dren and R. M Overbeck, will under take a deatiled study of the western part of the Nenana coal field, topo- graphic maps of which were made by the General Land Office in 1915. This area is adjacent to the new railroad from Cook Inlet to Panama River It's areal geology will be mapped, but special attention will be given to study of the coal It is expected that the gold placers of the Bonnifeld district near by will also be visited.
 S R. Capps and C. F. Griffin will under ake reconnaissance geologic and topographic survery of the Kan tishna district Mr. Capps will map
 the areal geology westward from Nenana River and will examine the gold placer and the antimony depos- it's of the Kantishna MT Griffin will make a topographic survey of the area studied by MT. Capps.
 The lately discovered gold placers of the Tolovana district have not yet been visited by members of the Uni ted States Geological Survey. J. B. Mertie will investigate them during the summer, visiting Livengood Creek and the adjacent parts of ToloYana River and Hess Creek and endeayor- ing to determine the relation Of the placers to the physioghaphic history Of the area. He will also visit the l Fairbanks and Nome districts, deyot- ing his time principally to an examin- ation of the different lode deposits, such as gold and antimony, of both