The Cordova daily times. [volume] (Cordova, Alaska) 1914-1947, 1919-10-31

is Tor saw timber consequently, on
account of the unlimited amount of
cheap wood and immense quantities
of cheaply-installed water power, with
deep water transportation to the doors
of the world, Southeast Alaska in the
comparatively near future must be-
come one of the great paper centers
of the world.
Hemlock stands first in quantity
but is very inferior in quality on the
lowlands, where logging is being
chiefly conducted at the present tme.
Consequently, very little hemlock is
being logged for saw timber. There
are, however, ON the slopes large
quantities of hemlock of excellent
quality and very suitable for saw tim
ber. Hemlock is being cut extern
sfvely at the present time for piling.
During the season of 1918 approx
mately 100000 linear feet of hem
lock piling was cut on the Tongass
national forest, which is equivalent
to approximately 100000 board
feet. This piling is used for fish traps
and wharves for fish traps
Hemiock Best for Piiina
Hemlock is much preferred to
spruce or cedar for piling, inasmuch
as 1t is less buoyant for driving and
fully as resistant to the attack of the
teredo. Douglas fir is also very suit
able for piling, but Douglas fir is not
found in Alaska, it's northern limit
being Queen Charlotte sound.
Sitka spruce has always been the
chief saw timber of Southeast Alaska,
also of the Prince William Sound re-
gion. This species reaches fine de-
velopment throughout the west belt.
1t is quite common to find trees of
this species in Southeast Alaska from
six to eight feet in diameter and 200
feet in height, comparatively very ia
vorable in quality and size to the
spruce timber being logged on Prince
sound.
During the progress of the world
war Alaska furnished large quantities
of the very best airplane lumber that
was secured, this being practically the
only lumber that Alaska has ever ex-
ported.
New Mill for ketchikan
From 3O,OO0,O00 to 100000 feet
of Sitka spruce is cut annually on the
Tongass and Chugach national for
ests, which includes practically all of
the saw timber cut in Alaska.
The saw timber that is cut in Alaska
is used in supplying the local needs,
chiefly of mining and fishing, more
spruce being used in the construction
of salmon boxes than for any other
purpose.
in the southern part of Southeastern
Alaska, but it is not found north of
latitude 81 degrees. 1t has thus far
only been logged in a small way sup
plying the needs of the three small
single mills, two at Ketchikan and
one at Wrangell.
A new shingle mill is planned for
construction in the Ketchikan region
in the near future, and will enter the
eastern market by way of Prince Ru-
pert and the Grand Trunk railroad.
Yellow cypress, commonly called
yellow cedar or Alaska cedar, is quite
plentiful throughout Alaska, and is
handled in a small way by several of
the small mills.
On account of the exceptionally fine
quality of this wood for patterns, toys,
furniture and many other things, there
is an increasing demand.
The logging operations in Alaska
are comparatively small, most of the
timber being cut near the shore and
pulled into the water by means of a
donkey engine. The largest operation
consists of two or three yarders and
one road engine. Four thousand feet
is about the greatest distance that
anyone has reached out from the
shore up to the present time. The
logs are in all cases placed into RATS
or booms to be towed to the MILL
Sawmills in Alaska, although numer-
Gus, are very small, the daily ca
pacity of the largest being 10000 to
10000 board feet. The Ketchlkan
Power Company, at Ketchikan, is the
only mill in Alaska operating band
saw.
Halloween masquerade Friday night,