The Alaska daily empire., 1920-12-14


 the work.
 "The startling number of danger. to navigation discovered with the wire drag during the short time tha it has been used in Alaska waters strongly emphasizes the fact that ir regions where the shores are rock. practically all the nayigable waterS out to the 50-fathom curve must be dragged in order to provide the as surance of safe navigation to which navigators. ship-owners and the gen eral public are so plainly entitled This is a huge task but it is impera tive that it be prosecuted with vigoT and carried to the earliest possible conclusion.
 Interior Surveys Needed
 "It would be a mistake to leave the subject of water surveys in Al aska without calling attention to tEe great need for establishing monu ments (survey control points, through out the Territory and determining their latitude, longitude, and elsva- tion.
 "Along the coast such control points have been established in many localities where the Photographic sur veys have been made but they are not connected with each other or with the other surveys of the United States or Canada. In the interior control points have been located along the international boundary and in a few small areas inland, but all these various regions must be con nected in the immediate future t1 avoid wasted effort, costly later dd- opment of the country.
 There is no place in the Terri tory or the United States where mas are of more value in industries of various kinds than in the interior of Alaska. These maps of course, should be good ones, and the only possible way to have a good map $ to have a properly coordinated aL1 consistent system of control.
 "It would seem to be the most economical method of mapping Al aska to have long arcs of primary triangulation and lines of precise lev cling extended throughout the area where maps are being made and where they will be made in the near future. There are some areas which can await the development of the country before the triangulation and precise leveling' are done. This con trol work should be done very, soon after the opening of transporta- tion route, but should not in general precede 1t, as otherwise thef work will be excessively expensive.
 "There is immediate need for sys- tenn of primary triangulation down the Yukon River from its crossing at the one hundred forty-first mer- idian to the mouth, or at last to St Michael. A line of precise levels should follow along this same route. Another line of precise levels and an arc of triangulation should be carried up the Copper River from it's mouth and on to Fairbanks. A spur should be carried from this system to the the one hundred forty-first meridian Mount St. Elias. Another route which should be followed by primary triangulation and precise leveling i5 along the Alaska Railway, from the head of Cook Inlet northward The other important work should be done along the Kuskokwim River from it's mouth to the Yukon, with a spur running eastward along the Odgovi- gamut River A small piece of work should be done between Cook Inlet and Bristol Bay. Here only triangu- lation is needed.
 AIaska's Immediate Needs
 "Alaska's greatest need should bc given serious thought now and no put off another year. The provision now of comparatively small amount of money will save added expense in years to come, not to mention the saving in life and property. It is necessary to have the authorization for new vessels and new launches, which is the only way to conduct this work economically from the standpoint of cost for carrying on the work with greater speed
 ''So important is the matter of the survey of the waters of Alaska that it is deemed a wise business move to establish at Ketchikan. the enter ing port of Alaska, as soon as funds are available, permanent station. supervised by a commissioned officer