The Alaska daily empire., 1923-01-11

riad were salvaged later.
 
 made of Cook Inlet north of Fire Island, where great changes have occurred since the last surveys were made. In addition there are sur veys needed in Prince William Sound and of the outside coasts from La touohe and Montague Islands west ward to Seward.
 Needs in Alaska
 For some time one of the most urgent needs in Alaska surveys has been 8 sysem of control which would connect and coordinate the scattered Photographic. topographic and cadas. tai surveys of the Territory. Such control surveys were especially need cd in preparing navigating charts of coastal Alaska and in placing upon q proper datum the many scattered surveys in the interior river valleys.
 "The report of the Governor of Alaska for 1921 mentioned the pro- posed extension, in cooperation with Canada, of an arc of precise trlangu- lation from Puget Sound through British Columbia, Southeast Alaska, and Yukon territory to the Yukon River at Eagle. The United States will then extend the work down the Yukon to Fairbanks, where it will eventually meet another arc which s being extended. .northward from the head of Cook Inlet toward the upper Yukon. A speedy linking up of these two sections is 10 be hoped for Had such control been available b years ago, much time and money could have been saved in surveys made during that period, and the development of the interior region of Alaska would have been hastened, for many Federal surveying opera tons have been postponed for lack of such control.
 Extensions of this single arc of triangulation are also needed badly. One branch should extend from Fair banks to Valdez, along the route of the stage road, with a spur to con- meet to the Alaska-Canada boundary near the upper waters of the Ia mana. Another should extend from Fairbanks down tho Yukon to Nor ton Sound. It is to be hoped that these main routes can be spanned by control surveys as rapidly as pos sble.
 Extension in Survey
 "Of only slightly less importance to interior surveys s the line of precise levels which tha Coast and Geodctic Survey began in the spring of 1922 and which will be extendel as rapidly as possible to Fairbanks and from there along the stage 'rontos 10 Valdez Lines from Fair banks to Eagle and from Fairbanks to Nome arc also promised as soon as the funds for such work will per. init them to be run These levels will furnish basic elevations for q large area, which will be of great assistance to local industrial surveys.
 The importance of current data cannot be overestimatod, and the sit uation is not yet satisfactory. It is essential to note that while q knowledge of the behavior of the cur rents is in all waters a matter of prime importance in the safeguard ing of navigation in Alaskan waters IL is doubly so, for in Alaskan wat CTS in many cases deep water ex- shore, and sounding5 are therefore tends to within a few feet of the of comparatively little value to the navigator in apprising him of the i'm. minence of danger. In thick weather therefore, when the navigator cannot determine his position by lights CT other landmarks, it is a matter of the utmost importance that he know the velocity and direction of the cur. rents to which his vessel may be subject and which may, unknown to him, be carrying his valuable cargo of life and property to destruction
 Carried on by itself. current sur vey entails considerable expense Fortunately, however. in connection with other photographic work, cur rent observations may be made al comparatively small cost. and the Coast and Geodetic Survey is now working out a plan which will permit small party to make current ob seryations in connection with each ol the surveying vessels operating ir Alaskan waters.
 During the past fiscal year the magnetic doclination was determined at a large number of triangulatsor stations in Southeastern Alaska. ant the area of local disturbance abou Port Snettishap was examined in de tail. Here observations on boar5 ship showed thAt cxen in mid.channe the effect on the compass was sui fieient. to endatger a vessel passint through in thick weather. A similar survey was made of tho area Q local disturbance near Haines in tn, main channel to Skagway. Thougl