The Nome nugget., 1927-04-23
klNNEY STARTS OUT ON
 ANOTHER LONG MUsH

Ross Kinney, the Superintendent l for the Alaska Road Commission for this district and division, left Thursday morning for . long trip about the division. in the interests ! of roads and trails. His itinery is: from Nome to Bluff. White Moun-
 ain. Golovin. 1saac's Point. Bonan- "a and Foothills. returning to the mouth of the Koyuk river and then on to Candle. Keewalik, Deering, and Kotzebue. weather conditions permitting, returning via Shelton and the Seward Peninsula Railroad. Arrangements will be made for numerous changes in the routes of trails between Walla Walla and Foothills. Bad places will be elim- mated in many places considered dangerous. by reason of numerous sleighs having come to grief.
 At Quartz Creek, Mir. Kinney will inspect . bridge. lately built, which has long been needed. particularly in the Spring and Fall when the water is high.
 The balance of Mir. Kinney's work on this trip will be measuring trails and laying out work thereon. and repairs to existing permanent stalk cd trails. He will make tentative surveys and plan sites for shelter cs bins. and repairs to existing shell ter cabins.
 In going over these trails, MT. Kinney is continuously measuring distances. and checking up on all | established trails. and measuring locations for new trails. In this work he uses very ingenious ar engagement, known as the odometer. This instrument is made by attach ing an ordinary bicycle wheel to the side of the sled, to which Is attach ed an ordinary cyclometer. This i., the same arrangement Explorer Raold Amundsen used when on his South Pole expedition. and is as nearly correct as anything known at the present time for measuring exact distances. In checking. and rechecking distances on trails, MT. Kinney always has an eye fixed on shortening distances anywhere ne finds it safe, practicable and con- venient.
 An example of the correctness of Mir Kinney's measurements, by the odometer, the following narra- tive is told: It will be remem- bered that last summer. two bro tliers, Canadians. named Porsild. who were sent to Alaska by the Canadian Government to make a study of the reindeer industry. and the natural propagation of rein deer. with a view to experiments in that line soon to be conducted by the Canadian Government. As these two gentlemen passed thru Nome, they applied to MT. Kinney as the man to furnish routing, means of transportation. etc, for their travels to the northward of Nome. Mir. Kinney furnished them with these tables. and explained to tkem how he arrived at his tables of distances. They determined to make and use an Odometer. and immediately did so. In letter to MT. Kinney. lately received, these gentlemen say that by the aid of the tables of distances furnished, they have been able to find their way about in the barren wastes to the northward. toward Barrow, and have been able to do so without the assistance of native guides. On Page Three of this issue will he found a newly compiled table os distances to various parts of the district and division. and beyond. These tables are as nearly correct as it is at present possible to make them, and as soon as more ac- curate means of measurement be- comes available, he assured that Mir. Kinney will procure and use | the same.