The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1931-07-24

Il their first reported intention to
fly westward focuses attention on
the air route to Asia along Alaska's
southeast panhandle" the great Alas
ka peninsula and the Aleutian islands,
all under American jurisdiction; Kam-
chatka, part of the Soviet Union;
and the Kurile islands, northern extern
sion of Japan.
The route is ideal one as far as
landing places are concerned for
planes fitted with pontoons, for while
most of the ground is rough, there
are innumerable coves and harbOrs
among the islands and in their in
denied coastlines. The route was first
shown to be practicable by the group
of United States army flyers who flew
around the world in 1924
The first leg of the route, after the
United States proper is left, leads
over the straits along the west coast
Of British Columbia, then over the
island-studded Inland Passage of
southeast Alaska. Beyond the north
ern end Of the Inland Passage comes
the open water Of the Gulf Of Alaska
until Kodiak island is reached, south
Of the Alaska peninsula. IL is from
the tip of this peninsula that the 1900
mile crescent of the Aleution island
chain sweeps off toward Asia.
sThe Aleutians are volcanic, fact
made plain by the first and largest of
the stepping stones" Unimak. AL
though 1t has an area only little
larger than Rhode Island, so many
craters occur on Unimak island that
there is often a great deal Of confu-
sion as to the location of the various
eruptions reported. Mount Shishal-
din, often reported active, is the most
striking and beautiful of the eleven
major craters of the island. 1t has
in the world, seeming to float sus-
pended in the air above it's clouds irt
base.
What Unimak Is Like.
Despite Unimak's size and its sep
aration from the mainland of Alaska
by only narrow strip of water, it is
of little Importance. There are no
good harbors around it's shores and
only one settlement, Cape Alsit viii
lage, Is listed.
Cod fishing on the great banks to
the south of the island, which are SIM
liar to those Of Newfoundland, and the
mining Of small quantities of sulphur
and pumice stone are the principal in
dustries The inhabitants are mostly
the remnants of the original native
tribes found here by the Russians in
the Eighteenth century.
Like it's sister islands, Unimak Is In
general desolate and scraggy along it's
rocky, grass-covered lower slopes. 1t
is treeless, and, except for it's heavy
rainfall and fogs, has delightful eli
mate Summers in Unimak are cooler
than places farther north, while In
winter the weather Is milder than
that Of Tennessee or Kentucky. twenty
degrees Of latitude farther south. The
warm Japan current, which creeps up
the coast of Asia and around the
Aleutians. gives it a January aver
age of thirty degrees above zero.
Grasses Of all kinds grow in abund-
ance on the lowlands all year round,
but the climate is too damp to
mature grain. Although the soil is
rich, being composed of a vegetable
mold mixed with volcanic ash. the
land is rugged and there are no places
where farms of any size can be made.
Small though the island is, the in
terror has never been thoroughly ex-
plored.
Unimak and other islands Of the
Aleutian chain, believed to be the
route by which man first migrated to
the Western hemisphere. should be
better known to the world at large,
for they are on the shortest route be-
tween our northwestern states and
Japan. The great expanse of the Pa
cific and the curvature of the earth
places Yokohama almost due north
west Of Seattle, If one follows the
most direct path.
Handicaps for Flyers.
The American world flyers remem-
Der Unimak as part Of one of the
most difficult stages In their globe
circling trip. Port Moller, the COM
munity to which Major Martin made
his way on foot after his plane
crashed, is about 80 miles farther
east. The district presented the same
yafffoI1S for vfofnrG ~ Tint
zeal peaks and sharp ridges rising sud-
denly out of dreary fog-hidden tundras
and marshes. Portage Bay, where a
forced landing was made, is on the
mainland opposite Kodiak island, but is
similar to the few indentations of Uni
mak's shoreline, with rocky cliffs and
treacherous sand shoals.
The Aleutians, however, have an
added handicap in the willie waqs,"
cyclonic winds peculiar to the region
and probably attributable to the meet
ing Of the cold winds from the north
and the warm breezes from the Japan
current.
Unalaska, hundred miles farther
east, is the second largest Of the
Aleutians. On 1t Is situated Dutch
Harbor, port Of call for vessels plying
between Seattle and Nome. This har-
Dor has deep water at its wharves and
a protected anchorage that could ac-
commodate the largest battle fleet.
The shortest sea route between Seattle
and Yokohama 1.-THE great circle route)
lies prac" cally through Dutch Harbor,
and II MAY some time become an i'm
portrait coaling and provisioning point
Because of the dangers from fogs and
rocks, hover eT ships now swing well