300 proceedings: geological society 



1600 meters are used only for naval and military purposes. In most 

 foreign countries amateurs are not allowed to operate; in the United 

 States they may do so but are restricted to the use of wave less than 

 200 meters in length. The speaker read and discussed at length some 

 of the regulations. The next International Conference will be held in 

 Washington in 1917. Paper was discussed by Mr. Bowie as to impor- 

 tance of radiotelegraphy in the determination of longitude on islands 

 and in unexplored regions; also by Messrs. Bauer, Rines and Abbot. 

 Mr. Bauer told of the receipt at Salah, through the courtesy of a French 

 officer, of time signals by the magnetic party crossing the Sahara, the 

 signals being received directly from Paris, 1600 miles distant. 



J. A. Fleming, Secretary. 



THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON 



The 267th meeting was held on March 12, 1913, at the Cosmos Club. 



The following informal communications were presented: An over- 

 thrust fault in miniature from Montana: G. S. Rogers; Some new occur- 

 rences of alunite: F. C. Schrader. 



regular program 



Geology of a portion of Northwest Alaska (Illustrated) : Philip S. 

 Smith; A Pleistocene cave in Devonian limestone near Cumberland, Mary- 

 land: J. W. GiDLEY. 



The work of the Alaska Railroad Commission: Alfred H. Brooks. 

 In accordance with an act of Congress, approved August 24, 1912, 

 President Taft appointed on August 31 the Alaska Railroad Commission 

 as follows: Major J. J. Morrow, U. S. Army, Chairman; Alfred H. 

 Brooks, U. S. Geological Survey, Vice-Chairman ; Lieut.-Commander 

 Leonard M. Cox, U. S. Navy; ColUn M. Ingersoll, Consulting railway 

 engineer, New York City. 



The Commission sailed from Seattle, September 10, and spent some 

 two and a half months in field investigations. The work included an 

 examination of all the harbors on the Pacific seaboard of Alaska which 

 have been suggested as coastal terminals, also all the existing railways 

 of central Alaska. The journey was extended to the lower Susitna 

 Valley, and later to Fairbanks by the winter trail which follows closely 

 one of the proposed railway routes into the Yukon basin. 



The Commission began its office work on December 2. This included 

 a careful analysis of all the engineering data available regarding Alaska 

 railway routes, aggregating some 3000 miles in length. On the basis 

 of this information estimates of construction and operating costs were 

 made for some sixteen different lines. A fairly comprehensive study was 

 also made of the data relating to the resources of central Alaska, includ- 

 ing minerals, agriculture, forests, and water power. The work of the 

 Commission included a consideration of the existing transportation 

 conditions in Alaska, together with statistics on commerce. Climate 



