THE COPPER RIVER DELTA 29 



of the meridional portion of the line) are of stone made from sections 

 as described, and monoliths are placed near the points at which the 

 boundary line crosses the Northern Pacific and Great Northern Rail- 

 ways. The iron monuments are hollow posts of wrought iron, six 

 feet in length and about four inches in outer diameter, covered with 

 a coat of asphaltum tar. They were flared at the bottom to a width 

 of 12 inches, so that the}^ might be more securely planted in the 

 ground. These posts are set to a depth of three feet below the surface 

 of the ground, three feet remaining above ground, and a conical 

 mound of earth is raised around them to a height of two feet. On 

 the tops of the posts are riveted bronze caps, on which is cast appro- 

 priate lettering, and the number of the monument and the distance 

 from the international boundar3^in miles are stamj^ed in large figures. 

 In addition to the four stone monuments referred to above, S9 iron 

 monuments were placed. The sites for the monuments were chosen 

 with reference to the topogra})hic features of the country instead of 

 being placed at even miles, as has usually been the custom on bound- 

 ary lines, l)ut there are no intervals greater than a mile between monu- 

 ments. They w^ere placed generall}^ on summits or near streams, 

 roads, or trails. Between the monuments the line is thoroughly cut 

 out and adjacent trees are blazed, so that the line can be readily recog- 

 nized in any locality. 



THE COPPER RIVER DELTA 



The entrance to the Copper River has become, within the past few 

 years, a region of great interest and importance, and in order to develop 

 its geography a Coast and Geodetic Survey party has been sent there 

 for the past two seasons. Landing in the vicinity of Orca, Mr H. P. 

 Ritter, under whose direction the operations were conducted, imme- 

 diately began a triangulation of the surrounding country. His party 

 consisted of i\rr E. B. Latham and Mr H. C. Denson, both of the Coast 

 and Geodetic Survey, Avith a foreman and eight hands. The follow- 

 ing information has been taken from the reports of Messrs Ritter and 

 Denson, which have just reached Washi-ngton. 



Astronomical ol)servations were made at several points, notably at 

 Orca and at Kokinhenic. The work comj^rised a survey of the delta 

 and its vicinity, roughly em))racing about 1,000 scpiare miles. Tlie 

 triangulation, of which the l)ase was in the vicinity of Kokiiihciiic 



