Geographic Notes 



2 55 



was compelled to resign the chairman- 

 ship because of ill health and the pres- 

 sure of official duties. 



At an adjourned meeting of the Board 

 held May iS resolutions were unani- 

 mously passed indorsing the movement 

 to bring the remains of James Smithson, 

 the founder of the Smithsonian Institu- 

 tion, to America, and inter them in the 

 grounds of the Institution. 



The Geographical Society of the Pa- 

 cific has taken similar action. 



ALASKAN SURVEYS, 1903 



THE operations of the United States 

 Geological Survey in Alaska dur- 

 ing the coming field season will be along 

 the same general lines that have been 

 followed during the last few years, ex- 

 cept that the work contemplated in- 

 volves rather more detailed mapping 

 and investigation. The general policy 

 of devoting special attention to regions 

 of greatest activity in mining affairs will 

 be continued. 



It is planned to complete the surveys 

 of the Seward Peninsula, which has 

 been under investigation for several 

 years. This peninsula embraces what 

 are up to the present time the most im- 

 portant gold placers of the entire terri- 

 tory. Mr Arthur J. Collier, with an 

 assistant, will make a special study of 

 the geology and mineral resources of 

 the southern and northwestern part of 

 the peninsula. It is intended that his 

 work should supplement that of previous 

 years, and that he should pay special 

 attention to the developments that have 

 been made during the last season. It 

 is hoped that by this means further 

 light will 'be thrown on the occurrence 

 of placer gold in the various forms of 

 deposits in which it is found. To Mr 

 D. C. Witherspoou will be entrusted 

 the topographic survey of the north- 

 eastern part of the peninsula, including 

 the gold fields adjacent to Deering. The 

 geologic work of this area will be duly 

 arranged for. 



Two parties will be organized for 

 surveys in the Yukon gold district. 

 One party, led by Mr T. G. Gerdine, 

 "• will make a topographic survey extend- 

 ing from the Fortymile region westward 

 to the Tanana River and embracing as 

 wide a belt as length of season and cli- 

 matic conditions will permit, a special 

 effort being made to reach and map the 

 lower Tanana gold fields. The second 

 party will be in immediate charge of 

 Mr L,. M. Prindle, and will have for its 

 field of operations the Fortymile and 

 Birch Creek regions and the newly dis- 

 covered gold fields near the lower Ta- 

 nana. This party will make a geolog- 

 ical investigation and an examination 

 of the mineral resources of the region. 

 These two parties, it is expected, will 

 obtain much information in regard to 

 the new gold fields on the Tanana, which 

 are reported to be very rich. 



The investigation of the stratigraphy 

 of the Yukon, begun by Mr Collier dur- 

 ing the last season, will be continued by 

 Dr Arthur Hollick. Dr Hollick will 

 visit a number of points on the Upper 

 and L.ower Yukon with a view to de- 

 termining the stratigraphic position of 

 the coal-bearing horizons by special 

 studies of local areas and extensive col- 

 lections of fossils. 



The Kayak Island and Controller Bay 

 petroleum and coal fields will be the 

 subject of a preliminary examination by 

 .Mr Frank C. Schrader. It is planned 

 that Mr Schrader shall spend about two 

 months in this region, with a view to 

 ascertaining the extent of these im- 

 portant deposits and their probable 

 economic value. L-ate in the season 

 Mr. Schrader will make a more hasty 

 examination of some of the petroleum 

 and coal localities on Cook Inlet. 



The investigations in southeastern 

 Alaska will be made by Dr Arthur C. 

 Spencer, who, with an assistant, will 

 make a special study of the Juneau 

 mining district and map the geology of 

 the adjacent region. For this purpose 

 a detailed topographic map was made 



