How Much is Known of Alaska 



1 *3 



was known of Alaska previous to 1896. 

 The general courses of the larger drain- 

 age features were laid down on maps, but 

 only in a very crude way. The coastal 

 mountains were known, but the two great 

 inland ranges, one of which contains the 

 highest peaks on the continent, were 

 hardly indicated on any map. Only a 

 few of the passes were known, and the 

 altitude of not a single point away from 

 the coast had been established. Now all 

 but two of the larger rivers have been 

 surveyed, and contour maps have been 

 made of over 150,000 square miles. All 

 of the larger geographic features have 

 been outlined by the network of explora- 

 tions which have been extended over the 

 entire territory. There are no new moun- 

 tain ranges to be discovered, though 

 there are several which are but imper- 

 fectly known. 



In the purely geologic work the re- 

 sults are still more striking. While a 

 decade ago only a few facts about the ge- 



ology of the coast province were known, 

 it has been possible now to prepare a 

 preliminary map of the geologic features 

 of over half the territory. The strati- 

 graphic studies are of still greater interest, 

 for they have shown the presence of 

 man)'' horizons in northwestern America 

 that were previously unsuspected. 



There is not a single mining district in 

 Alaska which has not been reported upon. 

 An inquiry in regard to the mineral re- 

 sources of any part of Alaska coming to 

 the office of the Survey is now met with 

 a printed report containing the latest and 

 most authentic information. 



While much has been accomplished, 

 much remains to be done. Over half the 

 territory has not been covered by even 

 reconnaissance maps. Even these will not 

 suffice in regions of important mineral 

 production, where often hundreds of 

 thousands of dollars are being invested, 

 and detailed surveys, comparable to those 

 made in the states, are demanded. 



Courtesy of Review of Reviews, Copyrighted 



A Company of Norwegian Soldiers, Mounted on Their Ski, Ready for a Long March into 



the Icy Wilderness 



