martin.]  PETROLEUM    FIELDS    OF    ALASKA.  381 
east.  Farther  inland  the  northwestward  dip  is  resumed  and  contin- 
ues to  the  limit  of  the  area  examined  by  the  writer.  According  to 
reports,  the  dip  is  reversed  again  near  the  center  of  the  peninsula,  so 
that  Becharof  Lake  lies  in  a  sjmcline,  while  near  its  northwestern 
shore  a  sharp  anticline  is  said  to  rise,  which  brings  to  the  surface  not 
only  the  entire  sedimentary  series  but  also  a  mass  of  crystalline  rocks 
that  form  the  core  of  the  peninsula  throughout  most  of  its  length.  It 
has  been  stated  that  there  is  a  great  anticline  parallel  to  the  southern 
coast  that  has  its  axis  near  the  ends  of  the  forelands.  This  view  is 
sustained  by  the  fact  that  on  one  of  these  promontories  at  least  rocks 
older  than  the  Jurassic  are  exposed,  but  the  writer  has  not  seen  any 
evidence  which  would  show  how  far  seaward  this  northwestern  dip 
may  extend. 
INDICATIONS    OF    PETROLEUM. 
Petroleum  seepages  occur  in  or  near  the  first  zone  of  horizontal  or 
southeastward  dip  described  above.  In  this  same  position  two  wells 
were  begun  in  the  summer  of  1903.  They  are  located  about  5  miles 
from  the  landing  on  the  west  shore  of  Cold  Ba}T,  and  at  an  elevation 
of  about  750  feet  above  tide.  They  are  distant  also  about  9  miles  in 
an  air  line  from  Becharof  Lake. 
If  petroleum  be  stored  within  the  series  of  rocks  about  Cold  Bay, 
other  things  being  equal,  the  very  gentle  folding  which  the  strata  have 
undergone  should  be  favorable  to  the  formation  of  large  pools.  The 
petroleum  from  this  field  has  a  paraffin  base  and  is  probably  similar  to 
the  Controller  Bay  petroleum. 
If  petroleum  should  be  discovered  in  commercial  quantities  in  this 
region,  it  can  be  piped  from  the  wells  to  Cold  Bay  by  gravity  and 
shipped  from  thence  to  San  Francisco  or  to  Puget  Sound  ports. 
PETROLEUM    RESIDUE. 
On  some  of  the  hillsides  several  miles  inland  from  Cold  Bay  are 
seepages  of  petroleum  that  are  in  some  cases  continuous,  in  others 
intermittent.  The  petroleum  runs  down  the  hillsides  in  the  water- 
courses, and,  in  several  instances,  collects  at  the  bottom  of  the  hills  in 
peat  bogs.  Losing  enough  of  its  volatile  constituents  by  evaporation 
to  render  it  immobile,  it  there  remains,  impregnating  the  peat  and 
forming  over  its  surface  a  thick  coating  of  black  paraffin  wax. 
These  deposits  have  already  been  of  considerable  importance  in  the 
development  of  the  region,  for  the  peat  impregnated  with  paraffin 
wax  has  proved  a  fuel  of  greatest  value,  replacing  even  coal  from  the 
mines  of  Puget  Sound,  imported  in  large  amount  for  use  under  the 
boilers  in  drilling  operations.  The  deposit  which  has  furnished  this 
fuel  for  the  past  season  has  an  area  of  about  1^  acres,  the  material 
having  been  dug  to  a  depth  of  about  3  feet  without  in  some  cases 
