Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 68.djvu/51

Rh the placer fields of British Columbia who first prospected in Alaska, and who by 1880 were mining in the Juneau region, and a few years later in the Yukon basin itself. These facts are here set forth because it was the prospector who made almost the first observations on the geology of the interior.

There were, to be sure, a number of exploring expeditions which, considering the resources at their command, had achieved important results, but they were geographic rather than geologic. Thus Frederick Schwatka, U.S.A., following the route blazed out by early prospectors, crossed the Chilkoot Pass in 1883 and made his way down stream to the mouth of the Yukon. In 1885 H. T. Allen, U.S.A., explored the Copper, Tanana and Koyukuk rivers, while about the same time G. M. Stoney, U.S.N., and J. C. Cantwell, U.S.R.C.S., led expeditions which penetrated the Arctic watershed of Alaska. The Canadian geologists, George M. Dawson and E. G. McConnell, had meanwhile explored the Canadian part of the Yukon basin. In 1890 I. C. Russell, of the Geological Survey, reconnoitered the geology of the Yukon, while attached to a coast survey party whose aim was to determine the position of the international boundary. Schwatka made a second trip into the interior in 1891 and this time was fortunately accompanied by C. W. Hayes of the U. S. Geological Survey, who made important additions to both geographic and geologic knowledge. Since the acquisition of the territory, the coast survey has been steadily at work charting the shore line, and much was learned of the geology of the littoral province by Wm. H. Dall, long attached to that organization. John Muir's fascinating accounts of the glaciers of Alaska attracted widespread attention, and a number of expeditions were sent north to study them.

By all these means considerable geologic data were accumulated, though actual surveys were entirely lacking. A few official publications made reference to the mineral deposits, but these statements were unreliable because based purely on compiled information, and were taken at their true value by the public, which paid small heed to reports of valuable ore bodies in this northern field.

As year after year placer gold continued to be brought from the Yukon region and mining along the coast continued to expand, there arose a demand for more exact information. This led to a small appropriation which enabled the United States Geological Survey to send G. F. Becker and Wm H. Dall north to study the coal and gold deposits along the Pacific coast in 1895, while the following year J. E. Spurr, with two others, visited the gold placers of the Yukon. These two expeditions represent practically the beginnings of geologic surveying in this province.