Geological Survey Party in Arctic Was Believed to Have Been Marooned.
Dr. Philip S. Smith of the Geological Survey and a party of three Washington engineers who were believed marooned at Point Barrow, on the Arctic coast of Alaska, have started in canoes up the Yukon River to Nanana, the northernmost point of the Alaskan railroad, according to word received yesterday at the Geological Survey offices here.
Dr. Smith, J. B. Mertie, R. K. Lynt and Gerald Fitzgerald, who entered the Colville River basin early in the Spring after a sensational dog-sled journey over the Arctic mountain range, drifted down the stream to Point Barrow, the most northernly point under the Stars and Stripes, arriving early in September. Just how they reached the mouth of the Yukon from this village was not explained in the brief message received here, it is thought probable that they were picked up by some whaler that had got through the abnormal ice along the coast this Summer.
The trip up the Yukon, a distance of about 500 miles, will insure their return to Washington late next month. Once the explorers reach Nanana they will travel the remainder of the distance to Seward, where they will embark for the States, with all the conveniences of civilization.
Most Complete Ever Made.
The exploration this Summer has been the most complete ever made of this extensive and practically unknown territory of Uncle Sam, a barren land given over to scrub willows sloping from the mountains to the Arctic coast.
A second Geological Survey party, now in the same region, has not been heard from. This party, under command of William T. Foran, reversed the procedure of Dr. Smith and entered the territory from Point Barrow. intending to return overland. They started in July, intending to explore the short Kuk River. Upon the completion of this work they were to start in canoes up the Utunka River and come out at Kotzebue, on Kotzebue Inlet, there to wait transportation to Nome. They were to take their chances on a ship arriving at Kotzebue. It was near here that the U. S. Coast Guard cutter Bear was crushed in the ice this Summer, and ice conditions still are regarded as the worst known for years.
Explore New Areas.
Several little known areas of Alaska have been explored this Summer by Geological Survey parties. None of these expeditions has reached the coast, but all are expected back in Washington some time in October. A detailed topographical survey has been made of the Hyder district, in southeastern Alaska, by R. M. Wilson. a topographical engineer. A. F. Buddlngton, geologist, is investigating the geology and mineral resources of the Ketchikan, Wrangel and Juneau districts. F. H. Moffit is studying the geology and copper resources of Prince William Sound, while S. R. Capps and Kenneth Landes are making supplementary investigations of the Matanushka coal fields. W. R. Smith and Ernest Roschen are studying the oil resources of the Cold Bay region.
There has long been an hiatus between the mapped area of the Mount McKinley region and the Iditarod-Kushokwin region. R. H. Gargent, topographical engineer, will in part fill up this gap by carrying a survey from McGrath to Lake Minohumina.
The Evening Star, Washington, DC, September 21, 1924