TTHE KUSKO TIMES
A. X. Brant, Pitbliiher, Sol*
Owner sad Editor.
Published Every Saturday
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Entered as second-class matter Au
ignet 80th, 1923, at the postoffice at
Tokotna, Alaska, under the Act of
rMareh 3, 1879.
Takotna, Alaska, October 26, 1929.
’TO CONTINUE SALVAGE WORK
ON STR. ISLANDER NEXT YEAR
“We have ceased operations for
(this season on the Islander for lack
■ of the proper floating equipment and
(bousing facilities at this time. While
■we have not accomplished all we ex
jpected to, we are well satisfied with
.our season’s work, inasmuch as we
.are absolutely sure of bein able to
'wor in water of any dopth up to 1,000
feet with good results,” Carl Wiley,
■who headed the party which attempt
ed this summer to recover the treas
ure lost on the Islander 28 years ago,
:5aid to a Juneau Empire reporter be
fore leaving for the south, recently.
“We expect to return in teh spring
Awith equipment that will be unques
tionable for deep water work and feel
iCoi^idQjtt of bewg able, to recover 95
j>er cent of tge treasure lost on the
.Islander. We have gained consider
able knowledge of the water and its
^workings from the surface to 499
feet below and within the near fu
ture hope to remove the mysteries of
(the deep entirely,” Mr. Wiley de
tdared.
During most of the summer Mr.
'Wiley had a party of 14 men work
ing with hi mfrom the barge which
they had anchored off the lower end
<of Douglas Island. Most of them,
including Mr. Wiley’s father, Ray
.-mond Wiley, and his two brothers,
Raymond Wiley, Jr., and E. H. Wiley,
■left, for the south lest week. They
jure leaving a small camp, in charge
tof -a .watchman, on Marmon island
.(during the winter.
The Islander is lying on the sea
(bottom at a depth of 380 feet, ac
cording to Mr. Wiley, while the deep
est' diving successfully accomplished
(before was at a depth of 242 feet, he
said.
When they first began operations
last: spring, they were only able to
<dive directly below the barge which
was'. anchored directly above them,
but. with experience they became able
ito* manipulate the divin gbell to any
part of the Islander with the barge
Jqcated in any direction within 100
JAet of the spot below which the
wander is located.
"'I have been in practically every
part of the ship, time and time again,
without the cable attaching the bell
to the barge becoming fouled. Only
.once during the entire <■ perience did
it become fouled, and that was when
1 was lowering myself over the side
at the ship. The lights In the bell
went out and the telephone became
disconnected, so for <• time I was left
in darnkeas that was as dark as a
dungeon, awaiting for those above to
take action. After a few minutes I
felt myself being lifted and knew
everything was all right,” Mr. Wiley
osid:
They use a diving bell originated
feorthemselves, in which the diver sits
ead: manipulates the bell in any di-J
faction desired on treads similar to
.UJU'BM
those of a tractor. The bell has two
mechanical arms which have every
joint the human arm possesses, with
the exception of the wrist joint, that
are operated by the diver, who gazes
out through the four port holes in
the bell.
While this summer they operated
with only one bell at a time, they
had on hand another to use in case of
emergency, and mayfi when they
again start operations, use two at a
time. In these they are able to re
main on the bottom of the sea for
several hours without coming to the
surface.
“During the summer I believe I
spent a total of 206 hours actually on
the wrecked vessel. I did about two
thirds of the diving, and the remain
der was done by my brotoher, E. H.
Wiley,” he declared.
Among the trophies recovered from
the wreck by the divers were over a
dozen bottles of Shasta water, an
anchor, steering gear, part of, the
railing, and blocks .ann tackle.
“While there is little sea growth on
the bottom of the sea itself, it is im
possible to describe the growth on
the vessel itself. The growth is enorl
mous and seems to consist of sea
trees which have the appearance of
elk horns but which don’t grow oir
the bottom itself,” Mr. Wiley said.
Skeletons of approximately 13 peo
ple were loiated by the divers during
their operations this summer, though
there is no possible way of recogniz
ing or identifying them. A leather
pocketbook, containing stamps and
cards, on which the writing was still
easily distingoishable, was brought to
the surface by Mr. Wiley, among the
other trophies.
WORK GOING AHEAD ON KUS
KOKWIM-YUKON PORTAGE
(Fairbanks News-Miner.)
! Improvement work on the Yukon
i Kuskokwim iwrtage is progressing at
j a very satisfactory rate and by the
; end of the year it is expected that
i the project will be 80 per cent com
1 pleted, according to Major Douglas
j H. .Gillette engineer officer of the
I Alaska Road Commission, who re
turned here recently after making a
trip to the lower river.
The Major made a round trip
across the portage and was pleased
to find the work going smoothly. Lots
of progress has been made despite
! unfavorable weather throughout the
greater part of the summer. Fore
man Charlie Mayben has a crew of
only five or six men under him. Mrs.
Margaret Robinson, who is doing the
cooking, has become famous in the
country for her fine meals and her
fortitude in staying there in one of
the worst years for mosquitoes ever
known. The portage country is
known by oldtimers as the original
home of the pests, but they are said
to have been worse this year than for
a long time.
When improvements have been
completed the portage can be crossed
in less than 12 hours, without un
loading of boats, Major Gillette
states. Under former conditions the
trip took three days, the distance
! being approximately 110 miles. The
rigging has been arranged in such a
manner that one man can transfer a
loaded boat from a waterway to the
tram cars.
Three portages are necessary.
These are crossed by a canal and
i tw<> rail lines, each nearly a mile in
i length.
Next year a crew will be sent down
j to finish up the woork. Some con
i tract work will be done during the
; winter. The Mud creek relief cabin
| will be moved to Johnson cr jek; ways
! will be built at the end of the rail
1 road tracks, and Crooked creek will
be brushed out.
Information is requested concern
ing the whereabouts of James E.
Rice, who was ast heard from in
; Alaska. Any information concerning
I him should be sent to the Governor’s
Office, at Juneau, flasks.
aaugu'JH—■■ . ■Bg"!!_aajjLj'a_*—^
ALASKA RANKED SECOND IN [
GOLD PRODUCTION IN 1^28
WASHINGTON.—The Director of
the Mint announces that 2,233,261
ounces of refined gold, valued at $46,
166,000, were produced in the United ;
States in 1928. The silver production i
was 58,462,607 ounces, worth $34,
200,600. j
Figures indicated a gain of $746,
000 in gold production and a reduc
tion of 1,971,934 ounces in silver pro
duction.
California led the gold production
States with 513,249 ounces. Alaska J
was second, with 220,604 ounces, val- *
ued at $6,834,200. South Dakota was|
third, with 318,000 ounces. Alaska i
produced 486,859 ounces of silver in
1928.
! 3,000 ALASKA REINDEER
FOR NORTHERN CANADA
Success of the reindeer indnstry in
Alaska has suggested their introduc
tion into Norttheern Canada and a
herd of 3,000 will soon he driven
from American territory into the Do
; minion. Without doubt, the stock will
! thrive in the new home and multiply
as well and as rapidly as in the old.
The first animals in Alaska were
brought fro mSiberia in 1892 by Dr. "
Sheldon Jackson of the Federal Edu
cational Bureau for the purpose of
aiding the Eskimo population. The
small herd of 171 was established on
Seward Peninsula. Subsequently
other importations were made, in all
about 1,280 head. ' To train natives jn
the care and use of the deer, Lapps
were brought to the country. For
several years, stock was possessed
only by Eskimos and the latter were
forbidden by law ui - sell it. Later,
more deer were imported 'by white
residents, and stock controled by na
tives became so numerous that thsy
wpermitted to n.:.- ket some rf it.
Now herds owned bv Eskimos and
white men contain as many as o30,- I
000 head.
The meat of *he reindeer supplies
food and the hides provide clothing,
in instances tented habitations for
the natives. As developed b y the
whites, the industry ships large quan
tities of meat in cold ’storage to the
StSates, and every year, with further
improvement in transportation facili
ties, production and export can be in
creased to meet the most extensive
demand.
Reindeer have proved a great boon
in Alaska. They -will prove so'in
Canada. What is .surprising is that
their introduction has been so long
deferred by the Dominion.—.Seattle
Times. •
Times.
The Awakening.
He—Love is like a dream.
She—Matrimony is an alarm clock.
McGrath!
Pool Hall
Fresh Fruits
Candies
Tobaccos
Pipes
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Soft Drinks
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FRANK LANGE
Proprietor
Bete Michels’ Iftoadhonse!
McGRATH, ALASKA
Meals, $1.00
4 Beds, <50c]
Rooms, $1.00
THE BEST THE'MARKET AFFORDS.
Takotna Pool Hall
^pesh Fruits
Tobaccos
Apples
Candies
Soft Drinks •
Cigarets I
Oranges
*
y
Charlie O’Halloran
Prop.
Max
Pioneer
Trader
STATION: ^AlRriEW, TNNOkO IHVER.
Miners’, Prospectors’ and
Trappers’ Supplies
f
i-j
General Transportation j;
How About Wood Hauling?
Joe Ferris - - Takotna
1
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