work in Alaska is conducted by a foreman miner assigned from the Bureau of Mines staff. His duties include giving to miners and subordinate mine officials training in approved mine-rescue and firstaid methods; giving instructions in accident prevention, and the nature and seriousness of various types of hazards that are met in the mining industry, and approved methods of eliminating or overcoming them; conducting field contests in first-aid and mine-rescue work; giving exhibits and demonstrations of the bureau's safety work; and maintaining in condition for service the rescue apparatus provided by the bureau in the Territory.

The mine-rescue car is still being maintained on the Alaska Railroad, and its equipment kept complete and in good condition for service at the operating coal mines adjacent to the railroad, and it is also proving of much value as a base for training in mine rescue and first aid in that area.

Five sets of oxygen-breathing apparatus, an approved inhalator, and other mine-rescue equipment are kept at Juneau in good condition for use at any disaster that may occur in the mines of southeastern Alaska.

During the fiscal year mine-rescue and first-aid classes were conducted at the mine of the Kennecott Copper Corporation at Kennecott; first-aid classes at the camps of the Fairbanks Exploration Co. at Gold Stream No. 21, Gilmore, Scrafford, Cleary City, Chatanika, and the United States camp; mine-rescue and first-aid classes at the Alaska Agricultural College and School of Mines; mine-rescue and first-aid classes at the Healy River Coal Corporation and Evan Jones Coal Co.; mine-rescue and first-aid classes at the mine of the Kennecott Copper Corporation at Latouche; first-aid classes at the Government Industrial School at Eklutna; mine-rescue and first-aid classes at the mine of the Alaska Juneau Gold Mining Co. at Juneau; firstaid classes at the Hirst-Chichagof Mine on Chichagof Island; firstaid classes at Chichagof Mines (Ltd.) on Chichagof Island; first-aid classes at the Ketchikan High School; first-aid classes at the Citizens Light, Power & Water Co. at Ketchikan; and first-aid classes at the . cement quarry of the Pacific Engineering Co. at View Cove on Dall Island.

A great deal of interest was displayed in this work at all the mines where classes were conducted, and the hearty cooperation of managements and men was given, which shows that the importance of this work in keeping down the number of accidents occurring in the mines of Alaska is being more fully realized than heretofore.

The mine-rescue equipment on the car maintained on the Alaska Railroad was displayed at the Tanana Valley Fair at Fairbanks on August 29, 30, and September 1, 1928. A large number of people viewed this exhibit and seemed to be keenly interested in it.

In May, 1929, the foreman miner was sent to the State of Washington, where he took a course in advanced mine-rescue work and studied improved methods of mine-rescue and first-aid work now being used by the Bureau of Mines men in the States.

A large number of men were given training in mine rescue and first aid during the fiscal year, the number being more than twice

REPORT OF THE GOVERNOR OF ALASKA

the number trained during the preceding year. The following table shows in detail the record of training completed

Original training:

Additional training:

507

First aid--

7

Mine rescue

46

Combination__.

First aid...

Mine rescue

Combination__

ASSAYING AND MINERAL ANALYSIS

Assaying and mineral analysis work continued to be conducted at the Alaska Agricultural College and School of Mines at Fairbanks by an analytical chemist and mineralogist detailed to that work by the Bureau of Mines. This work is carried on under a cooperative agreement whereby the college furnishes quarters and supplies and the bureau furnishes fixed equipment and details and pays the salary of the chemist who conducts the work.

This service provides prospectors and others in Alaska with means of securing official assays of ore samples at actual cost and of having made identification tests of mineral specimens free of charge. Assays of ore samples taken by field engineers of the Geological Survey in connection with the investigation of mining development and assistance to prospectors are also made at the college by the analyst of the Bureau of Mines. Opportunity is also given the mining students at the college of witnessing the assaying and identification tests conducted by a skilled analyst and mineralogist as well as to actually assist in the work.

COAL SAMPLING AND ANALYSIS

The analysis of samples of coal in Alaska is carried on by the Bureau of Mines in a well-equipped laboratory furnished by the Alaska Railroad. The analyst who conducts the work is detailed and his salary paid by the Bureau of Mines.

All coal purchased by the Alaska Railroad under contract from private operators is inspected, sampled, and analyzed by the analyst; and, if necessary, appropriate penalties are applied on the basis of the results obtained. The facilities of the coal-analysis service are also available to other departments and bureaus of the Government and to the public. Advantage of the service was taken by the Lighthouse Service and several coal companies as well as a large dredging company which is a large user of coal.

In addition to the coal-analysis work, the analyst constructed a laboratory coke and producer-gas plant. He also made several maps and blue prints of coal properties for the use of the supervising mining engineer and the Alaska Railroad.

The following is a brief summary of the sampling and analysis work done in the coal-testing laboratory during the fiscal year ended June 30, 1929:

Tons of coal inspected and sampled---.

Analyses made:

Ash-control determinations__.

Proximate analyses for Alaska Railroad..........

Proximate analyses for the public and other services....
Miscellaneous determinations___

Total determinations___.

48, 085

317

27

21

3

PUBLIC LANDS

Alaska is divided into three land districts, which include the four judicial divisions of the Territory. A local land office is maintained at Anchorage to care for the land entries of the first and third judicial divisions, and the Nome office and the Fairbanks office to handle the second and fourth divisions, respectively.

All surveys of the public domain are made by the cadastral engineers of the public-survey office, with headquarters in Juneau.

The headquarters of the field service and the inspection service of the General Land Office are located at Anchorage.

The land laws of the United States, modified to meet local conditions, are applicable to Alaska. The administration of the town sites in Alaska is in charge of the division inspector at Anchorage. Timber sales, outside of the national forests, are arranged through the local land offices. Birch timber may be exported, though all other timber on the public domain outside of the national forests may be sold exclusively for local consumption.

The third and fourth judicial divisions contain the greater part of the suitable homestead lands, and requests for information should be directed to the local offices at Anchorage and Fairbanks, respectively.

The following statement shows the total number of entries made and the total acreage of the land entries filed in the Fairbanks and Anchorage offices during the year 1929:

During the fiscal year the following surveys were approved: Eight fractional township surveys on Wrangell Narrows, in the vicinity of Petersburg.

Thirty-one mineral surveys, embracing 109 locations.

Ten forest homestead surveys.

Thirty-one surveys of town sites, homesteads, trade and manufacturing sites, etc., which were made by the public surveying service and by United States deputy surveyors.

Two subdivision parties are now engaged in extending the rectangular net over the timbered area of the west and south portions of Admiralty Island, and on Revillagigedo Island in the vicinity of Loring, in connection with the pulp and paper development in southeastern Alaska. During the fiscal year an area of approximately 41,000 acres was subdivided.