Bi-Monthly Bulletin of the American Institute of Mining Engineers Volume 16-18 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1907 edition. Excerpt: ...of the time (at least one-half) there are heavy fogs and drizzling rains, which make it bad for all outside work. The wind blows very hard at times, adding a great deal to the inclemency of the weather. Freezing temperatures, with snow-storms, usually set in about Sept. 15. Navigation for small boats from Nome is uncertain after Oct. 20, although in 1906 they continued to run until Nov. 10. By Dec. 1 the sea is usually sufficiently frozen to permit traveling by dog-sled (Fig. 8) on the ice near the beach. The winters are noted for very severe blizzards of snow-ice and high winds. Yet the temperature does not drop so low as in more inland places. The lowest temperature for the winter of 1905-6 was--45 F. During these blizzards, which often last ten days at a time, it is almost impossible for man or beast to endure the icy blasts as they hurl themselves down upon him from the polar regions. The changes in temperature are very sudden, as shown in Table L, which I compiled from daily observations from Aug. 9, 1906, to Feb. 23, 1907. In 24 hr. during Jan. 8 and 9, 1907, there was a drop of 43, and the maximum range for the period observed was 102. February was a cold month, with a continuous blizzard lasting about two weeks. Table II., the weather record1 covering a period of years at the Government station at St. Michaels, is here given to show something of conditions at that place. St. Michaels is about 225 miles SE. of the Cape, and is the place nearest to Tin City where records have been kept for any length of time. 1 Gravel and Placer Mining in Alaska, by C. W. Purington, Bulletin No. 263, U. S. Geological Survey, pp. 48, 49 (1905). During seven months of the winter the climatic conditions permit little, if any, outside work, although...