The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1848-01-01
Geological survey.

bohs Republlcdn, a sort oi semi report
Of the Geological corps organized in May last,
and ordered by the General Government to make
Il Geological survey Of the extreme and unex-
plored portions of IOlOa, Wisconsin and Mineso-
ia, under the direction Of DIR. ID. ID. OWEN.
The country on both sides of the Mississippi,
north Of the Wisconsin and Turkey Rivers, and
south ofst. Groin and st. Peters riyers-the Wis
consin, Prairie Ia Cross, and Black Rivers-sl the
branches of the Chippewa, ST. Croix, Bots Bruls,
Montreal Rivers, and the west fork of the Bad
River, have been explored from their respective
mouths to their respective sources. Two more
years will be required to complete the survey in
the three States.
A detailed survey has been made in cOnnee-
ton with the linear survey of the southern por-
ton of the Chippewa land district, as well as the
region on both sides Of Lake ST. Croix, and be-
tween that lake and the Mississippi. The whole
extent Of the country of which reconnaissance
has been made during the present season, is es-
timated TO be equal, in area to the State Of New
York
The Republican says
As respects the geology Of the section ofcoun-
try surveyed, its rocks belong, in great meas
ure to the primary and siurian, or protoZoac
formation. The lower magnetism limestone,
the lead bearing rock Of Southern Missouri, Is
found on the west side Of the Mississippi river
from Turkey river, which enters the Misss-
sippi near Prairie du Chen, 10 the ST. Peters
river displaying in various localities indications
Of considerable lead mines.
On the eastern side of the Mississippi river
primitive rocks are met with in places from
forty to sixty miles from the river. These grant
tic formations are important for architectural
purposes, as they afford a variety Of the most
durable, as we'll as ornamental building
stones which, at no very distant period, will
be valuable articles ofcommerce, as the great
valley ofthe Mississippi, to the south, Is formed
Of secondary rocks, which are far inferior for
the permanent construction Of e6ifices.
Throughout this primitive region, the grant
tic rocks make their appearance in a success
sion Of rounded knobs, elevated from ten TO
fifty feet above the waters of the snrran nding
country. Their general range is southwest
and northeast. These rocks present consider
| able variation in character and composition
Sometimes they are hornblendic, approaching
TO perfect syenite; at other times, felsparthc.
Some portions are massively stratified, the mas
| ses being nearly vertical. On the western linn
its of these primitive rocks, there several
large deposits of iron ore. The trap ranges
with the exception of those crossing the St
Croix River, are found on the water. courses
which empty into Lake Superior, and is the
rock in which the Lake Superior copper il
| found, and no doubt valuable mines Of this min
eral will be, hereafter, discovered in thes,
| ranges, equal to any heretofore found farther
east on Lake Superior, as they constitute a pOr.
Of tha In wiz mil n
those trap ranges. the land is tillable, the sol
good, and generally covered with rich growth
Of the sugar maple.
At the Fails of st. Croix, fifty or sixty milei
| from the Mississippi, there is a grand outburs
of green stone, epidote and porphyritic trap
| forming a series of dykes, ITO feet and more II
elevation, above the streams, and transversed b,
veins Of native copper carbonate, and Probabl!
grey sulphuret-
At the Falls Of St. Croix, Immediately IL
juxtaposition with the trap, in some places en-
tangled in the disputed portion of these rocks,
! beds highly charged with linguars and orbculars
some, Il not all Of them, probably Of undescribe
species. These beds differ in Theological eharacte
| from anything observed elsewhere, in the proto
zoic strata of the west, and perhaps in any porto
| Of the United States. These angular and or
biculsr beds, though often crowded with remain
of these genera ofmolusca, are found to be sub
| ordinate to quartzose sandstone, also contain
ing lingulars and obiculars, probably of the sam
species as in equivalent beds Of Potsdam sand
stone in New York, making them Of great gee
logical interest, they are undoubtedly tn
lowest of fossiliferous beds ever noticed in IN
West, and as rich in remains Of these forms
molusca as any Of the most fossiliferous beds
the Ohio valley. Some distance above thes
angular and orbicular beds, but yet considerable
below the lower magnetism limestone of Wiz
consir, we have a strata of the lithalcgical chal
acter Of the hydraulic limestone. These strai
are of great geological interest as they max
us acquainted with some of the earliest forms
organic existence yet brought to light in tn
country, and furnish a new clue TO the identif
> cation Of strata. In the rents of the trap al
found portions Of the adjacent fossiiferous STIR
ia indurated, altered, and even cemented TO POI
tions Of the trappean rocks with their fossils vi
obliterated and even well formed.
The magnetic variations in the granite an
traperian ranges are often great, so much so
times as TO reverse completely the direction
the poles. A variation Auctuating from five
twenty degrees on either side Of the true mer
dian was common in this region.
In this region there are about thirty diffsreI
species Of animals, most of them valuable e
) their furs; the rivers and lakes contain a larl
variety Of fish, and great abundance Of the
of superior quality for food There are in u
district fortyfve distinct species of forest tree
constituting twenty-five genera, and embracil
! twelve Of the natural orders. The most vail
able are the white ami yelow pine, the hemlo'
and the sugar maple.
q The forests Of hemlock ON the head waters
c the streams on the East side Of the Mississippi
are capable of affording an ample supply
, bark, for the West.
The yield Of the sugar maple tree in Min
I sofa is so luxuriant that an Indian squaw, c.
obtain during the sap-season, with imperfe
utensils, 800 pounds Of sugar! Minnesota W
!, be, at some period, second only to Louisiana,
!, the production Of sugar, so abundant is I
!, growth Of the maple tree in the Territory.
There are in operation on the waters of
!, Wisconsin fotty-fvs saws; on the Black riv
. sixteen saws; on the Chippewa seven saws;
! the ST. Croix twelve saws--making in the Wit
!. eighty saws. And each saw is capable Of tur
MI ing out annually half a million feet Of saw
4 lumber, worth in ST. Louis say half million
n dollars.
q Wild rice, superior in taste, and more nut
= eious than the rice Of South Carolina, gro