Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1857-02-26
Geological Survey of Ohio.

No recommendation of Gov. Chase in hi.
Message, is of more interest ard import
ahce to our State than that of the Geuioaic
al Survey of The State. 1t is now nearly
twenty years since the first Survey was un.
dsrtaken. under the1direction of Prot. Math.
er. assisted by our respected townsman, Dr.
(. =. lIildrelh, and by Col. Foster, of lalt
political celebiiy in Mass, DIR Briggs, now
OF Ironton-well known 10 many OF our citi.
zens, DR.. Kirkland, of Cleveland, a 1isting
ushed Naturalist, and Chas. Whittlesay
Z g., U. S. Surveyor. The work was iusi
commenced wheE the appropriations for ii
were refused by our Legislature. Only q
few counties were partially explored, but
enough was revealed in regard TO the soil
buildIng-s;onc, coal and iron to show that
the State contained vast resources Of pros.
perity.
Incomplete as Was the arrested labors oi
the Survey, many sagac;ous men gathered
hints rom the reports; by which they pro,
flied largely i'll pecuniary point OF view
Thousands of dollars have been made in the
iron districts By tie study OF the Reports oil
Prof. MaIher anc his assistants. These
Reports were, however. necessarily very
meagre, and their value to the State was
only as giving preliminary iHtimations OF
our vast resources. Since then much has
been done by practical business men to de-
relop our hidden-~ ealth and with great sue
cess, but not without many costly blunders
from which thorough survey would nave
saved them.
1t is said that some of our Railroads have
made great mistakes in their location, by
lgnorantly passing one side ot rich mineral
deposits which would have been source of
revenue for ages, and thus greatly increased
the value of the Road. No engineer is fiji
TO llcate Railroad without pretty &C.
curare knowledge of the geological char. CT
er OF the region through which his road is
TO pass. We are happy to say that our M.
d L. X. X. in its location between us and
Cincinnati shows no such o!undcr. IL
passes directly. Through one of the richest
regions for salt, Goa! and iron TO be found
in the United States.
Aside from these great and manifold ad.
vantages OF thorough survey of the State,
it is most desirable in scientific point of
view. A. a late meeting of the American
Association for the advancement of science
at Albany, Committee composed OF Pro.
Agassiz, Of Cambridge. Prof. Henry of the
Smithsonian Institute, Prof. Dana, of Yale
College, and several other distinguished
men of science, besides several as distirr
uished as cIvilians,we appointed 20 petition
our present Legislature tor an appropriation
for the survey. We earnestly hope thai the
appropriation will be made, and men of true
and undoubted scientific merit appointed to
take charge OF the work.
II would be of incalculable value to the
material interests OF the State, and our Le-
gisatufe could erect no nobler monument
TO itself than by voting such an approprla-
ton. We hear unanimous voice in its
favor in this part of the State, and we trust
that our Representatives will give an ex-
preston to the entment by voting in favor
of the undertaking. The work need cost
but little money. One tenth part of what
has been lost 10 the State by the frauds re-
Gently exposed by bogus contracts, would
do the york well.-MarjeHa InfeHigsneer.