The Kansas herald of freedom., 1859-12-17
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Valuable Facts of Science from the Great Flains.
A most interesting impronptU meeting
of laborers in the republic of Scientific
Progress, happened in our city during last
week. Gen. Ward B. Burnett Surveyor
General of Kansas and Nebraska, accom-
panied by Maj. F. Haun, geologist, recent
ly returned from the completion Of their
former surveys, were met here by DR..
Norwood, the State Geologist, the former
coming from the summit crest of the
Cordillera in the West, the latter bring
ing up the systematic State Surveys from
the East.
The party from the Territories have To-
Gated the base line of the Federal land
system, dividing asunder Kansas from
Nebraska Territory, from the bank of the
Missouri river to the summit Of che Cor
di1lerG, returning from point intermedi-
ate between Pixies and Longs Peaks.
This point is very central to the region of
gold production, so far as it has as yet
been extended. DR.. Norwood, engaged
in the detailed geological survey of our
State, mile by mile, brings it up TO the
boundary line of Missouri in jackson
county.
By this happy conjunction of co-labor-
ers, we possess section of the economical
geology of the Basin os the Mississippi,
clear through to the western rim upon the
backbone of the supreme Cordillera of the
Continent. This is an achievement of
profound interest and significance to the
popular tide of pioneers which is pouring
forth to plant empire over tho immense
arena of the Plains, to scale the battle
ments of the Cordillera and to deJouche
upon the Plateau Of the Table Lands.
The chronic, dogmatic delusion OF great
american Desert, is utterly pulverized out
of existence, smoked out of and off our
continental arena and its advocates ST.
fenced forever by the annihilating, trum-
pet voice of Nature, as she speaks the
truth unmasked.
As thus, the gradual completion of the
geological chart of Missouri, establishes
the existence of coal measures of stu
pendous proportions, appearing in teuacei
benches, one above the other, and CROP
ping out in front of the explorer like tho
slabs of continual staircase, to one who
ascends it toward the west. These ter
races of coal attenuate with the strata of
limestone Carbonate of lime) from which
our fertile soils are made and of which the
whole foundation of our country is built
by nature. These gentlemen from the
Territories, simply establish the fact that
this sublime order of geological progress
sion continues with undertaking uniformi-
ty clear up to where the porphyry walls of
the Cordillera elevate their perpendicular
planks out of it, as the coast rises from
the expanse of the seas. As we travelup
from hence to the Cordillera, perhaps
about midway, the carbonate oflime ceases
to be seen and similar stupendous array
of the sulphate of lime (plaster of Paris)
takes its place onward until the porphyry-
of the Cordillera surmounts the calcareous
world beneath. The Cordillera traverses
the continent from south to north, present.
ing continuous back bone of porphyry.
Beyond the Cordillers, the stupendous
system of terraces of sulphate and car
Donate of lime and of coal measures, re-
sumo their possession of the continent
clear out to the Pacific sea. On this lat
ter front, the regularity of the slope is in
terrupted by the innumerable volcanic
chains of the PLATEAU and by the snowy
Cordillera of the Andes, which protrude
themselves through the calcareous a.ea,
as thick as icebergs in the Arctic seas,
merely distracting its continuity and dis
torting the primeval confguration.
The possibility of any desert in North
America is then finally disproved and the
reiterated assertion of its existence must
die out. This dogmatic mirage of deserts
has ceased to haunt the Basin of the
Mississippi, having been chased out of it
by the jealous efforts to establish its ex-
istence and locality. The MOUNTAIN
FORMATION, as it is equal in area to tho
Mississippi Basin, SO is it equally fertile,
equally salubrious and propitious to man,
and equally complete in the variety, the
splendor and the harmony Of details which
make up the predestined site of the Demo-
cratic Republican Empire of the Ameri-
can people. Finally, to the mind imbued
with truth and incapable of halting short
of its complete proportions, our continent
viewed as unit, is as easily comprehend
ed in its fair and simple confguration, as
is the sea, of which it is the counterpart
and with which it divides the area of the
globe. G..
INDEPESDEcE, Nov. 25th, '59.