New-York tribune., 1874-05-11
H. s. SURVEY OF THE WEST.


rN,poRM SYSTEM OF SURVEY THROUGHOUT
nm, com. ~RY-DETAIIs OF THE WORK ACTUALLY
,rnron,,rn->vw AND INTERESTING FACTS
RESPECTING CoLoEADo, NEVADA "hsiE"N oiAh
.pr,oN, AND NEW MEXICo.
,o, AZ OCCASIONAL co RREs PoSDENT OF THE rRIBusE.l
WASHINGTON, April 30,-The surveys of our
western Territories conducted at the expense OF tne
government have assumed such MAGNITUDE IN 'ne'n
selves as well as in the interests which they '~, ~
that the rivalry between them. which mas now ,
taken the form of d contest, becomes ma''oi y. $50
interest. OF the two classes of western SUI .oS ,
aercvil,an MANAGEMENT and those under theWar Depart
t Tho former have by far more greatly enjoyed the ad
ntace of newspaper publicity. or the labors OF the
wor Deparpent In this field. little has reached the pup
rc except a comparatively brief sketch pubhsheu III
Tur TRIBUNE after the return of Lieut. Wheeers ENpe
don Of 1873 Pending the discussion OF the COST pro
goods and value Of Territorial surveys which Is key 10
oncaee the attention OF Congress WITHIN rev days.
seems desirable that full account should De gwen ol
,,o work done by and underline Bureau OF Engineers
of the War Department. As preface to TINS account
bref resume of the facts stated In conversation
by Lieut. NJ Wheeler u s. A. the officer IN charge OF
be limited states Survey West Of the Tooth Meridian,
Will prove OF interest
VALUE AND PLAN OF SURVEY.
Tho need of an accurate and careful geographical
survey o our western territory is not open TO question
The experience Of older countries may be taken IN TINS
matter as guide. In Bohemia for instance, maps have
been publ showing by gradatons Of color not only
the elevations the geological sections AS yet
srcb a map OF our country could not be constructed.
rYe survey which has been organized and conducted
nnder the War Department its origin and charac
Ter TO the absolute needs of that Department; the
knowledge obtained is also Of vast service to the De
parmont Of the Interior, TO the settlers OF the West to
scientific investigation, industrial enterprises and TO
The country at large.
Tho sqle Of includes the
tire mapping OF Territories not sporadic survey,
touching here and there points of interest, but
complete one connecting IL with that Of the Coast and
Lake Survey and extending the determinations OF local
y over the entire of the United states The atlas
sheets when finished viii deineate the whole country
west Of the lOOth merdianan of nearly 100000
square miles, III the past years the survey has
covered 2SO square miles. and at this rate will take
fully 10 years to complete it without assistance from
other sources.
Better 70 facilitate Typographical representation and
to preserve uniformity of publication as TO scale and
.ze, the region west Of the lOO.h meridian has been
ad c in recangcs each embracing about 1900 square
miles Each map published will be on scale Of one inch
70 eight miles, and VIII represent tne area IN one OF these
rt,tsnglcs. Thus the work proceeds the maps VIII
comprise continuous series IN atlas FORM SIX Oh these
maps are now the hands Of the enGraver and the al
vance proofs indc..e fine examples of Typographical
vori giving in detail the mountain systems, valleys,
N5tcFCOurses, routes ot COinuluulcdlloh' Nt'
NINERAL NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..
eipce we commenced our survey 1T has indicated
rret many mineral resources that not generally
known before. We visited a great many mining DIS
trict, and have gathered great deal Of Information
which is entirely Besides the precious mineras
there are "copper" lead iron, and coal Inc coa helus III
Utab are immense: perhaps greater than those IN WyO
nsng on tue Union Pacific Railroad, and when worked
will prove great benefit to the mining Industries The
ec,l ia of IN. King SORT and is said % be OF excellent
usaYv II viii take the place OF that now brought
IRON PIT sHur-l Coal crops out from th3 Ssh to the
,Sl parallel ana in parts Of the great Colorado
Plateau. No tin, platinum, or zinc was found. There
are evidences Of petroleum. but nothing definite. lm-
mense dcds OF rock salt found ana also of alkai
dcpos from which bOrax is manufac turcI This latter
sunss.nce I am informed by persons who know, will
hecrne an important article OF commerce, SINCE as 1t
becomes cheaper. be put 70 new uses, and the
Gonaud mas consequently Increase with the supply.
Tie area timber M Western Utah ia comparatively
small NJ Walker Of the Census Bureau has made
man OF the coan.ry west OF the Mississippi that shows
bv graduation OF color the present timber growth we
gave hln such Information as We could There Is an In
mense forest IN Arizona and Ncw-Ie&co, something
like those i'm the region Of lakes larger Pine,
r and qulkne aspen the principa! trees Ihere Is
some timber thai could be utilized in the building Of
railroads for tges &c. would be of great advantage
10 the southern Pacific and Atlantic and Pacific roads
We have discovered new route Tor the IoIhef Io'u
roues for airolds have examined north and south
line, o. COMMUNICATION; one near the Rocky Mountains
one aong the mersian Of salt Lake and another east
Of the sierra Nevada salt Lake City and Denver are
the only points south OF the 10th parallel that promise to
become great commercial ccuters.
Almost al ~ TINS IS destitute OF rain for most
oftnc rear Tlcre generally two rainy seasons-In
June aud july ana December and January There arc
excer.iol however in this wide territory Among the
pla, .aus, GUNNER rains are pGJSOn-ed fully three
moLtJs.
TIE WORK or THE SURVEY.
Wheu 10 IS understood that the expedition has often
been divided into from to twelve parties, II will he
apparent bow a Of information has been collected
of no little valde. This Is the only systematic interior
survey that has ever been undertaken by the Govern
ment. west Of the Mississippi. II is very needful
that there should be unity of plan and
purpose in this matter of surveys as they
come nov from variety OF sources. Engineer officers
are stationed at the Military Department Headquarters
who are constantly making surveys for the information
Of TIE commanding off ers in the opening OF routes o
supply omaut OF troops, &c. AT the headquarters
o. The arny an Enyueor officer is also engaged in com
pihne information this finally al comes together and
is en- bodied on general map. Then. again. Congress
has been authorizing expeditions from the Interior De
partmcut and Smithsonian Institution have prepared
elaborate plan covering cost SIZE etc. for the prose
this work. II based on unit OF force but
II aas not yet gone beyond the War Department We
do utilize anything obtained by either the Interior
Department SnitsOuiaB Institution IN the cOnsruc-
rou Of o.. maps.
Tic following general subjects for observation will
give IN idea Of the undertaking:
o. The establishment Of primary geographical posi-
hOus hy ast rOuC meal methods.
O. obtaining accurate typographical information by
tleOLone;c methods OF the various mountain systems
Of me valleys and of the detrital plains
C.I Determination of attitudes (hypsometTcaly).
C.i Careful study Of geological formations.
So Examination and collections Of the living and ex-
hnCt fauna and fora.
co. Investigation Of resources wood water grass and
agricultural productionsl.