New-York tribune., 1874-01-02

l
coin and Ouapdary Peak rise to about IA 200 feet.
| From the summit of Mount Lincoln. the eye sweeps
over n wilderness of high peaks. which can be
eouaIed nowhere except iu the Andes or the Hima-
layas Two hundred peaks OF nearly 1900 feet, and
about O. rising to 1900 feet and upward, are simu
] taneonsly comprised within the scope of VLs'on
| MI Lincoln ia the base of all hypsOmetric work on
| tho n;gb neaks. Denver has already been connected
with the sea by two lines with the spirt-leyel
This Summer the Denver, South Park, and Paclnc
Railway completed their line of levels from Denver
| TO Fairpay near the foot OF Mt. Lincoln. AT the
instance of the survey. Mr.. Pugh, the engineer
kindly continued this line to the top OF Mt Lincoln
where the survey established permanent meteoro-
logical observatory under the care of Capt. Breese
| the owner of the remarkable mines on the very
summit of the mountain The nights OF all the
eliminating peaks are determined barometrcallyby
reference to this peak and the results will surpass
in accuracy any of the high mountain measure
| meDts vet made in this country. The survey has
| also established permanent meteorological station
at Fairpay about 900 feet above the level OF the
| sea. and another at Canon City. about 5000 feet.
These stations are all connected by spirit'level
line, and the comparison Of these observations will
| be of remarkable interest. The Signal Service
Bureau have now established station on the sum
nit of Pixies Peak, connected with numerous sta
tions all over the country by telegraph lines From
all these observations results of great accuracy and
| interest to science must be deduced.
| The Photographic party under Mr.. Jackson spent
| about three months and half in the most rugged
| mountains of Colorado. He secured about 300
negatives of scenery, 100 of them forming various
nanoramic viArop fro-~ tAe ou.its of tue highest
peaks From four to six plates were used for each
panorama II by IA inches in size, as to sweep the
horizon. All the more important peaks Of the
| Sawatch range, as Yale, Harvard. La Plata, Mount
Ebert &C.. as well as those Of the Elk Mountains
and the Front or Colorado opposite Denver are
well represented One panoramic view includes the
entire from Longs Peak to Pixies Peak
"a distance of over 100 miles. His views from Mount
Lincoln in the South Park. extend over radius OF
so miles, sweeping within the circle great number
of peaks that rise above an altitude OF l4ooo feet
These views will prove of great Importance as aids
to the topographer as well as geologist, IN re-
calling the mountain forms, and i'll bringing
out the action of the atmosphere on the surface
features. In photographing the Mount OF the holy
Cross remarkable peak at the northern end oil the
great Sawatch range. MIR. Jackson performed feat
which is we'll worthy of record in the annals OF
mountaineering. He and his two assistants carried
upward of 100 pounds weight of Photographic APP
paratus across five miles of entanged and fallen
timber TO the base of the opposite mountain, and
then ascended high ridge over 1000 feet. The
party remained at timber line all night without
food or bedding the delay occurring on account OF
the clouds that continually obscured the peak The
following day. from the summit OF the ridge, at an
elevation of 49, 900 feet the photographer obtained
series of most beautiful views of the mountain. Mr.
Jackson carried 40 pounds weight on his back for
10hours. great number of beautiful panoramic
sketches were made by Mr.. Holiness the artist OF the
Survey Detailed panoramic views were tmade
by him from every important peak employed as
primary geodetic station. This works seems to
bring out in remarkably clear manner all the pc
cuaI mountain forms well as the geological
structure As geological artist Mr. Holmes il pre-
enlnantly successful. His portfolio contains many
hundred sketches, which will be of great value III
preparing the maps and in illustrating the geolOg-
cal reports. The departments OF botany and natural
history have in general been carried forward with
great success Lieut. Carpenter of the United |
States Army, who accompanied the Survey by the |
kind permission Of Gen. Sherman, devoted his atten-
tion to the various groups of insects and his col
lection is among the largest and most valuable that
has ever been made west of the Mississippi. The |
collections above timber line and on either side OF
the great Rocky Mountain divide will add a new |
chapter upon the geographical distribution OF IN
sects. |
Porter and Mr. Coulter during the past season, the |
results of which will appear in an octave vol
ume, as a handbook of tho Flora of Colorado" |
Over 400 species of plants will be described in the
work, some of them for the first time.
THE ANCIENT LIFE OF THE WEST.
In addition to the main divisions of the Survey, |
other smaller parties have been at work in various
parts of the West under its auspices. Already the
volumes have been alluded to which are either pub
lshed or in course of preparation at the hands Of
such eminent scientists Leidy Cope Lesquereux, |
Newberry. and Meek. which will show profusion |
in the ancient life Of these Western regions even |
more marvellous than the wonderful accounts which |
have appeared from time to time through the me- |
dunn of the press-
Ever since its formation, constant changes have |
been taking place on the earths surface. Oceans |
and mountains have disappeared and in due time |
others have taken their place. Entire groups of |
animal and vegetable life have passed away, and |
new forms have come into existence. through o |
series of years. of whose numbers no finite mind can
form conception To enable US to acquire aknowl-
edge of the physical condition OF Our planet during
all these past ages is the highest end to be attained
by the study Of geological facts. 1t has been well
said by an eloquent historian, that he who ocalls the
past back again into being enjoys bliss like that Of
creating.
For the past 90 years more the various exrsdi |
tions to the Ear West have been accumulating the
materials which will enable the geoogist to recon-
struct the physical history Of these now barren !
treeess plains. Numerous cemeteries Of the ancient
inhabitants have been discovered, whose remains |
have been more or less disentombed by the action Of
the elements 1t is now known that vast chain of
fresh water lakes covered the surface of this cont-
nent to greater less extent from the Mississippi
to the Pacific coast, and from the Arctic Sea to