New-York tribune., 1874-01-02


benefit to both.
The scientific corps now consists of the Geologst
in Charge and his sah of three assistants, several
palaontologsts botanist zo6iogist. pho
tographer, an artist, eeographer and his stah OF
three tOpOgraphers three assistant topographers,
meteorologist and draughtsman,a quartermaster and
bis assistant. There are also few young men tenn
porarily attached to the Survey during the Summer
season rs general assistants. The map work OF the
Surveyisb based uporfa trgnometnc survey connected
with measured bases; several of the geodetic sta
tions have been determined automatically by the
members of the United States Coast Survey. whose
long experience and training field astronomers
place their work above all question: Other stations
will be determined by the Coast Survey from year
to year as the work continues.
The area marked out for exploration during the
present season was divided into three districts The
detailed survey of each was intrusted to separate
parties consisting of an assistant geologst topo
grapher and an assistant, and one naturalist The
eeologs works out the details of the geology OF his
district and makes his report to the Geologist III
Charge while the topographer carries the secondary
triangulatOn and his assistant works out tue
Topography. The Geologst in Charge makes such
general and special examinations as VIII enable Din
TO comprehend the general features of the whole
work The geographer carries on the primary
trianonIation with An eight inch theodolite from
the oftiest peaks, thus connecting with network
Of most accurate triangles the whole area uhder
examination. Mr.. Gardner, the Geograpner OF Tue
Survey conceives that maps that are suitable TOT
geological purposes must represent the features OF
the country accurately and in bold relief OF, IN
other words they must be a picture OF the eartlrs
surface as one would ser IT '""hins "0"" avn"
above"
II will be seen from the above statements that the
Survey aims at more accurate work than has been
previously carried on in the interior of our conti-
nent work that will not need to performed again
while the Territories arc wards Of the General Gov
ernment Such a systematic survey of our great
interior it is believed will be less expensive and far
more satisfactory and creditabe to the Government
and to science than minor and disconnected under
takngs could possibly be.
RESULTS OF THE SURVEY FOR 1873
During the last session of Congress the Geologlst
in Charge addressed letter to the Secretary of the
Interior, proposing as the area OF explorations for
the of 1s73 the western portion of the Territory
of Colorado. 1t is the intent Of the Survey to be
directed toward those portions of the public domain
that promise the most rapid development, in order
that the results prove OF practical value
to the country This letter was transmitted to
Congress by the Secretary of the Interior and or
dered to be printed as a public document, and the
liberal appropriation that was subsequently made
was based on the letter of the Secretary The area
thus authorized by Congress to be explored was
divided into three districts of about 1000 or SOOo
square miles each A preliminary field map was
prepared in the Spring, based the public land
surveys for the purpose of showing those portions
which are known and those yet unexplored The
whole region lies between the parallels 3So and
40o 90 north and between meridians 10i' 30 and
1879 west. It was divided by east and west
lines. each district being about So miles
broad and 13O long. The northern district
included the Middle Park, the middle dis
trict the South Park. and the southern,
the San Luis Valley. Each district reveals a COM
plete section Of the main upheavals of the Rocky
Mountains The whole area might be regarded as a
section 16O miles broad embracing within its limits
some of the grandest ranges of the Rocky Mountain
system at their point of greatest elevation and as
forming the most remarkable as well as most OK
tended groups of high peaks to be found anywhere
On the continent. To each of these districts was
assigned distinct party consisting OF two topo- |
graphers geologst, two packers, and cook, with
sometimes one or two additional assistants. although
a strictly scientific party consists OF only about
eight persons. The three divisions were called the
Middle Park Division the South Park Division, and
the San Luis Division. |
As previously stated, all the work is based on |
systematic trigonometric survey resting on points
carefully determined asronomicay 1t is the poiicy
If the survey at all times to seek to cooperate freely
with any other scientific organization which IL Will
ling to sustain friendly relations with it. Its coop
grafton with the United States Coast Survey has |
already been productive of the best results. Mr. |
George w. Dean, whose long experience and great |
skill have entitled him to his position of assistant |
in charge of longitude determination for the United
States Coast Survey, has spent some three months |
in Colorado directing the work of establishing three
at principal points along the east |
base of the Rocky Mountains The first is at Den !
yer the second at Colorado Springs, at the foot of
Pixies Peak the third near the Ration Mountains, on
The southern boundary of Colorado. Sherman, nine
miles north Of the northern boundary Of Colorado,
WAS located by the United States Coast Survey last
year These four locations of Coast Survey Observa
Denver, Colorado Springs, and |
Trinidad-are nearly in the same meridian, and from
30 to 100 miles apart in latitude The longitudes
are determined Geographically in the mos. accurate
manner and the longitude by the we-known zenith |
telescope method Upon this meridanal astronomi- |
cal base 300 miles long, the accuracy Of which Is
placed beyond all question by the high authority of
the United States Coast Survey, rest the primary
carried on by Mr.. j. L. Gardner, |
geographer of the United States Geological and Geo
graphical Survey of the Territories, who, with the
of Mr.. A. D. Wilson, has already carried
through from the Pacific coast system of primary
trangles 800 miles long. The trianguiation of Colo
RADIO is connected at four points with this transcon
tipenta belt but rests bases of its own The rst
is near Denver. measured with great accuracy on
tho Kansas Pacific Railroad track. 1t is six miles
long Signals 80 feet high were erected on the plains,
by which the triangulation was expanded TO the
mountains % miles distant. The work was extended
100 miles west 100 miles north, and 40 miles south