Los Angeles daily herald., 1875-07-23
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FRIDAY, Y,................JULY %. 1870.
The Wheeler Expedition.


One of the members of the Wheeler
expedition, at present encamped near
Los Angeles, writes to the New York
Graphic as follows:
The accoutrement ofthe several par
ties of the expedition is nearly COM
plete. The material of outfit is being
Issued and divided. The topographer
receives his transit, the meteorologist
his balom ct sr, the botanist lis plant
press, the collector his net and gun,
the cook his mess kit, and the black
smith hisiron. Six years Of expert
ence in this very peculiar work has
enabled the leaders of the expedition
to perfect an outfit which is lacking in
no item necessary for a successful sea-
son in the field. The contents of the
property tent are more varied than
those of country store. The genius
of invention is constantly kept alert
for improvements in instruments,
books, method and the implements of
the camp and the march. Provision
is made for any emergency which may
arise, and that long row of water kegs
looks especially ominous, for it gives
prophecy of many dry camp in the
unexplored deserts.
Lieutenant Bergland is the first to
start from here. His portion is the
Of the Colarado river, including por-
tions of Nevada and Arizona. Lieu
| tenant Birnie will investigate the
mysteries of the Death valley, fear
| full desert below the level of the sea,
between whose borders there is no
| life, either of animal or plant, and at
the mention of whose name the old
est guides quail and say: eff jack
rabbit were to go across Death valley
he would have to pack his grub with
him." Two parties, one under the
personal direction of Lieutenant
| Wheeler and one with Lieutenant
| Whipple in command, will work
around and in the southern end of the
Sierra Nevada range. The natural
history corps of DR.. Bothrock, of the
army, botanist, will range along the
coast and in the valleys north of here.
DR.. Loew, chemist and mineralogist,
will accompany Lieutenant Bergland,
and will investigate the mines around
Panamint, Professor Marcou, geolo-
| gist, is to examine and report the
route pursued by Lieutenant Whipple.
This field is a familiar one to Mr..
Marcou, who traversed this Western
country many years ago as a member
of the expedition of Lieutenant Whip
ple's father, an officer who ranks
among the first Of the explorers of the
southern territories. Already much
valuable work has been done. Dr.
Kamp, astronomer, has measured and
developed base line which is prelim-
mary to system of tria ngulation,
which heis extending far eastward in
to the mountains. DR.. Yarrow, of the
army, and the scientific corps under
his direction, are deep and dusty in
chronological borrowings at Santa Bar
bara, on the coast. Here they have
unearthed a real bonanza of antiqui-
ties. Relics of a strange and extinct
people, ornaments and utensils of
stone, shell, and bone have been ex-
humed by the ton; and yet the work
goes on.
In Colorado and New Mexico the
detachments of Lieutenants Marshall
Morrison and Carpenter-all under
the direction Of Lieutenant Wheeler,
have taken the field, and the work of
the expedition this year promises to
be greater than ever before.