Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1876-11-24
The Black Hills Expedition.

III Tue spring Oh 1910 Inc OONeTnmen
sent an exploring expedition to the Black
Hills for the purpose of thoroughly sur
veying them incorporating on their topog
raphy, geological formation and min
eral wealth. This expedition was under
the charge of Prof. Walter P. Jenney,
of Massachusetts, and its labors occupied
the whole summer. The results of these
labors are to be embodied in report,
which will be. laid before the present
Congress, and much of the final work is
now in progress at the School of Mines,
Columbia College. There may be seen
the only map of this Black Hills region
ever made, and, although this is as yet
in an unfinished condition, the outlines
are all executed, and much valuable in.
formation may be obtained from it.
The Typographical portion of the ex.
pedition was under the charge of DR.. NJ.
T. McGillycuddy and Mr.. Emil Mahlo,
late of the United States Northern
Boundary Survey. Mr.. Mahlo is now
employed on the map, which is model
of beautiful execution. Up to this time
the Black Hills had always been laid
down on every chart as blank space
marked unexplored." Hereafter, thanks
to this party, there will be no difficulty
in making way through this wonderful
country.
Capt. Tuttle, of the U. S. Navy, had
charge of the astronomical branch of the
survey, and by his observations the Black
Hills lie between 43 deg. Is min. and 45
deg. north latitude, and between los
deg. and 104 deg 23 longitude west from
Greenwich. Their general outline is
that of a human ear, and, singularly
enough, this outline is traced by most
remarkable geological formation. All
around the wild, mountainous upland
runs valley, which, from its color, is
called Red Valley. This singular de-
preston marks the outline as unerringly
as if dug out for the purpose by some
vanished race. 1t varies in width from
& quarter of a mile to two miles; the ends,
which slope gently, are clothed with
green, but the bottom is everywhere of
red clay, and has given the valley its
name. On the north and south the Black
Hills have another natural boundary, as
they lie between the north and south
forks of the Cheyenne. The northern
most of these rivers is called by the old
settlers "Belle Fourche," OF Beautiful
Fork, because of the extraordinary
beauty of the pellucid stream, which
winds its way through overhanging cliffs
and past soft prairies. Geographically
the Black Hills lie across the boundaries
between Wyoming and Dakota Terri
tories, that is, the 104th deg. of longi
tude, which divides them about the mid
die. Beyond the Red Valley the Black
Hills rise in a series of abrupt activities
which are cut by deep gulches In many
places, resembling in their formation the
outspread fingers of hand. In the
streams which run through these gulche'
the gold is found, and here is another
singular fact about this remarkable re
gion, and that is that these wild mountain
torrents, which come tearing down from
the heights above, swollen at times Il
great streams, make their way eve
downward and cut across the red valleys
and then, in the prairies beyond, utterly
vanish, being all drank up by the THIRSTY
soil, except in the spring, when, swolleI
by the melting SHOWS, they flow quit
across to the fork of the Cheyenne.
Journeying still inward, the land rise
always higher and higher, until it tower
up into mountain peaks. The highes
of these is Harney's Peak, which rises Il
an altitude of 7,403 feet above the leve
of the sea. The next is Crooks Tower
very singular granite rock, whicl
shoots up 1898 feet Another imposing
mountain is Terry's Peak, 1888 feet high
which rises in precipitous heights from
the slopes below. Still another loft,
eminence, Clusters Peak, has an altitude
of 6,967 feet. OF course, all these name
were given by the expedition, who thu
honored the brave officers who riskeC
their lives in this wild country. On tn
western side of the hills is lofty poin
called Ingan Kara, an old landmarl
known for many years to all the settler
of this region, and. which bears still tn
name bestowed upon it in the days o
Indians All the sides and slopes of tn
hills are clothed with pine trees, an,
these, looking back at a distance, hav
given them their appellation-the Blacl
Hills. They abound IN mountain-ante
lope and bears, which render the terri
tory valuable to the Indians. 1t is
rich hunting ground to them; hence the
are reluctant to part with 1t.
The geological portion of the expedi
tion was under the charge of Mr.. Harve
Newton, who has prepared careful SUI
veys for illustration. The formatio
was found everywhere to be granite /
its highest points; underlying this wa
limestone, In some places curiously GU
by the action of water; below this agai
sandstone, while lowest of all was Oh
red clay, which appears principally
the wonderful valley above mentioned,
A large number of photographs wei
also taken, and these will copiously
lustrate the region which, up to tn
time, has been an absolute terra d
cOgRitG, except to the rowing bands {
Indians, and of late, IN some small d,
gree, TO the hardy miners who have gor
to these rocky Businesses in search of
new Ell Dorado.-N y. Times.