New-York tribune., 1878-12-04
THE REPORT.


The Committee of the National Academy OF
Sciences to which has been referred the consideration
o the OF law contained in the act
making apnropuatons for sundry Civil expenses OF the
Government FOR the fiscal year ending June 3O Io1''
and for other purposes, approved June ~ Ao'9'
namely;
And the National Academy Of Sciences are hereby re-
nd az tetr XII meeting to take into consideration
f5e methods and expenses of conducting all surveys OF
n scientifc character under the War or Interior Depart
ment and he surveys OF the Land Oice and to report
60 Congress thereafter as may De @
limited States on such general system will, IN their
Judgment the best results at the least p1ss@pO @
cost; and also 10 recommend to Congress sutto'r ] @
for the publication and distribution OF reports, maps
and documents, and other results OF the ssld surveys
Submits the following report:
The committee considers that the field OF inquiry pro-
posed to the Academy is intended to embrace only sueh
suryeys as pertain to the public domain IL has not IN
cuded in its plan OF organization, surveys ana lhVes'
cations, however scientific IN method ana chaIaclcI
which apply solely TO gneering works. such as tue I'M
movements OF rivers harbOrs, lakes, etc irrigation ana
drainage OF public lands, aud protection OF auVial re-
cons from foods such surveys and Investigations, be-
Ing inseparabIy connected with engineering problems
should in the Judgment of the committee be conducted
by the Engineer Corps OF the army. Nor does the COM
tee recommend any change in the Organization OF the
survey of the great lakes, as this is now nearly COM
peted.
Tne works which seem to fan especially within the
Imits of the meaning of the law are the geographical
surveys west Of the one hundredth meridian under the
War Department, the United States geographical ana
geological surveys OF the Territories ana OF the Rocky
Mountain region under the Interior Department andthe
system Of land surveys under the supervision OF tue
Land Office Besides these although not enumerated In
fhe law one of the most important works now IN pro
gress in the interior under Act OF Congress, Is the
geodetio work of Coast and GeOdctic Survey Par
ties of this organization are now conducting u sys-
temac trangulaon several points IN the interior
d, 10 MI nj
above law cannot b. wisely devised without taking into
account the object and organization Of this survey The
objects Of these surveys are: l. An
accurate geodetic survey. 2. general geographical
and typographical reconnaissance s. Land Parcelling
tons OF the public domain. T. The economic casSifca
tiOn and valuation Of the public CONAN. 10 I9esc
should be added the gradual c0mpctoloI genera &C
curate Typographical map OF the whole Territory OF inc
United States which shall serve as 3asls Iol an @ tG
scientific and pTacucal neeus OF ihe SCNeinihenI du
people All this work may he included under two dis
tinct and separate heads l. Surveys OF mensuratiou
toll.
We will first consider the present operations Of the
Iuryeys of nlcnsuraton Such surveys il prog
ress under five different independent organizations
that of the Coast and Geodec Survey OF the geOrapL
cal surveys west Of the Tooth meridian, under
the War Department CT the Typographical work OF the
two surveys under the Interior Department and Of the
land survey under the Land Office The final object Of
all these works OF mensuatiOn is the accurate deerm
points by measurement There IS at present co0rdna
ton between these five surveys their original deter
limitations Of position independents their systems Of
survey discOrdant their results show many cOntradc
uOns, and involve unnecessary expenditure The geo
graphical Reconnaissance carried on under the War and
Interior Departments are little value for the paTcrnG
OF land while the land surveys are or cOrTCspgmuHgy
slight tOpOgTd' hicnl and cengraphcai Ni!lt, Inc one
TatOns Of the Coast and GgOdeJc Survey In the interior
do not at present include Topography ana land parcel
ling To attain the desirable accuracy ana economy IL
absolutely essential that there should he only one
eeodetic system, one topog'apncal fystSn' ana one
land paIcclng system guy eohuuc'ed ] ]uiteI Ilt , S
head. IL is evident that both Typographical and lana
parcelmg surveys, to be properly cOOrdinatcd and s
hcently exact must be haseG upon Sln2lc rsd geuC
tic foundation. All these three divisions are depart
limitations OF position and to be effectively and econo-
mically carried out should be united INTO one COmpie-
facilities at the disposal Of tie several existing
at1ns engaged 70 this work, the committee believes that
the Coast aud GeOdec Survey is practically best pre-
pared the entire monsuraton system required
for the survey GI tue IuyG conan H '' ntp%ed
in the public lauis which remain to be surveyed ana
sold. The administration Of this domain, con. con.
sisting Of 1,iO1L07l:3 acres, Is necessarily ,,
within the Department Of the Interior, Wmie
naily naugurated 20 meet the wants OF commerce. has
been hitherto under the Treasury Department. N view
OF the paramount Importance OF INC p4pie lanus tne
committee recommends that the Coast and Geodgjic
Survey should be transferred from the Treasury De
partment 10 the Department OF me IhJeIlnI Itinhs
is original field OF operations and assuming also the
modified and extended il sbould hereafter be known
the United States Coast and Interior Survey This Or
Work, geodetic survey Of tho whole public domains
Typographical survey comprsng deTmed lopogaDhlcai
work ana rapid reconnaissance and land pareelng sur
yeys. Tho superintendent OF tho Coast ana interior
Survey should be appointed by the President ana should
report directly to the Secretary Of the Interior.
The best interests OF the public domain require for the
purposes OF intelligent administration thorough
knowledge of its geological structure, natural resources
aud products The domain embraces a vast mineral
wealth in its sos-metas salines stones, clays etc.
To meet the requirements Of existing laws in the dispO-
tition ofthe agricultural mineral, pastoral, timber de-
sert and swamp lands thorough investigation and
classification Of the acreage Of the public domain is i'm
peratively demanded The committee therefore recon-
mends that Congress should establish under the Depart
ep Of the Interior an Independent organization to he
known as the United states Geological Survey, 10 he
charged with the study Of the geological structure
and economical Of the public domain such
survey TO be placed under a director VINO
shall be appointed by the IteSoent q, apI 4 , VINO
Ii should specially provided that the director and
members Of the Geological Survey charged as they are
WITH tho investigation Of the natural resources Of the
public DOMAIN, should have no personal or private ln-
terests in tue lands mineral wealth Of the region
under survey and should execute surveys OF eXamn-
atons for private parties or corporations Officers OF
NAV be detailed by The Secretary Of War OF the
Navy take part in the operations Of the general sur
Fey.
With the Inauguration o. the two surveys above de-
aned the committee recommends a dscoDtnuance,
frat of the present geographical and geological surveys
west OF the Unc-hundredth meridian under the War De
partment except surveys necessary for military pur-
poses and local internal improvements second the
graphical and geological surveys now IN progress under
The Department Of the Interiors and third the present
land surveys under the Land Office The effect Of the
above changes will be 20 maintain within the
Interior Department three distinct organzaous-hrst,
the Coast aud Interior survey, whose function shall
embrace all questions Of position ana mensuration
ond the United Geological Survey, whose func-
ion shall be determination Of all questions relating
10 the geological structure and natural resources OF the
public domain third, the Land Office, controlling the
disposition aud sale OF the pubic lands lncludGg all
questions OF title aud record With this division should
6c perfect coordination and cooperation be
tween three branches The Land Office should call
upOn the COast and tcrOr Survey for all suryoys and