The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-12-09
TWENTY THREE MILLIONS visited.
How the Government Surveys have been
BOtehed-Mnps that have no Value.

WASHINGTON, Dec while the National
Academy Of Sciences was considering its re-
port. since submitted to Congress, on the best
method OF conducting national surveys COM
munications upon the subject wcro solicited
from different officers Of tho Government. and
among those who responded was J W. Powell.
He is at tho head OF one OF the costly Govern
mcnt surveys which now duplicate each others
work and waste tho peoples money The re-
port. which is extremely long and elaborate.
recommends. substantially. tho conclusion
finally reached by tho National Academy but I'm
the course Of the report number OF interest
ing facts are given. A largo part Of the report
is devoted to the system Of land suryoys i'm the
past. originally intended both to prepare maps
from which the land could be sold and to par-
cel the land among settlers. This has been done
lines from latitudcs and longitudes-withnu out
first fixing the latitudes and ongitudes-and in
THIS way cutting up the land like n checker
board. Tho corners Of the checks are marked
by piles OF earth which wash or blow away and
the lines OF two surveyors scarcely eyer agree
whom they meet OF the results Of this system
now In use for n century by which 130 900
square miles have boon surveyed. at a cost of
Powell says:
There are on ale in the General Land Dmce more than
scale OF two inches ~ the niie s2J ycn,,.cn, o ,s
t9posraple feature. Of more than oOU0 square milo.
n"8DS, n8 S 81 reports saps to The seos@eal @
whole costing the Government more than aOpiOO
aud they ere all Of imperfect value ia parcehns the
questions rclatiagio the pubhc lands and absolutely
Naluelcss for scientific purposes
In addition 10 the failure OF these surveys in
this respcc.. Powell shows that nearly all II the
costly litigation in mining districts is due to
the fact that the Land Onlcc surveys are practi-
cally valuelcss there. and are accepted iu the
courts only with the support Of parole owl
dence; that they give SO little information Of
the riches ot the earth that the Government Ia
all tho time selling coal lands for t125 for
which 4 ought to receive SO or sl5 and that
,hri ,he settlers receive absolutely no light from
ton, In spite Of the fact that since four.
ten, tenlhs o. the nati9nal domain consists q
irrigation. II is Of vital importance that general
hypsometric facts should fnd their place on
the maps OF the Land Office. He shows also
That settlement. instead OF pushing westward
In single line. is now occupying isolated
patches patches along rivers. in valleys, and around
tracts the Land Onlce system makes no pro-
vision except by the expensive method of con-
meeting the surveys Of these tracts with lines
already surveyed The scientific surveys on
the other hand, on account OF thoir disjOinted
character and uncertain appropriations spent
without system, are unable TO accomplish any
OF the four things absolutely necessary to an
adequate survey. 10 wit. first transcontinental
transcontinental lines Of levels third the prep
aration Of barometric constants by which lcvels
could be extended. fourth. "A proper system for
mapping the results ot these observations, At
present Mr. Powell pronounces the work Of
every survey IN inc air Tor lack OF these pre-
requisites and their cartography has been done
in cheap. makeshift fashion in too many cases
So ms to publish as many results rs possible on
the smallest sums. That this failure is due TO
no lack Of money appropriated, Mr.. Powell
SHOWS 10y compiling the appropriations made
for surveys and other scientific purposes during
tho present year. They amount To 81 SCI 500
nnd II 20 this sum be aided the appropriations
ior river and harbor improvements and the
Lighthouse Board, a very large part of the work
done under both adding to scientific knowledge
and al conducted by men OF scientific attain
menis. the total sum spent yearly amounts to
sl2OSI.oO and the average In past years runs
over rather than under this sum. The sum first
mentioned is. as Mr. Powell declares, amply
large enough To prOdu - the bcst results. This
he shys, cah only b" accomplished upon plan
which he outlines. and vii So essential features
have already been published Ia tho report oi
the National Academy ~! sciences. Under il
the country would soon have AN outline map.
with points liked both IN POSITION and altitude.
and from these accurate typographical surveys
could bo extended FOR mere Traction of the
sums now wasted on surveys in the air" or
whose results nre buried on miles OF shelving in
the General Land ON 20.