National Republican., 1882-12-30
THE SCIENTIFIC GENTS.
How the Scientists Of the Smithsonian Have
Spent The Summer
Their Work Delayed to Some Extent by
the Late Adjournment Of Congress.
Fair Supply Of Geographical, Geological EthnOlogi
cal, and Archaeological Field Notes,
The Work OF Classification and Arrange
ment wilI Now Begin.

the work Of those who furnish geological and
geographical results, which are read with so
much pleasure by scientists and others. In
the summer the parties go into the field, and
work as long as the weather will permit
making careful notes at each step all the
whil2, and as soon as winter approaches they
return to civilization, usually to this city,
ard prepare the results of their summer
labors for the press. The parties under
the charge of Prof. J. w. Powell chief of
the United States geological survey, which
have been doing field work, have all come in
and the preparation of the various reports are
now in progress. As congress did not adjourn
until nearly the middle of August, and as it
was not known until they did adjourn how
much money would bc appropriated for this
work, the parties w2rc late in getting out
and SO perhaps their labors did not cover so
long period Of time as usualyyC: the ob5er-
vations made and the information gained by
every party will be of great benefit to the
scientific world.
PROF. POWELL HIMSELF
intended visiting all the geological stations,
hut, finding that he would not have time to
do that went to the canyons of Colorado for
the purpose of establishing trail from the
south of House Rock valley, in Utah, down to
opposite the Little Colorado. This he sue
ceedcd in doing, and left Mr.. Walcott en-
cainped in the canyon for the winter, for the
purpose of studying the lower formations.
Prof. Powell returned overland from Fort
Wingate crossing Little Canyon on the way.
Mr. J. II. Hillycr, the photographer of the
Marty, succeeded in taking some excellent
pws.
Mr.. :. +. EmmOns, who is in charge of the
.iv sion OF the Rocky mountains, has been en-
Faged in the completion of his work OF Lead
.,t.l Il 80, ,s.,t. ..1
out by Mr. Karl, one Of his assistants, and his
report will go TO press this winter. Mr..
George f. Becker who has just finished
reading the proof of his re- Ort on the mining
geology 0f III ConStock lode, has started west
to take charge of the quicksilver works in
california. Daring the summer there have
becn three Typographical parties out there
making surveys of four districts, viz: the
New hlmadcn, New ldria, Knoxville, and
sulphur Bank, on 4 scale OF two inches to the
mile. Mr. ArnoldiHuguo who is in charge
oi the division of the Pacific has been Il part
"t the season in the vicinity Of Eureka, New.
Ills report will be ready this winter. After
t'i3 work Is finished he will take up
THg-fBILowsToNE REGION
for the purpose of making a map upon large
scale. N,c typographical survey for this has
SSI-Ymadc by Mr.. John II. Rensliawe, who ex-
percucrd some difficulty on account of the
late date at which hu undertook the work.
lie says he cllIped at the foot of peak for
three weeks, waiting to get sight of the top
OF it 50 he could climb it. Prof. A. II. Thomp-
son had charge of the Typographical opera
tons in the southwest, working from Fort
Wingitc, Oh the Atchison and Topeka, us u
center His triangulation is intended 10 con-
meet the previous surveys of Hayden, Wheeler,
and Powell, who worked in separate and dis
connected fields. Their several surveys have
been connected by Prof. Thompson, and the
topography OF that entire section of country
mapped out.
Quite an amount Of work was done in
THE SOUTHERN STATES
last summer under the direction of Mr.. Gan
net, chief ul the geographical surveys, but
with Prof. Kerr as actively in charge. The
operations cXtsncd to the States OF Virginia,
North Carolina, and Tennessee, and there
were some points of triangulation in Ken
tucky. There We're four parties engaged in
this section Of country, under the charge of
f. NJ. Pearson, Yeates, Been, and Prof. Kerr
respectively. In connection with this work
there were extensive and detailed observa-
tOns made Of the barometer by party un-
der the direction of Mr.. Arthur Davis, in
charge of barometric work, and excellent re-
suits are expected. These observations were
made according to a new system gotten up by
Mr.. q. X. Gilbert. Mr.. Gilbert himself is in
Charge Of the division of the great Basin,
having his Office at salt Lake City. He,
with several Typographical and geological as
sstants, will continue the exploration of the
ancient lake Bonneville and the other ancient
lake HontOn, which formerly covered all the
lakes of Nevada.
Prof. White with several assistants, has
been at work principally in Montana, study
ing the Laramie groups He has secured a
large number of fossils, which he is engaged
in carefully studying.
Prof. o. G. Marsh, the principal paleontolo-
gist of the bureau, remained east all the sum-
mer engaged upon his reports, which will
shortly appear in three ,quarto volumes, upon
the subjects of the Dinoeerata, Stegosauria, and
Sauropoda. The manuscript of all, and the
plates are nearly ready When issued, these
books will be one of the most valuable con-
tributions to paleontology that has ever been
made.
has been detailed to the work of the survey,
has been assigned to report ON the volcanic
rocks of the northwest, particularly in the
Wei; ity of Mount Shasta. During the sum
mcr the captain made IA trip to the Sandwich
islands, SO that he might study vOlcanoS while
they were In active operation. This he sue
ceedcd in doing, aud made copious notes, and
next year he viii enter upon the study Of our
own YolcanDs, with these rs a basis.
Prof Chmberln, formerly state geOlogist
Of Wisconsin, has been engaged in the study
Of the mOraines and a preliminary article on
this subject VIII appear IN the 'IhlrdG Geologl-
cal Annual" now in press
Prof X. d. Irving formerly connected with
the geological department of the state of
Wisconsin, has been studying the copper bear
ing rocks of Lake Superior. One volume of
the results OF his Investigations is now in
press, and further report is being prepared.
In the bureau of ethnology an important
work has been and is being done by Mr.. Ii. F.
Cushing at Zuni. 1t will be remembered that
last wear Mr.. (iushinp brOupht some of
THE zUNI INDIANS
east, and that they excited the greatest in
terest wherever they went. Mr.. Cushing had
been in Zuni for three years and has now set
tied down for three years more. He probably
understands this subject better than any one,
and has very interesting article on the
"Prey Gods of the Xuni" in the "SecOnd
chronological Annual, +" which is now in press
Other of the Pueblo tribes are being studied
by Victor Mindelifi, who last year surveyed
and drew plan of Zuni, from which he
afterwards made complete model, which is
now in the new national museum. He is now
engaged in mapping out the seven pueblos in
Arizona, commonly known as the Moki towns
and will prepare model of each. lie has
made large collections from many of the
towns, which will arrive at the museum this
winter.
Col. James Stevenson has been engaged in
making archaeological and chronological eX-
plorations among
THE PUEBLos AND CLIFF JEWELLERS
in New Mexico and Arizona. He has made
an extensive collection, among which are two
mummles, not bandaged in spices, as those OF
Egypt, but which had been buried in stone