National Republican., 1883-09-25
THE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY.
What Has Bcen Accomplished by the Dif
,,ata


What Has Bccn Accomplished by the DIFF
ferent Parties During tho Year.
Secretary Teller has just received tho an
nual report of Maj. j. W. Powell, director of tho
geological survey for tho fiscal year ended
June 80, 1883. Tho report states that the
principal work accomplished by the bureau
during the year was in the preparation Of tho
large geological map of the United States
authorized by recent act of congress. IL is
estimated that scale of four miles TO the
inch will bo necessary for this map
which it is proposed to publish In
atlas sheets, each comprising one degree of
longitude by ono oflatitude in areas bounded
by parallels and merdians. In the progrcss
of this work the bureau has necessarily
availed itself of the results of all surveys
accurate enough to fulfill tho requirements
of the map, aud during the past fiscal year
has been engaged in collecting, compiling
and adjusting the materials. Field operations
have been carried ON to n limited extent, An
area of $500 square miles was surveyed in
the southern Atlantic region, and good
progress was made in tho Rocky mountain
district by surveys in the plateau region of
Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico. In the
Pacific district the work outlined includes
the survey Of the Cascade mountains in
Oregon, northern California, and probably in
Washington territory.
Director Powell says that this region is be-
lieved to contain tho gran1est and most eX-
tensiye display of natural phenomena now
known in any part of the world, and the in
vestigation of it promises to supply matter of
great importance to geologic science In
California about 2,000squarem miles of country
have been surveyed, a work of great dilfi-
Guilty. A large part OF the report is devoted
to subsidiary reports of special inyestira-
ma ha hri Nv 81
follows: The study of glacial phenomena,
which arc described as among the most i'm
portant and interesting subjects for inyesti-
CATION in tho geology of this country, was ,,in-
trusted to Mr.. Chamberlain, and he has been
engaged in collecting and grouping evidences
of the former existence of continental glacier
similar to that which is believed to cover the
greater part of Greenland. His purpose was
to ascertain its former extent and distribution
of its lines of movement, and the part it has
played in shaping the physical features of the
country.
Prof. Irving has been laboring with great
energy in the study of the metamOrphic
rocks in the Lake Superior region, aud has
made satisfactory progress,
Mr.. g. X. Gilbert has investigated the traces
of the former existence of large fresh water
lake in western Nevada; its relations to
changes in climate its former extent, and its
general history. His study has brought to
AiSuU many auu 1nSGTuCUlVo laCtS.
Tho geologic work in the Cascade range
was not begun during the last fiscal year, and
Capt. Dutton, towhom it had been intrusted,
occupied himself with an investigation of the
volcanoes of the Hawaiian islands.
Researches in the mining districts of Col
orado have been made by Mr.. S. L.
Emmons, and promise, to throw much
light on the theory of veins
and their relations to the eruptive rocks with
which they are associated. In the Gunnison
district valuable beds of both anthracite and
bituminous coal, of quality unsurpassed in
Colorado, have been found, and promise to
make that locality one of the most Important
in the state. The ore bodies of this district
also appear to be much of Importance. The re-
suits of the investigations of minerals col
lected in Colorado have proved to be of great
value to geology, SO much SO as to have
ELECTED Communications from investigators,
both in this country apd in Europe
a reconnaissance Of the California quick
silver districts has been begun by Mr.. Becker,
and the work will be energetically prose-
cuted.
The search for extinct vertebrate remains
has been continued under the direction of
Prof Marsh and its results have proved to be
of the gre est interest
Special examination of the socalled Lara.
mic beds which prevail over large portion
of the west, and constitute the most import
ant part of the western coal bearing horizons
have been made by DIR. g. A. White. Other
specialists have been engaged in the collection
OF fossils.
In the physical laboratory at New Haven
much time has been spent in the adjustment
of instruments Of precision chief stress being
laid upon Investigations relating to tho exact
measurement Of high temperatures.
Very interesting results have also been at
tanned by experiments TO ascertain tho physi-
cal properties of steel-experiments which
throw much light upon the exact nature of
forms of iron.