National Republican., 1884-10-25

tho Smithsonian institution, partly in
tine Nationn museum, and also In some
r,nted buildings. has recently moved
into the new Hooe building, on +, be-
tween Thirteenth aud Fourteenth streets
northwest, whcro IL has found accomno-
dations and comfortable quarters. Tho
building is probably one of tho best con-
structed in the city, with a handsome
iron front, and is probably more nearly
iireproof than any other private building
in the district. 1t has frontage OF 40
foat and depth of 100 foet, and in tho
portion occupied by tho survey, which
commences with tho second story, there
are about seventy-fvo rooms. The needs
and work of tho survey have increased 50
RAPIDLY during tho past few years that
oven this number of rooms is insufficient
to contain tho whole force, aud the
laboratories, tho chemists, the physicists
and paleontologlsts still romain in tLo
national museum.
So perfectly is the survey now system
alized that the removal of the entire force,
the Office furniture, the large library, tn.
numerous maps, the photographs depart.
ment, and all the various specimens and
material which have been collected was
accomplished without any special incoE-
venience, and the work of Arranging the
force and material in the new quarters is
rapidly being completed.
II feel now, said Maj. Powell, the di-
rector Of the survey, yesterday, that l
can have some degree of comfort. Hereto
fore have been compelled to have three
or four desks beside my own in my room,
hAaa xxvA
Now have secured room entirely for
myself and although it is not large 1t is
one that can call my own"
Just across the hall from the majors
Office is the library, which contains about
25,OO0 volumes, and of which Maj. Powell
is Justly proud. at Is not perhaps, the
best library in the world, said he, but
can assure you that it Is the best geolog-
ical library in tho whole world" The
books are carefully arranged and class
ified as to scientific subjects and new
works are being added as rapidly as they
appear. Mr.. Q. @. Darwin, the librarian,
is a gentleman of fine requirements, and
he and his assistants take pride in the
work they perform.
Opening out from the majors room to
the east is the office of tho chief clerk.
Mr. James @. Pilling, through whose
ence of the survey. which is very great,
as. In addition to the ordinary corre-
spondence with the various parties in
the field and with other branches of the
government, there are constant inquiries
from scientists and scientific bodies, not
onlyin this country, but from Europe.
Beyond Mr.. Pillipg's room is that of Mr..
j. Stanley Brown, his assistant, and lead
ing from this is that OF Mr.. John ID.
McChesney, the chief Disturbing officer of
the survey, whose force is kept constantly
busy, for not only are the accounts of the
offices here to be regularly kept, but the
disbursements Of the field parties all over
the country must be finally audited by
Mr.. McChesney. The editor Of the survey
also has room on this floor.
The second and third floors are ex-
clusively occupied by tho geologists,
grouped under the heads of divisions,
and tho offices are separated by par
titions which do not reach tho ceiling,
thus atfording excellent ventilation. The
fourth floor is occupied partly by the bu-
rcau OF othnology and partly by geos-
raphers, and on the top hoor are the
draughsmen and the department of illus
trtion. Under the latter department
there is probably the best.equipped pho
tographic establishment in the country,
with cameras Of every size, and with
every facility for reducing maps or draw
ings to any size required.
The whole building is most admirably
adapted to the uses Of the survey, and
was, in fact, finished by the owner, Mr.
G. G. Willard, in accordance with the de-
sire of Mai. Powell. The woodwork is
oak, which gives all the room, cheerful
appearance, and there is no office in
which all the light desired cannot be
obtained.
This geological survey has grown from
number OF scattered bureaus under diff
ferent departments of tho government
into its present harmonious and system
attic composition within the past five
years. Formerly portion of the work
was done under the direction Of the chief
engineer Of the army, another portion
under the commissioner of tho general
land office. And then there were also two
principal directors of surveys-Prof. F.N.
Hayden and Maj. j. w. Powell. In No.
vember, 1878, the National Academy of
Sciences, in accordance with the require
ments of O law passed the June previous,
submitted q report to congress recon-
mending the establishment, "under the
interior department., of an independent or
ganization, to bo known as the United
States geological survey, to be charged
with the study Of the geological struc-
ture and economical resources of the public
domain, such survey to be placed under
director, who shall be appointed by the
President, and who shall report directly
to the secretary of the interior"
The first director appointed was Mr..
Clarence King. a gentleman Of eminent
scientific attainments, but who found the
duties of executive office irksome,
and retired after serving about a year.
He was succeeded by the present director,
Mai. j. w. Powell, who, in addition to his
high abilities as q scientist, possesses ad-
ministrative capacity in an unusual de-
gree. He has been unremitting in his
devotion to the interests Of the survey,
and the amount Of topographic and geo.
graphic work accomplished, the extent OF
the geographical researches made, and
the labor OF the bureau of ethnology all
attest the value Of Maj. Powell's intelli-
gent direction. The completeness Of the
organization of the survey may be shown
by enumerating the several classes OF
work in which its various branches are
engaged.
There is topographic corps organized
into twenty-seven parties, which are
scattered in various portions of the United
States, the greater portion of whom will
come In shortly, as the season for field
work is rapidly drawing to a close. A
geologic survey is prosecuted in the field,
embracing the subjects of areal and struc-
tural geology, and the corps Of geologists
collect fossils, minerals, ores, and rocks
for further studies in the laboratories.
There are three distinct corps of geoo-
git, engaged in the study Of economic
geology at the present time, relating to
gold, silver, copper, iron coal, and quick
silver There are four archaeological
laboratories, each with its special corps of
paleontologlsts and laboratory of pal
eoHotany with a corps fpaleObotanists.
There is also a chemical laboratory at
tached to the survey, with large corps
OF chemists engaged in great variety OF
rnAn Lrrhea ralALImp 10 the cnnsIiInLlnn of