Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-07-01

THE ADVENT OF HUMAN LIFE.
The coming years work of the geological sur
vey has been mapped out by Major Powell. and
the plans have received the approval of Secre-
tary Lamar.
The work of the map makers, while serving
the many important ends, state and munich
pal. OF the most exact geographical surveys
upon large scale is, SO far as the government
Is concerned, merely designed to lay the neces-
sary foundation for the studies of the savants
OF the Institution. The early functions of the
geological survey, and of the organizations
W Wereh , rev ), years ago were merged into it.
public domain, and of the 6OO.O square miles
about one-tifth of the area of the Union-al-
ready covered by the surveyors and biologists,
500 1000 lie west of the one hundredth meri-
dian. This region has proved rare school of
science, the physical conditions having been
FORMS so that the history Of the globe far back
toward its genesis may be read froI.i the noun
tain sides as from an open book. When the
study was begun there was nothing in aeologi-
cal literature to show that similarly favorable
regions existed elsew here, and it was for time
many respects unique. 1t is now known, how
ever, that portions of Abyssinia, of northern
Spain, of China. and of the great Sahara, pre-
sent like conditions, both as TO the formations
and their state of preservation.
The picture in outline of the young continent
in Quarternary time, just before the advent of
human life, into which, as one of q series, these
scientific men are now painting the details, has
but few familiar features The great mountain
more rugged and higher than now. The south
ern sea, now the Gulf of Mexico, had possession
Of an immense strip Of the lower country, and
OF the great valley and the Atlantic coast. The
Pacific slope was region of steep glaciers.
The Great Basin was inland ocean, or
it, OF one Of which the Great Salt Lake is a
petty remnant. This region and that to the
south, now so sterile and dry, was then one OF
water, very fertile. An ice sheet extended
over the northern portion of the eastern and
middle mn country, covering the great lakes and
OF miles. Continually moving southwark, this
sheet deposited its cargoes of detritus century
after century, forming the subsois OF what are
now the eastern, middle, and northwestern
states; and heaped up terminal moraine, still
distinctly traceable as range OF hills through
and thence northwsstward along the present
line OF the Missouri through Dakota and up into
the British possessions. Great tongues of ice
shot off from this sheet far to the southwark,
while an Island region, comprising much of the
present state of Wisconsin, remained bare.
There We're in fact, two great Ice periods. with
which has elapsed since the disappearance of
the last sheet, and durin. the interval forests of
large conifeTs covered the face of the earth.
Long Island which was created by glacial de-
posts, marks the southeastern limit Of the
The climatic conditions of the country south
OF the great Ice belt were much the same at
present, and the hora was similar, though con-
more abundant. Through the forests along the
borders OF the ice sheet rOamed strange ami
mails, among which were the huge, hairy and
more than eiephantine mammoth; the horse,
smaller animal than his relative of to-day hay-
ing well forward hoOfs but still bearing in rll-
dimentary form one or two of the toes of his
prlmeyal ancestors the great buffalo, two or
three times larger than his descendant of to-
day; the pig, more nearly resembling the pee
cary OF South America than the familiar hog of
our own country, and other creatures curiously
related 10 the model camel and rhinoceros.
Then came man, but his early footprints are too
few and indistinct to reveal within a few thou
sand years just when he came, while whence
and how he came few venture even to guess.
WHERE THE SCIENTISTS WILL GO THIS SUMMER
The summer prog ram has been arranged as
follows: Professors Pumfily, Shaler and Gill
bert will work in the eastern states, along the
Appalachian mountain system. Professor Ro-
land d. Irwin will continue studying the cop.
per-bearing formations of the Lake Superior
region. MIR. Lawrence c. Johnson is TO examine
the formation of Northern Louisiana with refer.
ence to the development of the iron ores which
have recently been discovered there DR. Hay.
den continues his work in the upper Missouri
region. Mr.. Arnold Hague will further study
the geysers of the Yellowstone Park and their
relation to the volcanic relations of that dis
trct Mr.. S. +. Evans will work in the mining
districts of Colorado. Mr.. George Becker is en-
gagged in the study of quicksilver deposits of the
Pacific coast. Mr.. Curtis is ut work among the
silver-lead deposits of Utah, and Capt. Clarence
Il. Dutton is examining the volcanic phenoni-
ena OF the Cascade range. Prof. Chamberlain
will continue the study of the glacial fOrma-
tons OF the northern part of the United States
The paleontologlsts and botansts Of the insti-
tutiOn-PrOf Marsh, DIR. White, Mr.. C. D. Wal
colt, Mr.. Dali and Mr.. Lester +. Ward-have no
fixed plan of field work for the coming year
but will study in their laboratories the fossil
person any localities where especially rich de-
posits may be found.