Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-08-13
THE U. 5. aRoLooIoAI SURVEY.
INTERESTING FACTS CONCERNING IT'S con
TEAgPIATKD WORK IN TEXAS.


TEMPIATED WORK III TExAs.
Mr.. Robert T. Hnl, assistant paleon-
tologist Of the United States Geological
survey, arrived IN the city this week for
the purpose Of insugurating a season Of
iieid work in Northern and Central Texas.
The organization which Mr.. Hill repre-
sents Is one Of the largest and most thor
ough scientific corps in the world, num-
bering several hundred skilled topog-
raphers, mathematlcians, chemists,
physicists, nineralogists and geologlsts
Although IL has only been few years
since the survey was permitted 10 carry
on Its work In the states, under
the wonderful management OF It's
director, Maj. j. W. Powell, II now has
parties working in nearly every portion
of the Union. The initiation OF its work
In this part of the state marks an era In
our development and viii be welcomed
by all, especially those who have wit
messed the futile and abortive attempts
on the part Of our state legislatures to
secure the same end.
For nearly two years corps of topo-
graphical engineers have been at work 10
Texas for the geological survey. They
have finished most minute and accurate
surveys Of twelve or thirteen counties in
the central portion OF the state. Two Of
. these maps have been published, and they
are pronounced by experts to be the most
perfectof the kind that the present state Of
science can devise. They are upon q
scale Of two miles to the inch, and show,
, beside the correct attitudes, latitudes and
longitudes, determined by the most deli
cate Instrumentation, the. meanderings OF
streams, location of postofllces, and, by
: contour lines representing elevations OF
J fifty feet, the exact altitude of every
place. When the sheets representing
the entire state are completed and placed
together they will make map thirty feet
square. The economic value OF the mar
will be incalculable. The entire United
States will be surveyed in this manner
= Following the topographers will com,
the geologists proper, who will study thu
many scientific problems OF on
strata, giving especial attention to tn
: economic features of our region-it
: soils, buildings, stones, minerals, etc.
: Until thissmap is completed there ar
many scientific subjects that are to b
studied, for, however humiliating tn
statement may be, 1t is fact that on
state is the least known geologically Q
all the American Union, and there l
, much to be learned concerning 1t. MI
y Hill, who has been specially preparin
l. for the work for several years, is one G
:. the first of the scientific corp
/, to be sent TO the state. Iii
!. work will consist of studying tn
T. relations of the various forml
lions to each other, and the collection {
the fossils that determine their age. II
will also collect general informatlo
It concerning the economic revenues Of Ii
- state He has already made Teprt
: sentative collection OF the rocks and a,
II companying fossils, the remains Of th
l. life that inhabited this region when
., was the bottom The people in gener
d should feel grateful that Maj. Powell hi
n commenced the thorough geological su
vey Of our state, and 1t is also gratiiyir
that our entire state delegation at Was
ington have supported and encourage
1T the survey with their influence.