The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-06-18
a mwDEnrUt MAP.
N WIN show Every Road and fhr"-
house In the United states.

Especial Correspcndence.l
~vw YORK. June l4.-While TIC making
Of q great map can hardly be called a con-
tr,bution TO literature, yet the map which
"a now being made for the government
will. when il is completed, be OK vast sery-
,ce IN those who in the future shall under
tale TO write historical or scientific or
economic essays, or works bnsed upon the
development Of the United States.
The great map of the United States will,
m its completion, be, both in respect to
size and minuteness of detail, far and away
the most comprehensive and magnificent
nan in the world. Some idea Of its i'm
r,ansity will be gained by those who will
Wait the Worlds fair. A comparatively
small section Of it is to be exhibited. This
sac.ion will be some six feet in length and
fo,,r feet in width, and yet it will contain
only n part Of the superficial likeness OF
The state Of Connecticut, a bit Of Long Is
land and eastern New York. Upon this
section Of the great map will be indicated
every stream, brook, hillock, mountain,
valley. city and farmhouse contained
within the limit Of the surface Of the sec
ton thus illustrated. 1t will show every
nnblic and private road, and will be as
complete as surveyors map of small
section Of township.
What this bit Of the great map of the
Tinted States is, the map itself will be
when completed. 1t is the intention TO
make the details so minute that every iso-
Lated farmhouse in the land will be desig-
mated upon 1t. OF course it will be impos-
sible TO designate buildings in compactly
built cities or villages, but farms and de-
tached buildings can be easily indicated,
40 great is the size of the map.
This map will tell at glance what the
superficial aspect of the United States is
or was when the map was made, but il
will be impossible for anybody to take the
entire map in at q glance. 1t would he
INST rs easy to tx the eye upon every bios
som in a field nearly an acre in surface
area. This great map when completed
wonld. II spread ont, cover such field or
very nearly II will be little over three
ouarters OF an acre in superficial area. OF
conrse il would be impossible to suspend
such a map so as TO make 1t available Tor
practical use. and therefore it will have TO
De published IN SScblouS.
The enormity Of the work involved and
the scrupulous fidelity to accuracy OF
detail entail such slow rate of progress
that it will be from twenty-five TO thirty
wears before this map is completed
Already something like ten years labor
has been bestowed upon it, so that, when
the geological survey which has the work
in charge reports 20 congress that it Is fin
ished. a span of something like forty years
from the time Of it's beginning will have
occurred. Many Of the patient and enthu-
siastic scientists who began the work will
have passed away, and men will complete
IL who were either not born or who were IN
early childhood when It was begun. More
over It is very expensive undertaking
and will have cost when finished a great
many thousands of dollars--no one can tell
how many.
Some of our most distinguished public
men have been greatly interested in this
map. General Garfield, while he was ia
congress, was an enthusiastic supporter Of
the plan of making such map, and be
used now and then TO drop into the Office
of the geological survey aud chat with the
greatest enthusiasm about the work.
When Mr. ingalls, was senator, he, too,
being an enthusiastic geographer and hay-
ing a great fondness for gaining statistical
information Of any sort regarding the
United States. was much interested IN
the progress OF this work. And, Of course,
Qeographers, not only in the United States,
but in Europe, have regarded the under
taking as the most important Of its kind
since mapmaking became an exact science
Ia addition to this section OF the great
map Of the United States the geological
survey Is causing to be constructed an out
line map OF the country, which will also be
exhibited at the Worlds fair. 1t Is 70 re
spherical in shape, bearing the same pro-
portion 70 the section OF a sphere that the
United States does TO the sphere Of the
world. BY it at a glance the different
elevations, the tablelands, the mountain
ridges and the valleys viii be indicated IN
outline, the highest peaks OF the noun
tains being proportionately elevated as
much above the sea level as are the peaks
OF the Rocky mountains above the Allan
tic and Pacific coast lines.
To make this outline map, or map in re-
/ lief, is swork Of peculiar delicacy, and 1t
| has been committed TO q very ingenious
mechanic In Washington. The process Is
too technical to be explained 50 as to be
/ clearly understood in brief article. In
some respects It resembles the stereotyping
| process made use Of by newspapers, al
! though in others IL is entirely different
from that. The process enables any num-
Der Of duplicates TO be taken, aud two or
three will be sent abroad to geographical
societies which are anxious TO secure them.
The making of this spherical relief map,
which gives 10 proportionate outline the
variations and altitude OF the superficial
area OF the United States, has excited the
interest OF many congressman, who regard
n as quite a treat TO visit the office Of the
skilled mechanic, near the old war depart
ment building in Washington, and watch
the delicate art with which the work pro-
crosses. l. D. III" Ai'D''
A Tree That Sheltered Tippecanoe.