The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-06-13
ers of railroads, canals. wagon roads,

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This topographic map, says Professor
Gannett, sis necessity for accurate GO
illogical survey. We begin by locating q
number of points in the areas under sur
vey and then draw the lines. sketohing
the topography rs it rises or falls from
these located points. This is, however,
only the universal method Of surveying
and preparing maps. The cost varies
widely. The most expensive work is
that done OH the mile scale in the north
eastern states, where it averages about
$40 per mile On the great plains in Kan
sas, Nebraska and the Dakotas it costs
less than third as much, and averaging
the cost OH all the scales for the whole
United States year after year it is about
So per square mile. You can see how
very little work is required to present
the variations of level on this chart for
a section of South Dakota Leaving
out Alaska, the work for the whole
country will cost about $15, 900, 900,
which is as expensive rs congress is in
the humor to authorize at present. The
work has now been i'll progress 10 years
Uses of Maps.
''The amount of money wasted for
want of such maps has been enormous
1t is certain that i'll the matter of rail
road building alone the loss has been
many times greater than the cost of this
entire survey. In the large map you see
that the scale is four miles to an inch,
but this will not do for economic pur-
poses, and so we have two other scales
the densely settled portions of the
country OH the scale of one mile to an
inch and other sections at two miles.
These lines present at glance the re-
lief of the country, hills, valleys, noun
tains and canyons. each successive line
showing the increasing height above
sea level, so where the slope is steep
these lines are very close, and where it
is gentle they arc far apart, and any
observer can see the slope at n glance,
The map is drawn i'll sheets ~ y inches
long and from ~ to Is inches wide,
each sheet upon two milo scale, and
therefore comprising an area of half
degree i'll latitude by half n degree in
longitude, and so the width of the map
must bo greater as we 90 toward the
south. l."
Major PowcIIs Grand Work.
1t was in Utah in the summer of 1869
that first met Major Powell and felt
the cOntagion of his enthusiasm. He
had made his first trial at the Grand
canyon Of the Colorado and was full of
schemes for the survey of all that part
Of the great rivers valley north of the
Arizona line, IL survey since largely COM
pletcd. About 100, 900 square miles of
the Colorado basin are HOW iS familiar
to biologists rs most of the area of the
older states, and scores of mining camps
are located where then only the Noun
tain Utes roamed, save when the white
hunters went there in the autumn for
deer and other game and an occasional
encounter with cinnamon bear and
mountain lion.
John Wesley Powell, son of Meth
odist preacher. is a native Of Mount
Morris, N. y, and became teacher of
geology and enthusiastic explorer while
yet i'll his college course. He enlisted
among the first III Illinois and left
right arm at Shiloh-a loss which laid
the foundation for occasional troubles
ever after and has finally caused him
the great suffering of which all lovers
of science have been sorry to hear. As
professor of geology he went with his
class-of Bloomington, Ills to Colora-
do i'll 1867 and there conceived the grand
scheme with which his name is so bril-
liantly connected The surveys he began
continued till 1874 and were at first un-
der the direction of the Smithsonian in
stitution, but the matter grew TO IL sep
aratc department, and i'll 1870 this bu-
rcau was formally organized and Clar-
encc King made director In 1881 he
gave place to Major Powell, who now
gives place TO Professor Walcott.
Three years after meeting Major Pow
ell l crossed northern Arizona with "a
band of Navajo Indians to the mouth of
Pahrcah creek, in the Colorado canyon,
finding there the cache of the Powell
expeditions boats and supplies and at
kanab found Professor Thompson in
charge of the work. TO meet such Dco.
pie III the remote wilds, rs that country
then cmphatically was, is one of the
most delightful experiences in the life
OF rambler In those days the once
notorious John ID. Lee was the only
white man resident in all that region
but the Powell survey was followed soon
by an army of prospcctors, and many
millions of dollars have already been
added to the wealth of the country by
the lcadings of science there Professor
Walcott also began his work for the
United States i'll southern Utah in 1879.
and there could scarcely he ii better
place, for there is precious little there
except rock. In 1852 he surveyed the
Eureka district III Nevada
Indebtedness to Mormons.
John ID. Lee, whose retreat was then
III the deep cNnNon at the mouth of