The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-03-20

rerhs- there hava thus far been &Sesr-
tanned the timber supply and It's csssriou-
ton over some 5.ess o9s acres. and Hrnilas
ssarkssscs concerning some ia,sso0a or L.
pa.9s acres more are TOW beng complied.
These statistics will furnish. for the first
time clear, definite Information concern
tssg the amount. character. AID dasssaol-
ton OF tho msrchsata1le tizlcer a me
West. ard win enable public and private
holders OF timber hand 10 manage their
holdings with economy and prodt-
work by Dr. n h Feraow.
BY what seems 20 the outsider a para
dox, the division Of forestry. In the de-
par1meat Of agriculture. Was Eot in any
WAY connected q Ia cooperation with
the foresr reservation surveys. nor IN the
organtxar-o OF al administration for the
reserves, which Was attempted this year.
This seems all the more strange. as IN
douhsediy i. was due largely to the enortS
OF the chief Of that division, both In MS Of
hcial capacity and as chairman ct the
executive committee CT the American For
estry Association. first 20 secure the res
ervations and next 20 secure the legisia-
ton for their survey and administration.
DR. Fernow, nevertheless, made trip
to the Pacific coast TO study Independently
fores. conditions in Washington and Ore
ron and other parts Of the PACING coast
and Rocky mountains. On this lip ne
forest Inspector of the Russian forest
department. DR.. 3. A. Iiehonon.
In Washington only the forests south
OF Tacoma, lying along the Mount Rainier
range, were visited, and especially tho
lumber camps and mills Of the st. Paul
and Tacoma Lumber Company.
As q result OF this visit. DR.. Fernow
declares that on account OF the ignorance
OF the true value OF Pacific coast, and
especially Washington. timbsrs. proba-
bly, not less than SO per cent. OF the growth
Is wasted The hemiock. representing In
many sections very nearly that proportion
Of the virgin growth. is largely, Or ac-
count OF its name, unrnarketabie, ana
hence Is left In the woods. with the result
that either the mere exposs.:S after the
removal Of the surrounding timber or else
fires. kills the trees. thus eccasioninS An
incaicuIable waste.
II Is the desire Of the forestry division
to investigate the properties OF Pacific
coast timbers In ordereto reduce this un-
necessary waste due to ignorance. A bill
appropria.ing funds for the purpose, with
a condition that 90 per cent. OF the APP
preparation be spent on the Pacific coast,
is now introduced as s. 2,5S7 and II. n.
ATS which the lumber and forestry In
terests should back up.
II Is understood that q firm in Portland
has offered ground and buildings for fit
ting up test laboratory for this purpose.
The greater part OF DR.. Fernow's time
was spent In Oregon. travelling some 1000
miles in all parts OF the state.
The forest fora OF Oregon Including.
besides all the species occurring In Wash
ington, a number OF California types,
offers the best opportunity for studying
the timber trees OF the Coast in the
shortest time. A report on the timber
trees which Will be OF equal interest 70
b.
result. In this connection. the finding OF
q good sized tract OF redwood (sequoia
sempervirens) north of the California linz
is OF interest.
The Cascade forest reserve was looked
over by Or. Fernow at various points to
form an opinion OF the propriety of keep
ing II intact and OF the proper methods
for the administration of such reserves.
should finally the forestry division be
considered the proper government. agency
TO administer them
Prof. i. G. Russell I'm the Ellenxburg
Region.
The geological work of the United States
geological survey. carried out in Wash
ington during the summer Of 1897. con-
sisted OF a study OF all the geological and
geogra phical features OF a region of about
900 square miles located In about the CEN
ter of the state and known to the officers
rangle. This quadrangle named after
Mount Stuart. the most conspicuous
mountain OF the region, comprises one
quarter Of a square degree, and Is one OF
the regular atlas sheets OF the geological
survey. E.ilenshurg IL situated in the
southeast corner OF the area surveyed,
which includes also Roslyn and the adj
tacent coal fields, the Swauk gold fields,
the Peshastin gold field and other min
eral lands TO the south OF Mount Stuart.
An EFFORT was made TO unravei all of the
problems presented by the field studied.
comprising the age OF the rocks the man
rer in which they have been appraised and
ercded away. the origin. character ard
value Of the minerals contained in them,
etc.
The region about Ellensburg ard Gle
Flum is covered with broad areas OF ba-
salt. which was forced out in n molten
condition Ga lava and spread widely over
the country. This IL a portion OF a vast
series or what are known az ..fissura erup~
tons which cover over 2S0oo square
miles IN Washington Oregon and Idaho.
ard Is enc OF the greatest overf!ows Of
lava known. The depth Of the successive
sheets exposed fl the Snake river can
yon .s over AGO. feet.
II has always been something OF a pnva-
terry how taIs vast amount OF lava reached
The surface But In the country surveyed
last summer fhere - q region several hun
ured square miles in area. over which the
lava formerly extended. but from which
II has bern eroded away. This uncoversng
OF ths rocks on which the lava oaca rest
ell has revealed thousands OF taaaltin
dikes: that s~. assures filed with dense
black rock which Was once molten. but IL
row hard and crystalline. These siskes fiji
the assures through which portion OF the
lava forming the great sheet referred 70
was forced out
There are many questions In the gsov-
r2pSy oil the region explored which arc
fniiy es interesting is more an~Ien,
geological history. Among these arc. how
were the mountains raised7 What would