Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1899-04-17
THE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY.
Issues Its First Volume of State
Reports.

VI IScb 80 cAthhS thC htAC
Meridians- Levels Above Tide and
Report on Oil and CAST also shows
the Coal, Oil and Gas Areas One of
the Most Valuable Works for the State
Ever Issued
The NEW DOMINION acknowledges
With thanks the receipt of this
volume from the State Geologist, DR.
[. c White
The Importance of the information
included in this work can be seen
even upon the most cursory perusal.
The records included in it repre-
sent the accumulated knowledge OF
more than century Of growth in
our State, and the expenditure of
millions of dollars both by public
and private effort.
Having so small an appropriation
to depend upon it is wonderful what
"a large mass of well classified facts
has been brought together and pub
lishea in simple form IN this first
volume.
This work is divided into four
parts, 1872 pages. The first part IS
the annual administrative report
showing the work of the Commission
and the work of the survey from its
beginning.
Part Two is made up of engineer
inc records and shows the distances
between stations on all the principal
railroad lines of the state and on all
the navigable rivers of the state and
the attitudes of the same. This part
is invaluable to all engineers and Of
the very greatest use to all travellers.
Part Three is the history of the
true meridians at each County seat
in the state and the marking OF the
same by stone monuments and metal
tablets. This was a work that had
long been needed and by the good
management of the State Geologist
it is now completed in each Of the
80 counties at total cost to the state
of $499.96, the principal part of the
expense of this valuable work having
been borne by the United States
Geological Survey
These monuments are about four
feet in length and are situated from
800 feet to about one mile apart, and
buried in the ground until only
about six inches project above the
ground. An aluminium tablet is
embedded in the center of the north
ern monument and is stamped with
the following letters; U. S,
w. V.
The Southern monument in each
county is marked with bronze tab
let on which are the following words
in capital letters: u. S. Geological
Survey, w Va. Meridian Mark.
On each tablet places are provided
for stamping the elevation above the
sea level when this shall be deter
mined at each place The declina-
ton or departure of the magnetic
reading from the true meridian is
shown to be West in all places in
West Virginia. This varies from As
minutes at Wayne, in Wayne coun-
ty to 4 degrees and SO minutes at
Berkeley Springs in Morgan county.
Instructions are given in the report
for correcting the magnetic readings
Of the compass in future years so
that this report becomes of the ut
most value to all surveyors, engineers
and land owners.
Part Four of this volume is en-
tirely the work of DR.. White and is
upon Petroleum and Natural Gas
His historical sketch of the earlier
discoveries and uses of oil and gas
in this state read like a romance.
In this it is clearly shown that not
only the first use of gas and oil by
white men began in this state, buc
that nearly all the machinery used
for drilling purposes was invented
by the operators in this state.
1t is shown conclusively that the
sale of oil had become part of the
business of the Little kanawha Val
lev before it had been discovered in
Pennsylvania and that it's regular
price was from 33 cents to 40 cents
gallon from 1S47 to 1860.
The geology of petroleum and
natural gas is discussed at length.
The history of the structural or
anticlinal theory of the occurrence
of oil is discussed and it's vertical
ton is shown by such an array OF
facts as would seem to set at rest
u -. Il