The sun., 1900-08-12
MOUNTAIN AND TREE STUDIES.
Heights OF Our Chief Alaskan Peaks-TimbeF
in the United states Proper.

Mr.. Henry Gannett. Chief photographer
Of the United States Geological Survey, has
completed a study of Alaska an mountain alti-
tudes which has Just been issued as Bulletin
No. loD of the United States Geological Survey.
The attitudes of some 1926 peaks are given, most
of them purpOrtng to be accurate and a few
approx innate. Mount Mex nley leads the list.
towering BY 2AiO feet above Mount st. Elias.
for a long time supposed to be the highest OF
all the range. The height Of Mount Mckinley
Is given us e, ,t04 feet, while that OF Mount st.
Elias Is 1904 feet Besides Mount st Elias
there are four other peaks which are above
Is, 900 feet and under 10000 feet high. These
are Mount Nrangel, the third highest Of all.
with an altitude of 1850 feet Mount Crillion,
1890 feet high; Mount Vancouver, l5.oe6 feet.
and Mount Falrweather, 1922 feet,
In the group ranging from 10000 feet and
under $1,000 there are twelve peaks Mount
Hayes II 500 feet Mount Sanford, 1900 feet;
Mount Iook, 1878; Mount Drum, 1880; Mount
Tillman. 1890 Mount Blackburn. 2,50O Mount
Black, u $40. Illamuna Peak, l?,066; Stuya
Mountain. LISP Mount Ia PerolSe lG,Ho'
In addition TO this task Of tabulating the
Alaskan mountain attitudes Mr. Gannett has
assisted In mapping the wooded area of the
United States in connection with the prepara-
a paper which Mr.. Gannett prepared recently
on the general work of the United States Geo
logical Survey he els somewhat at length
upon this forest map feature Of the work In
the fundamental act establishing the Geological
Survey there Is clause requiring the classiti-
cation OF lands of the, public domain. This
provision Of law Is broad. covering a great vari-
ETY. Of surveys and examinations. As part
Of the work Of carrying out this provision the
topographers of the Geological survey organ.
EatiOn have been engaged. since the work OF
preparing the topographic map Of the United
States was begun In 1888 in mapping the wooded
areas az the same time and. IN the Inan with the
same degree OF precision which went into the
work Of mapping the topoc raphic features.
BY this means the details OF the distribution
Of woodland in about one.fourth Of the area Of
the country, excluding Alaska and our recent
acquisitions, have been Obtained
The work of examinin the reserves has
been carried on actively during the last three
wears. and at present more than half the area
of the existing reserves have been gone over,
together with much adj AGENT country. In all
an area OF about 10000 square miles has been
thus inspected. The inspections consist in
the locations of the woodlands and forests
upon maps: the study Of the species Of forest
growth and their distribution; estimates Of
the amount Of timber, expressed in feet board
measure its condition as regards disease the
extent and effect OF forest fires; the facilities
for logging the extent TO. which logging has
been carried on. In word, all questions bear
Ing upon the present and prospective value
of the public domain reserves az a source Of
timber supply come within the scope Of this
branch Of the Typographical survey, The
ernment In possession Of such Information as
Is requisite for the most economic and Ell ective
administration Of these forests, with view
not only to the immediate supply Of the ad ia
cent regions hut also with "a view OF main
tanning IA supply from these sources for all time.
1t will take some time to complete tins ar
duous task but when IL is done Uncle Sam will
know just whore his timber is; how much there
is of H. what the prospects are Of a renewal Of
the supply when the present growth s eS hausted.
Furthermore, he will have data from which
To estimate whether or not the ratio OF the
growth Of timber is equal to the ratio o! its
destruction, thus putting him in a position
10 take such action toward the presarv alton
Of his forests as the situation demands.
an intelligent public interest in tree planting
and forest extension, Mr. j. Is. Brown, Sec
retary of the Indiana Forestry Association
IN recently prepared study pointed out what
had been achieved in Kansas within a com
ka-atively short time. Thirty years ago not
fine forest s'and1,a forest consisting en-
traly Of trees planted by citizens TO adorn their
homes and secure shade, This forest con-
tains not only the cottonwood. which has been
SO largely planted in Indiana cities, hut also
elmS and Norway and other naples. Looking
from the railIoad-car window In any part Of
Kansas ,o-day the prairie. which within the
in the state was as naked Of tree growth as
a desert. Is now broken up with lines Of tall
trees. while every few miles large groves are
passed. Mr.. Brown predicts forestry fu-
tlire for Kansas beyond that Of any of the
Eastern and Middle States and he thinks 1t
not at all improbable that great manufacturers
Of furniture and other woodwork will, at no
on what few years ago were the treeless
prarips Of Kansas.