The Republican., 1901-06-27
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY.
Plans of the Bureau Outlined For the
Season of 1901.

expected 10 De accomplished dS lOl-
lows:
Work will be continued in Western
Maryland this season chiefly in Gar
rett county, which was nearly COM
pleted last season. DIR. q. G. Martin
will have charge of the work here
and will devote his attention to the
study of the carboniferous forma-
tions. He will carefully measure and
locate those coal seams which have
not been hitherto mapped. Associat-
ed with DR.. Martin in this work is Mr..
n. Allen Stockton, who has under
taken the important task of prepar-
ing for the coal report which will be
later issued-a chapter on the mining
of coal in Maryland.
Messrs. Penniman and Brown, the
well-known analytical chemists of
Baltimore, have been engaged for
some time in making both chemical
and calorimetric tests of the coal col
lected at various points. The Mary
land Geological Survey, purchased
some time since a calorimeter of most
modern design which gives much
more accurately than a chemical test
the steam producing values of the
coal treated. The great work entail
ed in making these tests does not
make it possible to analyze the coal
upon every property, but typical
specimens are selected from various
points from each vein, and these CON-
parative tests will be later published
in the report on coal.
The work of the highway division,
which is under the direction of DR..
H. F. Reid, is rapidly increasing in
Importance. Mr.. A. n. johnson, the
highway engineer, and his associate,
Mr.. J. Morrison Harris, are almost
daily in the field in connection with
the improvements which ale going on
in Hartford, Frederick, Prince Georges
Howard and other counties. They
are in close touch with the boards of
county commissioners and the road
supervisors, who are coming to rec
ognize the important aid this bureau
can render to the highway interests
of the State. Messrs. johnson and
Harris have just completed an elabor-
ate survey for the improvement of
some miles of highway in Hartford
county under the provision of the
Woolsey fund. They have prepared
complete specifications under which
the contracts are to be let, and, at
the request of the Hartford county
authorities, will supervise the con-
struction of the highway.
The highway division is also engag-
ed in making tests upon the mater
ials used on the city streets. 1t has
been called on by the authorities of
Baltimore, Cumberland and Annapo-
lis in connection with this work. The
survey laboratory is fitted with the
necessary apparatus for testing vitri-
fed brick and macadam materials.
The City Engineers department of
Baltimore city today submits all of
this material, before contracts are
let, to the highway division, and the
city is in this way fully protected in
it's purchases, since the tests employ
ed show at once the relative wearing
and breaking qualities of the mater
ials sub nitted. Most of our progress
sive municipalities as well as foreign
cities recognize the great Importance
of the tests employed in determining
the value of materials submitted by
contractors.
The highway division has recently
established a machine for the deter
mining of the value of cements used
in public works. There are great op-
portunities for deception in the sale
of this material, but when tested with
the apparatus recently constructed
the relative values of the materials
submitted are Immediately shown.
Forestry work will be completed
the present season, in cooperation
with the Bureau of Forestry of the
United States Department of Agri-
culture, in Cecil, Calvert, St. Mary's
and Garrett counties and reports pre-
pared to accompany the volume and
folios relating to these counties. The
plating of the geological soils already
completed for Garrett, Allegany, st.
Mary's, Calvert, Kent and Cecil coun-
ties will be continued the present sea-
son in Prince Georges and Hartford
counties in cooperation with the
Bureau of Soils, United States De-
partment of Agriculture. The hy-
geographic work is also being contin-
ued in cooperation with the United
States Geological Survey and the fau-
nal and floral studies in cooperation
with the Biological Survey of the
United States Department of Agri-
culture.
The study of the magnetic variation