Evening star., 1901-12-25
DEATH OF CLARENCE KING.
Was the First Chief of the Govern
mcnt Geological Survey.


The New York Times of today says:
Clarence King, who died in Arizona yes
terday, was by profession a geologist and
mining engineer, and in both lines of work
attained distinction. He was born in New
port, r. l., January G, 1912, and was grad
uated from the Sheffield Scientific School
in 1862. In the spring Of the next year he
and his college mate, James I. Gardiner,
crossed the continent with an emigrant
train for the sake of seeing the entire inte-
rior of the continent King making careful
geological observations during the four
months journey on horseback.
In the autumn of 1868 he Joined the Cali
fornia geological survey, under Prof. j. d.
Whitney, with Prof. William H. Brewer in
charge of field work. During the fall the
latter, with King, explored the northern
Sierras and the region about Mount Shasta,
and In the winter King joined in the eXami-
nation of the famous Mariposa mines. In
| the following spring, at his inducement, a
party under Prof. Brewer was fitted out to
explore the southern part of the Sierra
Nevada. and in this trip King discovered
and named Mount Whitney and Mount Tin
DALI and on climbing these peaks found
them to be the highest group yet discov-
cred in California. He was undaunted as
mountain climber and Of remarkable en-
durance.
In the autumn of 1864 King and Gardiner
made a survey, geological and topograph-
| ical Of the Yosemite valley for the state of
California, and during the winter an eX-
ploration of Arizona, under the direction of
Gen. Mcdowell, in command of the de-
partment. The latter work was interrupted
by the hostilities of the Apaches.
While engaged in this class of work west
of the Rocky mountains King was strongly
impressed with the need of a scientific sur
Vey of the country from the eastern slope
of the Rockies to the Pacific, and during
the winter of 1S66-67 he succeeded, through
his personal influence and persuasive en-
thusiasm, in securing the necessary au-
thorty and funds from Congress, he being
placed in charge, under Gen. Humphreys
of the army.
The next five years of his life were spent
in the prosecution of the geological eXplo
ration of the fortieth parallel, which re-
suited in a complete geological and topo
graphic cross section of the whole system
of the cordillera Of western America. 1t
was signal contribution to the material
of science, establishing standards and
methods of the highest order for the geo.
logical survey of the United States, which
followed it in natural sequence. 1t contin-
ues to bear valuable fruit to the present
day. King was the first chief of the geo.
logical survey when it was formed.
In the course of this long series of labors
in the geology of the western part of the
continent King came to the conclusion that
the problem of the action of the forces
| that built the mountains and the continents
had not been studied with sufficient close
ness. AS he was freed from executive and
laboratory experiments to determine the
action of the primal constituents of the
early globe under conditions Of heat
and pressure assumed to exist when the
material of the earth was separated from
the sun.
The chemical and physical work required
for these experiments was very costly, and
was not entirely completed at the time Of
Kings death. He made, however deter
mination at the age Of the earth. which
was accepted by the leading physicists of
England and Europe as the most trust
| worthy known. It was only a part of the
study Of the physics of the early globe
which he was engaged in, but it is regarded
by scientists as Of substantial value.
Mr.. King travelled widely, was of varied
cultivation in letters and in art. an alert
and fascinating thinker, with a charm
wholly his own in personal intercourse, and
heart, the kindness of which seemed to
grow with each of the countless manifesto
tions Of it. He will be deeply and tenderly
mourned by numerous friends. and by none
more than by the humble ones whose needs
he constantly sought out in modest and
| unfailing ministration.