Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1905-03-10

thickness of the seams and their ex-
tent SO far as known.
The earliest investigations In the
state on the possibility Of using lig-
mite for fuel in pumping the waters
of the streams up onto the adjoining
river flats were carried on by the
state geological survey, then under
the direction OF DIR. F. A. Wilder.
Work on this problem was begun in
the summer of 1902 and continued
during the next season by two par
ties which followed the Missouri and
its tributaries. Last summer the
engineers of the reclamation division
of the United States geological sur
vey spent several months investigat-
ing further the flats along the Mis-
souri, and have recommended the es-
tablishment of pumping plants near
Buford and Bismarck.
In his paper DR.. F. A.. Wilder
describes the flats along the Mis-
souri,, Cannonball and Heart rivers
and the Ignite seams near them.
The larger flats contain from 5000
to $4,000 acres and lie from twenty
to eighty feet above the river. In
most instances there are seams Of
Ignite in their immediate vicinity
which would supply cheap fuel for
pumping water onto the land. There
are also numerous smaller flats, not
only along the major stream but
along the smaller rivers, and these
also could be irrigated in the. same
manner.
The paper by Professor A. G. Leon
ard gives an account of the topo-
graphy and geological formations of
North, Dakota. The broad topo-
graphic features of the state are
described and their origin given. The
surface is formed of three plains
rising step-like one above another.
The lowest is the broad Red river
valley with an elevation Of 800 to
l 900 feet. This is bordered on the
west by q higher plain rising from
1900 % 1000 feet above the sea-
while still farther west is the ele.
waited highland Of the Coteau du Mis-.
souri,, with surface rising 1900 to
2,700 feet and over above sea level
Nearly two-thirds of the area of the
state is occupid by the wide stretch,
ing, gently rolling to rough drift
plain with it's innumerable lakes and
comparatively few rivers. This vast
plain owes it's peculiar surfaces feat
ures to the deposits made by the
continental glacier, its topography ie
due to the accumulation and deposi
ton of drift. This area presents q
marked contrast to the region west
OF the Missouri which is largely free
from drift, with many buttes, the
picturesque bad lands and character
istic erosion topography. The fiat
featureless plains of the Red rive,
valley and Mouse river district. rep
resenting old lake bottoms, furnish
third type of land surface. The
elevations above sea level OF some
200 railroad stations in the state are
contained in the report. 4
| The character, distribution, fossils
and economic Importance of the yari
GUS rock formations Of North Dakota
are discussed at some length. the
aim being to give a popular account
of the geology of the region. The
interesting chalk deposit discovered
last summer on the Pembina river is
described and its probable relation to
the Portland cement rock stated
Especial attention is given to the
Laramie formation which covers the
western half of the state and con.
tains such valuable clays and Ignite
seams, although high grade clays are
not confined to this formation.
Professor e. F. Chandler of the
university describes in his paper the
various methods of measuring the
amount of water carried by streams.
In any irrigation project it Is import
ant to know Just how much water
can be supplied by the river or creek
and simple methods are given for
determining this. The different units
of water measurement and the
amount of water required to irrigate
an acre Of land are subjects Of inter
est and Importance which are con.
sidered. + .<s41 31..'
The run-off or discharge of the
streams Of North Dakota is discussed
and the different rivers are contrast
| ed. A valuable feature Of the paper
is the series of tables showing the
discharge in second-feet of the rivers
OF the state. These tables were pre-
pared from a series of daily obserya.
lions, mad under the direction Of the
United States geological survey at
each DOint and pivo with ,.r.,rx,,,. :, ~ !,