Danville intelligencer. [volume] (Danville, Pa.) 1859-1907, 1905-12-01
ABOUT The
SUSQUEHAuNA
Largest and Most lmpOr-
tant Damage Basin in
North Atlantic States.

A valuable addition to our knowi-
edge of the Susquehanna drainage bas-
in will be found in two blications
recently issued by the U. S. Geolcg-
ical Survey, which contain the lesults
of extended investi cations Oh tins
stream aud its tributaries.
Commercially the Susquelanna bas.
in is the largest aud most important
drainage area in ths north Allan ic
states. The headwaters of this river
system are on tho elevated plateau
which separates the waters flowing
southward and eastward into the At
lantic streams from those flowing
northward and westward into the st.
Lawrance, the Great Lakes and the
Missis ;ippi. Geographically this wat
ershod lies in three photographic di-
visions; the Allegheny, the Appala-
chian Valley. and the Piedmont Pla-
teau. The total area of the basin is
q, 400 square miles, comprising 2l.06O
square miles in Pennsylvania, or about
AZ per cent. of the area of tie state /;
go, OSO square miles in New York or l3
per cent. of the area of the state, and
260 square miles, or about Per cent.
of the state of Maryland.
Que of the papers mentioned is N
titled Hydlography Of Susquehaunn
River Drainage System, "and has been
SO prepared as to be of use to the lay.
men as well as the engineer, proyid-
ing for the former comprehensive view
of the conditions in the area, and sup
plyiug the engineer with data for
making cs' mates in hydraulic in
vestigations. La view of the fact that
the power resources of this basin are
so little developed, the discussion of
water powers and the tables of eleva-
tion and developed horse power are
most interesting and valuable. This
report is tho joint work of Messrs.
John @. Hoyt and Robert II. Anier.
son, of tho photographic Brauch of
the SURVEY.
The second paper is entitled "The
Quality q! the Water in the Susque.
hanna River Basin" and contains
numerous analyses of the wa'er in the
taries. Tie portions devoted to the
aoliution of streams by mine wastes
are especially Interesting. 1t is dou bt-
full ii stream polluted with MINI
4 -, "a
ed as a source OF domestic water sup.
ply, but the SusGuehanna ia so betoul-
ed with sewage thar it couli net lie
used in its raw state for household pnr
poses, even if no mine drainlges were
turned into it. Mr.. NJ. o. Leighton,
the author of the report, shows by a
series of chemical analysis that the
water is actually more free from or.
ganio matter at the lower end of Wy
oming Valley than at tho upper, and
this condition is traCeable to large
amount of acid mine refuse which is
turned into the stream. He finds also
that the precipitation Of immense
quantities of sewage matter and coal
dust into the river eventually will fill
up the channel along certain reaches.
1t is probable that the Susquehanra
especially that portion below the Wesr
Branch, is chiefly valuable as an agent
of sewage disposal. 1t would be i'm
possible with the present large pnpu.
lation upon the drainage area TO rem.
der the stream fit for domestic use,
and therefore it may as we'll receive
city sewage up to q certain limit.
These pnpars, which are known as
Water Supply and Irrigation papers
Nos. l0S aud 100, may be obtaned free
of charge upon application to the Di-
rector of the U. S. Geologica Survey,
Washington: d. O.