Newport daily independent., 1905-02-14
HYpRocRAPHIc RECORDS.
Practical Benefit Derived from Thsm Illustrated in Geological
 Survsy Work.

Tho parable of the sower is appli- cable to all educational work. Much of the mission of the great departments maintained by the government espe- cially the scientific bureaus Is educa- tional in it's nature. The government is in the position of progressive and ambitious instructor in a modern coll lege, who. surrounded by every labOra- tory and library facility. spends part of his time in making original invesi- gations and part in communicating to his pupils the results of his stidies. soil. but. however poor the ground. it is sure to bring forth fruit in some measure, if there is life in the kernelS that he sows. There is great varta-' ion in the returns from the different kinds of educational work prosecuted by the government The ultimate value of much of it can be determined only after the lapse of many years. but some of 1t seems to bear fruit . hundred fold from the very start. An instance of this is seen in the results that have followed the hydrographic work of the United States geological survey in many quarters. The cases h which 1t has been of benefit to the one state of Colorado. for example. are numerous and interesting.
 None of the irrigation work contem- plated by the government would, ordinarily. be possible without long delay. were it not for the hydrograph1c data accumulated by the survey dur ing many years of observation and measurement. In addition to that. the work of private individuals Is con- stantly facilitated by the same records. No large engineering enterprises ars now undertaken without reference tO the surveys records concerning tho supply of water available at the chosen site. The South Platte Land and Reservoir company. which has under way canals and reservoirs that probably aggregate 9600.000 in value. has established stations ct Orchard end Ksrsey. Col. because Of the superior Photographic advantages of- tered by these localities. The choice Of those points is directly traceable .o tho dAta compiled by the survey. Equally important is the fact that projects that would have resulted dis astrously have in numerous cases been abandoned after . study of survey records that throw light on the prob able outcome. Data concerning the How of water on tho Arkansas and 6outh Platte rivers prevented the ex- penditure of great sums of money on tho state canal in the first instaAos. and upon the Pawnee pass reservoir project in the second. |, Survey data seem to - in great lsmand n unimpeachable testimony h tho legal controversies that have arisen in this state in regard to irriga- ton matters. A most notable instance Is the case of the Colorado z South srn railroad 4vs. the Denver Union Water company. in which the sun 0e t10O.000 was involved.
 ' Data obtained by the survey in re- gard to the amount of water power available at certain pfaces have inau- enced the plans of the 0lenwooA Springs Light and Power company. the New Century Light and Power company. and also proposed power companies on Clear and St. Vrain's creeks. None of these projects hos yet been carried to conclusion. but some of them will undoubtedly bs eventually constructed.
 5 Colorado cities seeking . suitable water supply have frequently con- suited data obtained by the survey. ln the case of Durango, in southwest srn Colorado, the discharge of Florida river was especially studied ia order te ascertain whether a gravity water system would be feasible at that point.
 The location of various manufactur- Ing industries has been determined by report from survey engineers on the available water Iupply.
 AN OXEN CAVALRY CORPS.