Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1907-10-20
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY


vas done III the state during the past
session By both the lsted STAKES
Geological Survey and the State Geo.
logical Surrey. The study of the
ignite deposits OF Mott b Dakota AMI
adjoining states. q ,mmenced by the
sfcdeca1 ,1esrnme;lt two years ago,
was continued The r.arty Of five was
Iii charge of Dir a. q. Lei nard, who
had associated with hin, Mr.. Carl b.
isn,:th Of Wash!nsto Ss
The work began at -sIaf ora and ex-
tended across the line Tito Montana,
covering a strip Of territory "a miles
wide on either side o. ihe Northern
Pacific railroad. The csttcrops of the
different coal beds MeTe carefully
mapped and their thickness and ex-3
tent determined 1t was soon dis
covered that lie Individual Ignite
.sranls, instead of co: ering only a
@iilliifed area, as pres usly suppos
ed !. were. as Il, matter CT fact of great
extent. One thick coal bed was
traced IL ~ bluffs Of the Little
Missouri river for a distance of IL
miles, while another with a thick
ness OF 16 feet and over was found
to continue for at least "a miles. But
a still more extensive coal seam is
one which is now largely burned out
but which is known to have covered
an area measuring 80 miles north and
south by 20 miles east a9d west, or
some $40 square miles. This same
Ignite bed had thickness Of 10 to
is feet. Other beds occur with a
thickness considerably great than this
The one near the base of Sentinel
Butte measures 81 feet; another on
Bacon creek, in southern Billings
county. is 80 feet thick and the coal
bed exposed on Sand creek has a
thickness Of 35 feet.
The age Of the strata in which the
Ignite is found has long been in
doubt and in order to determine it
large collections of fossils were made
in the course of the field work. In
addition to the specimens secured
by the members OF. the party, two Of
the biologists of the United States
Geological Survey. Messrs Knowlton
and Peale, spent several weeks col
lecting about Bismarck, Dickinson,
Medora and Sentinel Butte, spending
ten days with the government party
near Medora The fossils. which were
mostly leaves, indicate that the age
OF the coal bearing strata is not La
ramie, as commonly supposed, but
that's they belong to a more recent
formation called the Fort Union,
from the old fort at the mouth Of
the Yellowstone near Buford
Much valuable information con-
corning this Fort Union formation,
which covers the western half Of
North Dakota was secured during
the summer and will be incorporated
not only in the report to be publish.
ed by the United States Geological
Survey. but will be available also for
the State Geological Survey report.
While camped beside the Little
Missouri at Medora the party came
near being drowned out, the food
which was one of the highest in 27
years, coming within a few inches
of the tents. 3s
While working in the vicinity Of
Sentinel Butte careful measurements
were made to determine its exact
height, since 1t is the highest point
in the state. The Butte was found to
rise go feet above the town Of the
same name and it has an elevation Of,
$3.50 above sea level.
About the middle of August the,
state geologist, Mr.. Leonard, organ
lied a second party consisting Of.
himself and two university students
y. w. Bliss and w. u Smith, which
extended the work into southern BIZ
.lings county and adjacent parts Of,
Bowman county under the auspices Of!
the State Geological Survey. The:
expenses Of the other party were
paid by the government, although
the State Survey receives the bene-
fit Of the Information gathered DUR
ing the field work But it was found
desirable to extend the investigations
beyond the restricted area covered
by the United States Geological Sur
.vey and, therefore the second party
was QUILTED and followed up the
Little Missouri to Little Beaver creek
in Bowman county.
In the vicinity OF Medora and else
where large numbers of beautifully
preserved fossil leaves were collect
ed and on Little Beaver creek a great
variety OF marine shells were found.
These fossils VIII add materially to-
the collection Of the Geological Sur