Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-07-19

Automobile tourists are beginning to
find the topographic maps Of the geologi-
| cal survey of great service in laying out
| routes of pleasure travel.
! IF the New York to San Francisco
| race is held this fall" said 7. H. Rutland
of Rochester. n. Y. recently, these gov
eminent maps will prove invaluable for
/ all public roads. All important private
| roads are also shown, while the contour
lines Indicating the topography and show
| ing the grades of the roads enable the
automobilist TO determine accurately the
character of the country through which he
intends to travel.
| Mr. Rutland drove the big SiX-cylinder
gearess Greyhound which paced the Zupt
| car in the New York to Paris race and
| broke the way for it through the snow
from Rochester, N Y, to the Mississippi
| river. He is regarded as being well quail
fled to discuss the merits of the survey
| maps.
| These maps are made primarily as bases
| for the Geologic map of the United States
which the geological survey is construct
| ing, and the fact that they can be en-
ployed better than any other maps Tor
on-scientifc purposes, such as automo-
billing, attests their practical value, though
| this Is only one of a very great number
| of uses to which they are put. No maps,
| in iact are so generally used as the sur
| yey's topographic maps. score of bu-
reaus and departments of the government
| use them bases for special maps OF
plottings, for determining routes of march
or travel and for planning engineering
| works.
be formed by the combined topographic
| sheets published by the survey was re-
ferred to last winter by Secretary Gar
| field, in a report to Congress, as the
said now to be the principal source Of all
other maps. The sheets cover areas
| termed quadrangles, whose limits are de-
! fined by meridians and parallels, and
nearly 1.SO0 of them have already been
completed. Some of the states have val
| ued these maps SO highly that they have
betrayed half the cost of the surveys.
THE maps are SO detailed and accurate
| that clever clay modelers have used them
as bases for relief or physical maps which
were exact miniature reproductions of the
regions comprised within the quadrangles.
| showing every hill and valley in relative
| steepnesS, and the lakes, sWampS, falls of
rivers, ETC., well as in other important
| works.
Walter Hale. the actor, has just re-
turned from his fifth annual motor trip
| abroad Mr. Hale's companions this year
1
! Niblo, monologist. The party toured as
| far south in Spain as Andalusia, where
Mr.. Hale did a magazine story on the
life Of Vivillo, the last of the Spanish
! bandits, whose extradition has been de-
manded by Spain from the Argentine Re
public.
| The road from New York to Chicago
and return has been photographed. COM
pleted and routed carefully by DR.. Chaplin
| of Chicago, who has just completed his
second round trip, checking carefully by
| aid of an autometer' the data of his
previous trip. The doctor has Travelled
| over II 600 miles in his car while prepar-
| ing this route book and has had not the
AslighteSt trouble. DR.. Chaplin found few
mistakes in the routing when checking up.
and he feels that motorists generally will
prize a oiInlete route book showing every
| turn in photos and giving the minutest
! data regarding the entire journey.
| c. NJ. Hamilton. who has just returned
from Milan, Italy, says:
| without question the people of Eu-
rope. and this can be applied especially
TO England. France and Germany, are
| now regarding the motor vehicle more
| as a means of transportation than as a
recreation amusement or pleasure, al
| though it is true that those who COM
| paratively recently adopted the automo-
| bile as a conveyance may be filled with
| enthusiasm But while the motor car has
| all its undoubted superiority to any other
| form of transport it is being considered
more from the practical side than ever
| before and the people who motor look