The Detroit times., 1908-02-18
PEAT DEPOSITS IN
THE ANN ARB0R
QUADRANGLE,
eEoL oe,cAL SURVEY HAS ISSUED
A FOLIO OF GEOLOGIC ATLAS,
SHOWING AREA RICH IN FUEL
OF FUTURE.
Crrom a Special correspondent.)

WASHINGTON, Feb. ls.-rhe geol-
oeical survey has Just issued folio
OF the Geologic Atlas of the United
states. covering what is technically
called the Ann Arbor quadrangle.
This Is described as an area OF $3.50
SQUARE miles I'm the southeastern part
OF the state. embracing a large part
OF Washtenaw county and small al
jacent portions of Livingston, OAKLAND
Wayne, Monroe and Lenawee coun.
ties. Near the geographic center OF
the quadrangle is the city OF Ann Ar
Dor. from which IL Is named.
The fFst settlement In this region,
according to the folio. was made In
1903 by French traders. who estao-
lished a post on the site OF the
present city OF Ypsllanti. that being
the point at which the Indian trails
from wide extent OF country infer-
sected. In 1911 about $500 acres were
patented TO these traders In accord
Hnce with af act ef congress- and Inc
survey OF these claims antedated the
rectangular land survey begun In 1916,
a fact that accounts for the peculiar
tiles OF boundary lines and absence or
section lines In Ypsilanti and the dis
trict Immediately south and west OF
that city. BY the treaties OF 1919 and
1921 a number OF English-speaking
families built houses on the banks or
the Huron Immediately below Ypsi-
lanti. During the following year a
settlement was started at Ann Arbor.
Within this quadrangle there are now
two cities. Ann Arbor and Ypsilant,
seven Incorporated villages, Pfnckney.
South Lyon. Dexter. Saline. Milan,
Clinton and Tecumseh. and. In addi-
ton. more than 40 smaller villages
and hamlets.
The streams OF the area all flow.
either directly or indirectly. TO the
western end OF Lake Erie. A large
part of Il is drained by Huron river
and the rest chiefly by the Raisin
and it's tributaries. OF which the most
important are Saline and Macon
rivers The location of the cities and
nearly all OF the villages on the banks
OF streams was determined by the
water power they afforded for grist-
mills and sawmills-power which has
been utilized later for other manufac-
turing establishments and which Is
capable OF much greater development
than now exists.
Lakes Of the Region.
Within the limits OF the quadrangle
are nearly I5e small bodies of standing
water which occupy basins OF sum-
cient depth TO be debarred from ready
drainage. Some OF these are without
outlet: others discharge to the streams
through bordering swamps with no
definite channel OF outflow, most or
them. however, have definite outlets.
and a few stand in the course OF
streams. Nearly all OF these are term
ed lakes. and more than 80 OF them
have received names. Few OF the lakes
cover an area OF square mile. and
most OF them cover less than one
fourth that area. Some. even OF the
smaller lakes--those that cover areas
of but TO 10 acres--are known TO
be so or 60 feet deep. and few are
more than 100 feet In depth. The
scenic beauty OF the lake region and
the opportunities for recreation that
II affords have been strong factors
in peopling that section.
Three Maps Included.
The folio includes three maps
showing the topography, geography.
anu TIE dIlCcAon NatCi tOhditioho. ~
also includes Is pages of text descrip-
tive OF the maps and Of the conditions
they representative relief, drainage,
surface and underground geology and
the mineral resources. including peat,
road materials, clay. oil and gas. mari
or bog lime, and surface and under
ground waters.
Peat deposits abound throughout the
quadrangle and will undoubtedly be
extensively utilized. according to the
report, in the future as the sources
OF other kinds OF fuel are more and
more depleted. Peat has been used
In Europe as fuel and for many other
purposes. Gas and coke, with various
by-products. have been made from il,
and II has been converted into paper
and other fabrics. and a number OF
valuable fertilizers. AS a fuel, peat
must be dried and put into portable
form and many methods have been de-
vised for accomplishing these ends.
The fuel value Is about three-ffths
that OF coal. weight for weight, but Is
more efficient fuel than this ratio
would Indicate. as a considerable part
Of coal In rejected with the ash and
clinkers, while peat is almost wholly
burned II Is estimated that a single
acre OF peat one foot In depth will
furnish from $50 20 200 tons OF dry
fuel. and that this amount Is present
for every foot in depth TO which the
peat extends. The geology map of
the Ann Arbor quadrangle shows that
the surface area of peat Is large and
some of the deposits are 20 feet deep,
while many are at least 20 feet in
depth. The mari deposits OF the
quadrangle are also reported very val