The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-11-23
Geological SurUey Work
By Frederic J. Haskin.


 and do untold damage. The Survey experts saw these piles of culm and wondered why 1t could not be utilized for fuel. At last they hit upon the idea of combining the dust with some sort of sticky material like corn syrup, and then pressing it into bri- quettes. The idea succeeded and to- day the eulm beds, once a dead loss. and oftenla serious mnace. to life and property are now converter into convenient, cheap. and satisfactory fuel. The Survey has been searching for a binding material which will give the maximum of satisfaction at minimum of cost Low grade pitch and cheap rHfolasses seem to be the most satisfactory binders yet used.
 This is, the age of concrete and cement. As soon as the alarm over the disappearance of the timber supply was sounded. the Survey took up series of exhaustive investigations re- latiye to the use of cement and con crete in building construction. These investigations determinded minutely the relative cost, the durability. the strength, the fire and weather resist Ing qualities of the different materials the proportions of mixtures: in short. everything essential to be known any sort of structure from a bungalow to a thirty story skyscraper. This information was placed at the disposal of the public. The growing use of creased use of timber. shows what was accomplished by these expert- ments.
 The number of manufacturing es- tablishments in the United Staes which are using producer gas as motive power has qutntupled in 8 years time. Through It's use the lowest gIades of Ar Xn kfmAG as much power per ton as the best coal would produce through steam power. The general adoption of pro- ducer gas power would mean a direct saving of many hundred million dollar a year, and the extension of the date of coal bed exhaustion beyond a date within the interest of the living gen eration.
 No other indusry of consequence in the United States has shown as great a percentage of inrease in impor- tance as that of mining. During the last decade the population of the country increased twenty percent, the volume of manufactures increased thirty mine percent. and the output of agricultural products. increased ninty- one percent. But mining led them all with a gain of Mnty-four percent. Indications are not wanting that the next census will show even a greater lead for mining. The annual mining products are now worth about two billion dollars. So successful has been the work of the Survey that the min Ing press has taken up the cudgels for a big appropriation for it. One particularly enthusiastic mining jour nal insists that the annual appropria- ton ought to be $1D.000. .000. and is seeking aid from mining men every where to make 1t so. Other natiaRs have watched the work of the Survey and are patterning after 1t. Canada is seeking to profit by Uncle sam's example. and is trying to unite it's geological and mineral bureaus, so as to avoid Implication of work.
 Tn the offlce of the clerk of the Survey there Is a cabinet whose con tents tell an interesting story of some of its activities. There are all sorts of sample briquettes and cement col umns, showing how far the Survey has gone in the testing Of fuels and building materials. There Is a good story relative to the fuel test ing work. When the Survey gets a new man for this work its does not send him into the field sat once. but give him his tryout in the Washington office. The clerks of the office have nick named it the ''fool-testing" plant.
 The Survey is making V what will be. when completed, the most wonder full map in the world. Some idea of It's importance may be gathered from the fact that they have been working on it year in and year out for twenty eight years. and 1t is only q little more than one-third completed now It is the great geologic map of the United States. showing the topo- graphy as we'll as the geology of the country. To data some 1750 sheets have been issued, and they are of such complete reliability that they take the place of a preliminary survey with the commercial engineer. These sheets--small sections of the great uncompIeted map-are in wide de- mand by other branches of the govern ment, by corporations and by indivt- duals. In case of war they would furnish the most complete information about the topography of the country that any commanding general ever enjoyed.
 what the Department of Agriculture fs to the farmer. and through him to all the people. the Geological Survey is to the miner, the manufa- turer, the builder, the railroad world. the irrlgatiOnist, the swamp lands drainer. the deep waterway digger everybody who needs to know any thing about topography. geology min eral resources, water resources, struo- tural materials and waste utizatiou Even the sailor is interested in It's work, since the question of building ships of cement Is soon to be con- sidered. The Survey is a sort of John the Baptist in the wilderness of science, preparing the way for those who would most effectively utilize the the vast resources of the country, and