The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1909-11-05
TOPOGRAPHIC
SURVEY SOON
Field Work on Kauai Will Be Pau
Next July If Marshall's
Report Goes.
fFrom Thursday.s Adyertlser.l

From Thursdays Advertiser3
With the report of II. h. Marshall,
chief geographer of the United States
Geological Survey, the plans for max.
ing topographic maps of the Hawaiian
Islands has come to point where an
official word will start the field men
on the surveys.
Marshall rendered his report to Mars.
ton Campbell yesterday, it being given
in full below. He states that work
should be started on Kauai first, look.
ing at the objects from a reclamation
standpoint and also says that six
months work will complete the field
work on that island.
Marshall looked over but two of the
Islands, choosing this and Kauai, as the
problems on all would be summed upl
in those that presented themselves in
the most northerly. The letter follows:
"Sir:-The director of the U. s.
Geological Survey, upon the receipt of
a letter dated Honolulu, August IL,
1909, from Mr.. NJ. c. Leighton, chief
photographer of the geological survey,
approved by you, instructed me to visit
Hawaii, there to determine the nature
of the Topographic problems of the Ter
ritory and to submit plans for system
attic beginning of topographic surveys.
81 have gone fully over the ground
on the islands Of Kauai and Oahu
where are presented some of the most
interesting Topographic features to be
found anywhere. The valleys are small
usually steep, and the mountains be-
gin with practically no rolling country
or foothills, making an equitable ad.
iustment between scale and contour in.
terval exceedingly hard to determine.
On Kauai, for instance, one finds a
Yosemite, a Grand Canyon, n Dismal
, Swamp, perpetual sunshine and con.
slant rain, all within n radius of ten
, miles and a change of elevation from
sea level to mile in height. On Oahu,
the general conditions are the same,
r only to less extent, the large COM
paratively level area in the center will
materially lessen the cost per square
mile as compared to Kauai.
, "The field scale that it is believed
. will best serve for general use is that
I of two inches to one mile (1:3l6S0)
with contour interval of ten feet for
irrigable lands and fifty feet for the
+ mountainous portions. The publication
Y scale can best be decided after the field
L work has been completed
+ "The surveys should be done by the
$ standard plane table methods now in
i use by the geological survey-usine
| stadia for irrigable areas and close in
I tersection for the mountains, running
n precise level, setting standard iror
II bench mark post and bronze tablets
n the Alexander triangulation data to b.
1t used for the horizontal base. Thes'
positions should be marked by setting
standard bronze tablets or post tina
s they may be more easily identified il
l. the future.
}. "The general conditions upon thu
@ island of Kauai, where it appears tina
Il more water can be had than there il
n land to be irrigated surely makes thi
II island of first Importance from rec
@ lamation point of view, and / full.
Y agree with you that the Topographic
work should begin here.
cit is estimated that the entire is
4. land of Kauai can be surveyed for $l5,
Ie 600, $27 per square mile or about &c
per acre, and if work can begin b,
- January !, 1910, five topographer
should finish the field work by July
1910.
alt is respectfully suggested that
good belt line trail, as straight as prac
ticable, be cut before the topographer
arrive all around the outer edge of thu
swamp area upon Kauai, with connec
tions to possible base of supplies, a
, follows: TO Mr.. GAYS mountain hous
intake of Olokele canyon ditch
> down to existing trails via Hanapep
!, Fals-to road ending at Kilohana era
] ter-down to trails near Mt. Namahan