Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1910-11-09
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
DID Splendid WORK
WORK DONE IN MORTON COUNTY
AND NEAR DEVILS
LAKE.
Many Interesting Discoveries Made
Regarding Formations Of the Land
In These Sections Of State.

During the summer of 1910 two par
ties were engaged in field work fol
the state geological survey, one in
Morton county and the adjoining area
the other in the Devils Lake and
Stump Lake region.
The work west of the Missouri
river was undertaken for the purpose
of extending the Investigations begun
the previous year in the area in
cluded in the topographic map of the
; United States geological survey
known as the Bismarck quadrangle.
During the field season of 1909 that
area was studied in detail under a
cooperative arrangement between the
. federal and state geological surveys,
and geological may was prepared
showing the different rock formations
and the location of the coal seams.
During the past summer the field
work was extended so as to include
all of Morton and portions of adjOin-
ing counties.
The party which consisted Of Dr..
A. G. Leonard Of the state university
and two students, William Greenleaf
and F. 3. Farrow, outfitted at Dickin-
son and travelled southeast through
Mott. beginning work near Haynes
and Lennon, on the Milwaukee road
The boundary Of the Laramie fOrma-
ton. which contains only few
workable coal beds, was mapped and
it was found that fully one-half Of
Morton county, including the Standing
Rock Indian reservation. is underlain
ty his formation. Workable beds Of
Ignite occur in it on the Little Heart
river and at a few other points on
the Cannon Ball river and Cedar
creek above their confluence With
the exception of these few beds prac-
tically all the workable coal of Nor
ton and Adams counties is in the
Fort Union formation. The Sfoot coal
bed mined for so many years at Sims
lies near the base of the latter for.
nation. and the same is true of the
13-foot coal bed near Haynes. Tho
coal seams worked near New Salem
and Glen Ulln are from 200 to $50
feet above the bast of the Fort
Union.
Workable coal was found to occur
at IL or 20 localities in the areas ex-
amined and all these seams were To-
Gated on the map. their thickness and
so far as possible their extent being
determined.
The Heart River was found to have !
formerly emptied into the Cannon
Ball river instead of entering the
Missouri at Mandan as at present. It's
old abandoned valley extends in a
direction from the sharp
bend at DeVaul. passes about two
miles north of Flasher and it's lower
portion is now occupied by Louise
creek for some miles above its in
with Dogtooth creek. The
Heart River was compelled to leave
his broad and we'll developed valley
If its eaclier years. and through the
process of stream capture or piracy
t was forced to take its present
course to the northeast.
Another interesting discovery was
hat the basin of the Little Heart riv-
n was occupied during the glacial
period by an ice lobe from the con-
mental glacier which covered most
# North Dakota. The evidence of this
s found in the typical boulder cover
d morainal hills which occur about .
he margin of the basin. being COM
'csed of the debris dumped off the
dge of the ice. The valley of the
little Heart and its tributaries were
i'led to a great depth with outwash
lit from the melting glacial ice, form
ng the rich soil of the Little Heart
lats and vicinity.
Professor Howard f. Simpson, as.
listed by w. r. Holgate spent about
month in study of the Devils Lake 7
nd Stump Lake area. Particular at
ention was given to the physical fea- ,
Nres Of that interesting region, in
luding the old lake beaches and the !
ormer outlets. The highest beach was
ound to be about 40 feet above the a
resent level of the lakes. Broad.
cep valleys were discovered leading
rom both Devils and Stump lakes,
outh into the Cheyenne river. Levels
we're run to determine the height of
hese outlets above the lakes, and
hey were found to correspond to the
lghest beaches. 1t is evident there :
ore. that when the surface of these
axes was 40 feet highert than at pres
mt they emptied to the south into the
cheyenne river.
Early in the summer the state geol-
gist. Professor Leonard, spent sever
i days studying the Bottineau gas
ield for the United States geological
urvey. There are between Is AMI 20
Producing wells ranging from $50 to
90 feet in depth. The gas occurs in
sand bed at the base of the lrift,
nd its source is probably the Crc:ace-
Us shales on which the sand rests.
light of the vells are loca I'd about
inc miles south o. West'ope and
re m five of them it is piped into the
own and used tr over 1870 con>,.,o.
he 'cck pressure varies from IS to
: rounds, AMI the flow from one
'e'l was 3,20o.CoO cubic fest - -
GUS. the ga, escaping with a .oud j.
'arlne noise. :'Erec wells nave heen
rll!ed five miles east of Lansford :
ri supply gas t. that town The deep
eel! which the North Dako.a ,;as
ornpany Of Wes:hope is sinking for !:
Re purpose Of reaching a surply of !:
eel' gas under strong pressure is :
! -