Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-05-02

storage Commission was directed 10 con-
tinue similar work, TO compile results OIL
past work. and then to apply them 10
present a comprehensive and practcal
plan for the Improvement and creation
of storage reservoirs" These words are
few, but it means an immense amount OF
engineering work in engineering studies
after the necessary field work Is COM
pleted.
The 18th Legislature consolidated the
two State commissions. During the past
year, it seemed to be the concensus of
opinion of members of both commissions
that sucn consolidation should be affect
ed. In the opinion of the writer, it
seemed that the Water Storage Commits
sion act was much the more eomprehen-
sive and that this commission should
continue, and the new act so provided.
The Topographic Survey.
The past work has consisted in topo-
praphic photographic and geologic sur
Veys. The results of the Topographic
work appear in the standard quadrangle
OF the L. 5. Geological Survey. The unit
of publication is an atlas sheet 1872 by 20
inches, showing a tract Quadrangle Is
i'm extent in latitude and longitude each
way, or from 203 to 226 square miles,
varying with the latitude. The scale is
1:62, 800 or about one mile to one inch. y
sheet is designated by the name of some
well-knoWn place or feature appearing on
it, and the names of adjoining published
sheets are printed on the margins. Inc
maps are engraved on copper and printed
from stone, in three colors. The cultural
features-such as roads, cities. towns-as
we'll as lettering, are in black the water
features are in blue: and the features of
relief-hils, mountains, etc.-are shown
by brown contour lines. The contour in
tefval for this State is 20 feet. These
sheets are sold by the e. :. Geological
Survey at the rate of SC a sheet. When
100 or more are ordered the rate is $50
per hundred
At the present time so sheets have been
issued for the State of Maine and two
others are in progress of reproduction.
They represent an area of l1,00 square
miles or $50 of the entire area of the
State, namely 5000 square miles At the
present rate of not to exceed Two sheets
year. il will take some years to com
plete the State. The rate of progress de
Ponds altogether on the amounts of
money appropriated for the work. Under
the present methods of survey. the cost
of each finished sheet, including field
work and office work, varies from $4,000
to $1,000 depending on the character of the
topography, the accessibility and the eX-
tent of the forest cover. These topo-
graphic maps are of great use or num-
erous purposes They are of especial
value to railroad engineers and hydraulic
voirs, drainage areas and the like.
Geologic Foios.
Results of the Geological investigations
appear in the various reports of the u.
:. Geological Survey. as the annual re
ports, monographs, and bulletins, and in
the geologic folios. In the former class
is bulletin No. 3lS, GRANTEES of Maine;
bulletin No. 376, Peat deposits of Maine;
bulletin No. 445, Pegmatites and asso-
ciated rocks of Maine.
Two geologic folios have been issued for
the State, namely, The Rockland Folio
and the Penobscot Bay District Folio.
The base of each folio is a topogra phic
map and various other maps of the same
area representing the geology. These
latter maps show by colors and conven-
tional signs printed on the topographic
base map, the distribution of rock masses
on the surface of the land, and the
structure sections showing their under
ground relations. as far as known. and in
such detail as the scale permits. Follow
ing the topographic sheet is sheet
showing superficial geology. as swamps.
mucky peat. marine clay, lacustrine de-
posts, and glacial drifts. The next sheet
areal geology. shows by color patterns
the areas occupied by various formations.
The economic geology map is the next
representing the distribution of useful
minerals and rocks. and showing their
relations to the topographic features and
to the geologic formations. The last
map structure-seetion sheet. exhibits
the formations beneath the surface.
The Photographic Work.
The photographic work is divided into
two divisions the special river and lake
surveys and the stream gaging work In
1904 special surveys We're started of the
more important rivers and lakes of the
State. and have been continued to date
The resulting maps as issued. are dis
tributed without charge to Interested par
ties. The river maps, generally on a
scale of 1900 TT. show the plan of the
river and the nature of the topography
along the banks, by contour lines On
each sheet is also shown the profile of
that section of the river covered by the
sheet in question. These maps show not
only present water power developments
along the river, but also any undeVel-
might be developed. From these maps
can be obtained a close estimate of the
total horsepower that can be developed
at the various points when studied in
connection with stream gaging records.
The lake maps now issued for a large
number of the more important lakes and
ponds of the State are often on scale of
1900 IT. and larger. Detailed drawings,
on a scale of 1900 TT. are often
given of the outlets of the lakes. These
maps in general show the high water and
low water line, and in some cases, sub
contour lines or shore lines that would
result If the lakes in question should be
drawn five or 10 feet below present
stages. There are also shown five, 10 and
sometimes 10 and 20-ft. contours above
high water line. Soundings of the lakes
are shown in some cases. These maps
are of special use in computing the ca
pacities in cubic feet of the lakes when
used as storage reservoirs.
The stream gaging work is an Import
ant branch of the work. Results show
for number of selected stations on the
various rivers of the State. the daily dis
charge i'm cubic feet per second of such
rivers at those points. The longer the
record is continued at one place. the
more valuable it becomes as short rec
ord may lot cover periods of abnormal
high water or extreme low water. which
are especially useful in the water power
investigations.
In the words of the Consulting Engi-
neer of the New York Water Supply
Commission:
Accurate measurements of the stream
flow or run-off and of the precipitation
to determine the water yield of given
territory are the Indispensable prelim-
naries to all study of regulation by water
storage, and constitute the foundation of
the entire structure of computations and
estimates which determine in every case
to what extent the construction of res
ervoirs can be justified on engineering
and economic grounds
Aid from Federal Bureau.
Rv virtue of agreement dated Dec