Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-07-05

WASHINGTON, D. c.. June 30.-In order to
wv make concrete ships, the shipping board
required answer to the question: What
is the lightest sand in the world, and where it
be found in quantities? The United States geoog-
ical survey answered the question by pointing out
that certain kind of basalt which is found in the
volcanic regions of New Mexico and Arizona is so
light that it will almost float is hard as glass,
and when ground up, constitutes just the kind of
sand needed for building concrete ships. Govern
ment biologists at once went into the desert coun-
try and located the necessary deposits.
On the fighting front in France it necessary
to build many miles of road that would stand the
heaviest traffic. There various materials which
might be used. Which would be best? Again
the question was put up to the geological survey.
and again answered by government biologists at
tached to the American forces in France.
The water supply at the training camps is mat
ter of vital Importance, both its quality and
it's quantity. The geological survey furnished the
surgeon generals office with analyses of the water
at thirty-three environments and with estimates OF
the amount available in gallons per day.
These instances show how a scientific branch
of the government, which has been forty years
Iaboriously gathering information and building up
an organization of experts, is able to render serv-
ices of the most vital Importance in a crisis like
the present one. The geological survey, without
altering the form of its organization, has been de-
voting all of its energy to solving technical geo
logical questions connected with the war;.
Perhaps its greatest service has been IN the
search for mineral supplies needed to carry the
war; and especially those minerals for which we
formerly depended upon imports, but now must
find within own borders.
This is no task for the ordinary prospector, Tor
many of these minerals are little known and never
before had an economic value in this country. 1t
is essentially task for trained experts and also
a task which must be executed on national scale;
it means ransacking the United States systematic
ally for the needed ores. Therefore the national
government has had to turn prospector, ana IS
fortunate in having a bureau which has spent
forty years getting ready for the job
The chief task of the geological survey IN peace
time has been to study and map the country in sucn
a way as to show the geological formations and the
mineral deposits. The informtion gathered was
merely placed on record where any one might Cd
tain it. the development being left to private enter
prise Occasionally the survey biologists were able
TO give direct impetus to this development. For
example two of them, in the course or survey
in Colorado, found that certain hot springs near
Wagon Wheel Gap contained great deposlts OF
FIurspar which is used hux in steel making
The land which contained these deposits had Deen
staked out by a couple of prospectors as a golo
mine Gold was present in paying quantities, out tne
experts pointed out to the prospectors tnat tney
had the markings of fortune in the not spring ue-
nosits: and development rapidly ensued
MANY other deposits of minerals when are
now needed for war work we're located by the seoio
gists but owing to the fact that there was no ue-
mand for them they remained undeVeloped' NO"
that there is dire need of such minerals as man
ganese Chromite. tungsten, quicksilver ana SUI
phur the survey is able to send experts lnIo 'he