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Show I GREAT MAP OP I What Geological Sur-I Sur-I vey Has Pone, Twenty-Six Per Cent of the Country, Including Alas-ka, Alas-ka, Is (flapped. Splendid Showing- of Bureau During the Twcnty-Fivo Years Since It Was Organized. Special to Tho Tribune. mmm T ASHINGTON, D. C, May 23. iifl xnJ Tn0 mom,;)Crs r thc Un,tcd y States Geological Survey In Washington recently celebrated the quarter-centennial anniversary o Us organization. Tho more important resultfl achieved by the Survey during the twenty-five years of its existence LlLlfl .. ant frtrfh In tf rfff-nt bulletin CNo. 227) entitled "The United States Geo-logical Geo-logical Survey: Its ' Origin, Dovclop-jnent, Dovclop-jnent, Organization and Operations." This bulletin Is Intended for gratuitous distribution, and copies of It will be given away as souvenirs In connection with the Survey's exhibit at the LouIbI-ana LouIbI-ana Purchase exposition. Sinco the establishment of thc Sur-vcy Sur-vcy a complete topographic may has Wk been made- of 929,860 square miles of the area of the United States. In other words, the Survey has finished thc mapping, on n;ore or less detailed scales, of 2G per cent of thc area of tho country, including Alaska, or 31 per cent excluding Alaska. Immcnso Map. This great map of the United Stales of which nearly one-third has been completed, is necessarily published in the form of an atlas. The portion completed consists of 1327 atlas sheets -printed in three colors from copper-plate copper-plate engravings. The topographic maps of the Geological Survey have greatly expedited investigations made by cities of their water supply and have I) eon of the highest value to rall-way rall-way companies and State highway bu-reaus. bu-reaus. The improvcihent of highways in New York, Maryland, Massachusetts, and other States haa been greatly fa-cllitatcd fa-cllitatcd and the cost of the State work has been materially reduced by these maps. The elaborate and valuable rc-ports rc-ports recently completed on the future water supply of the city of New York and on the New York State Barge Ca-nal Ca-nal have been, in large measure, ren-dcred ren-dcred conclusive only through the agency of the existing topographic The geologic "mapping of the surface formations has been extended over about 171,000 square miles and 10G gc-ologlc gc-ologlc folios have been published, while U nearly an equal number are in various stages of preparation. Each of these U folios presents a practically complete U history of the topography, geology and mineral resources of the area described. Coincident with the geologic work, im-portant im-portant experiments and Investigations relating to rocks have been made in the Hj Survey's physical, chemical and1 pctro-graphic pctro-graphic laboratories. Measurement of "Wators Th& Survey, througli ito hydro- j graphic branch, including the reclama-tlon reclama-tlon service, has recorded, during thc last fifteen years, the maximum, mlnl-mum, mlnl-mum, and mean discharges of all the more Important rivers, and for shorter (periods the same facts concerning all the lesser tributaries of the many hun-dreds hun-dreds of streams in the United States. The physical characteristics of the river basins have been studied in respect to their forestatlon, soil-covering, etc., and a vast amount of data has been accu-mulated accu-mulated from which it is possible to estimate closely the volume or run-off of each of thc streams. The development of the water powers of the country, es-pcclally es-pcclally in thc Southern States, has re- U celved a great impetus during the last few years through facts brought to light by the Survey's work. Many unknown water powers have been found, Projects already commenced have had thejr value or their defects made manifest through the evidence procured by these surveys. Data have been gathered concerning Irrigable pub-lie pub-lie lands and their relation to possible Wl water supplies. A large number, of reservoir sites have been examined and the lands which the reservoirs would serve havo been withdrawn from sale or occupation pending more detailed studies. Surveys of the irrigable lands as well as of canal lines have been mode, and several irrigation projects have been finally approved for con-structlon con-structlon by the reclamation service. The Sui-'ey, by Its division of geog-raphy geog-raphy and forestry, haa examined in detail 110,000 square miles and has made a classification of the lands, as forest-cd, forest-cd, grazing, desert, nnd arable. Final j reports on these reserves have been pre-pared, pre-pared, which show the character and WM amount of the timber on each and fur-nlsh fur-nlsh many other facts that will serve 1 us a basis for the forest management of these properties. Develops Mineral Eesources. Perhaps thc Immediate value to the shown by the aid it renders in devcl-j devcl-j oping thc mineral resources and in 1 forwarding important engineering pro-jeets. pro-jeets. The investigation of the mining gtology of Leadville has, for Instance, guided exploration and secured econo-1 econo-1 inicul mining in a district that has pro-1 pro-1 duced between $200,000,000 and $300.-000,000. $300.-000,000. It has also taught thc mining engi-nc-er and thc miner the practical 1m-1 1m-1 portance of geologic study in their work. Thc investigation of the origin and geologic relations of the Lake Su-1 Su-1 perior Iron ores and the publication of j numerous reports on that region have directed the prospector In the discovery 1 of deposits and have suggested to the 1 miner the most economical methods of deelopmcnU The result 13 that this legion now leads thc world in the pro-1 pro-1 ducttou of iron ore. Detailed arcal mapping and the determination of un-j un-j dcrground structure in the Appalachian 1 coal field- are placing tho development of t coalipetrolcum, and gas rceouiccs j upon a scientific basis and relieving these Industries of a large part of the hazard and uncertainty which have always al-ways attended them; and the publication publica-tion of reliable statistics of mineral production pro-duction has furnished a sound commercial commer-cial basis for all brandies of the mineral min-eral industry. |