Salt Lake Telegram | 1931-07-27 | Page 16 | Survey Hindered by Snakes, Drouth

S SURVEY VEY HINDERED BY SN KES D Vast Areas of Utah Nevada Deserts Give Difficulty to U. U S S. S Surveyors With camps camps infested with rattlesnakes rattlesnakes rattle rattle- snakes ma es and antI most of ot the springs and drying up the federal survey survey survey sur sur- sur- sur vey parties who vho are attempting to survey vast tracts of land on the public domain arc are havin having their ac activities activities ac- ac greatly curtailed this season George D. D D. D Kirkpatrick district en engineer en- en giner r in charge of the United States public survey office for Utah and Nevada reported Monday There are nine parties consisting o of approximately 65 men now in the field In Utah and Nevada making makin an attempt to survey sections of a total of acres Mr Kirkpatrick Kirkpat Kirkpat- rick stated Six of oC the nine groups are arc working In the various ious parts of Utah while the other three are arc conducting conducting con con- con I ducting their activities in Nevada Having Havin to carry water long distances dis dis- battle batlle forest fires which in inmany many instances have threatened their camps and be on a close lookout for tor rattlesnakes which seem to be bemore bemore bemore more numerous this year ear than ever before has considerably retarded the progress of many of the parties this summer he explained In many Instances survey parties have been required to haul water as far as 20 miles In the desert wastes and use it for long periods despite the fact that it was warm and in some sonic In Instances instances instances in- in stances stagnant In past years the parties have been able to purchase hay for their horses from nearby farms while this year car carthey they have been forced to bu buy it in towns at high prices and haul it many miles Little 1 If any gr grass s can be found I in the western desert sections of ot Utah and in man many parts of or Nevada due to the drouth and it has been nc necessary necessary essary es- es I sary to ro feed the horses entirely on onha I. I ha hay and grain Some Sonic of the parties enter the field In the early euly spring and do not return to civilization for as long as asfour asfour asfour four and five months In normal years the workers are required to face many hardships but this year ear conditions arc are worse than ever el be be- be fore One group working in Nevada re recently recently recently re- re reported that It had killed seven even snakes in camp In a few days and some instances have be been n reported report report- ed where the reptiles have even en been found in the thc beds of ot the wor workers ers Under the direction of or Mr 11 Kirkpatrick Kirkpatrick Kirkpat Kirkpat- rick a total of will be spent this year ear in survey suney work worl Most 1 of ol this money Is expended on salaries supplies and equipment With the exception of oC small amounts for in instruments instruments instruments in- in and monuments all of ot the money is spent in this region The greater share of this amount is being spent In Utah this year ear where approximately approximately approximately ap ap- ap- ap proximately acres are arc being surveyed All types of government land in including including in- in eluding homesteads grazing land mineral and oil shale regions dam dam- sites are being mapped out by bj the tile various parties Considerable work has been done In the vicinity of the Hoover dam such as resurveys of the land withdrawn which will be covered by the huge I body of or water and mapping out the I site sHe of Boulder City