Wheeler Report on Mining Districts From 1872

8/14/2019 Wheeler Report on Mining Districts From 1872

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WASHINGTON:GOVERNMENT PR INT ING O F ~ ' I C E .

1874


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Suggestions regarding the survey organization Summary of results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Page.

39 Scheme for publication of results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Explanation of the skeletonmap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .APPENDIX A.

Page.4243

Page.Pre.liminary astronomical report, by Astronomical A88istant J. H. Clark. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

APPENDIX B.Preliminary astronomical report, by Astrono1!lical Assistant William W. Maryatt... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

APPENDIX C.Report of Lieut. W. J,. Marshall, Corps of Engineers, upon sextant astronomical observations. . . . . . . . . . . 41


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of the season.Second Lieut. Wallace Mott, Eighth United States Infantry, was in charge of the infantrytroops, forming part of the escort, in addition to which duties he, in several cases, assisted inastronomical and meteorological observations.At many times during the season each of these officers was placed ill executive charge of afield party.The Medical Department provided for the wants of the parties, one surgeon and one hospitalsteward; the former, Dr. H. C. Yarrow, has acted both as surgeon and naturalist, taking chargeof the operations in both spheres of duty. llospitalSteward T. V. Brown, a member of the expedition of 1871, performed, in addition to his accustomed military labors, those of an observer withmeteorological instruments.


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.1 l1CSIrC to state that thanks are due to lihe several omcers an a ClVUlan al:lSistanUi engagedupon the work, without whose individual sympathy with their duties the operations of the 8C88Oncould not have been brought to 80 successful a termination.


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In this department, labors were successfully carried on by five topographers in as many distinctparties. Their efforts for the season in the measuremeut of bases at the main stations, in the occu-pation of a great number of secondary triangulation stations, and, in burn, the subsidiary pointsalong a large number of mountain ranges, have a.ggregated a mass of material more than suffi-ciently elaborate for the construction of the topographical sheets on a scale of one inch to eightmiles as proposed. Their labors, one a:d all, are worthy of commendation. In special cases, forthe expression of certain geological and allied features, more details have been gathered, andthe results can be expressed upon a larger scale. llowever, the scale above mentioned, whichwill also be adopted for the larger portion of the geological atlas, will be ample for the delineationin color of the surface' exposure of the different geological formations noted. Details obtained with

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horary changes, oolliiJiDed 'nth monthly and other means, wiii ue embraced in \ 'oitlRle i i i of thopublished quarto series of the survey.

GEOLOGICAL.The f o l l o w i n ~ assistants have carried on their labors in this department during the season:Messrs. G. K. Gilbert and E. E. Howell. The progress report from the former is herewith, andmarked Appendix D.I t is proposed from year to year to so combine the personnel of the several field-partiesas to be able to make as soon as possible a connected geological surTey as well as a topographical one.The time heretofore allowed to the geologists has not been sufficient for such a purpose.

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Exploral.!ons and SurveysWesl of the I O O t . b } l . ~ r l d l a n

Exped Ii lOti of 187Z

\ ) ~ 1 . P \Jf-,.~ ~ ~ I"?/.,',1-,;.\ ~ J , : ' :11 ,v" " r H N l ' . " \ ~

CAMP AT BEAVER, BELKNAP PEAK AND VICINITY. UTAH.5 c l' i ( ~ ,. 2:

P r ~ s Report PI,li.(: 11.

Lleul.Geo MWheeler. Corps of Eng(s , , OIlldg.


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t


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L l e u t G e o M W h ~ e l e r , C o r p s of E n g r ' s , r o m d ~

RAjN SCU LPTU RE -SALT CREEK CANON- UTAH


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I t has been considered that the prof(.'s:'IlonaI uses of photography, as au ud j U I I \ : ; ~ I.u ii ~ U l H"Yof this character, are few, 80 far comparat.ively littlo good beyond that which isor general intermItHS expressive of the scenic foatllrtlS of specified areas. T'he material data gathered from it s useapply only to the departments of geology and natural history.

In these departments, where, as is well ontier8tood, we are obliged to leave the field of exactscience, tho special value that comes from -a geological serics of photographs results in the determination of a relative comprehension of the size and contour of tho rock-beds and of the generalfeatures of tho topograpllY of the country.Should we, by the application of skilled labor and the refinement of instrumonts, be able togive a valne to the horizontal and vertical measnrements npon a photographic picture, at once thesubject changes and an addition to positive data is gained. I have faith that this matter may be 80far advanced from it s present stage as to secure these features. Should this pro.e so or not, I


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CANON OF KANAB WASH-COLORADO RIVER-LOOKINC SOUTH.


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Star, Ophir, Long Valley, and Hualapais districts, that bid fair to become permanent camps. Inmany other l o c a l i t i ~ s where the surface-exposures found seemed to promise largely, little miningcamps have either been deserted or a limited amount of work is kept up by the hardy pioneers,only to be suspended upon the exhaustion of their supplies.

In this way a scratching only of the surface is made; and, although it t.akes long to overcomethe lost reputation of an abandoned district, still in most of these cases nothing has been doneaU toward determining the problem whether or not a compensating amount of precious metals canbe roum1 after the requisite preliminary exploration. Where work has been carried to a considerable extent and mines opened along several levels, it may prove that the ores are so meager, and,because of the large cost of the transportation of supplies and material to and from the districts,and the high price of labor, it is not a profitable investment to continue mining farther.

In many cases, after the time necessary to push forward interior communioation, and more


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.... I . . ~ __ p l ~ v p { 3 r ani! . i t ~ ! 3 started with the intention of working from that point, and has been run 220 feet. I f successful,it is expected that a railroad will be carried there. The Miller mine-ledge lies along a prominentspur between American Fork proper and a creek coming in from the north and westward. Near thetop of the ridge, from ravines of the ridge to tho westward, even to the summit, prospects are found;11ide Silver Glance, Live Yankee, &c. Pittsburgh is at the north end of the American Fork. Thedistrict bas not been sufficiently developed to determine the general direction of lodes, deposits,and stratifications, nor the relations existing between the richness of the veins and the local character of the country-rock. There is a series of deposits running at various angles. The ores aresmelting, though some milling ores have been found near the summit and opposite the Mil-ler. Gold occurs, reaching as high as $:!5 to the ton of base bullion; seldom less than $20. TheMiller Mining and Smelting Oompany have the only reduction works yet erected, consisting of


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tho Emma Hill. Still farther westward, we come to Frederick Hill and Davenport Ilill, north anlleast from Grizzly Flat. In Vallejo the harder the rock the richer the ore, and vice 'Versa. Themetamorphosed monntainlimestone has no regular dip; the strike is to the eastward, the entirebed resting on quartzite. The ores are worked by the smelting process so far. In certain minesthere are indications of a change towards milling ore. Galena ore averages to yield (according to}Ir. McDonald) between $90 and '100. The ore in the Windsor mine is the most likely to changeinto milling ore. Assays show the presence of gold in the silverbearing ores. In Superior Gnlchcertain silver bearing ores near the surface bave given as high as $40 per ton. The principalmines pow worked are the Emma, Flagstaff, Davenport, South Star, Savage, Montezuma, Grizzly,Hiawatha, Last Chance No.2, Highland Ohief, Ohio, Frederick, Titus, 'Wellington, Pocahontas,Enterprise, Peruvian, Ida Brown, Lapham, and Lexington. The first sixteen are well developed


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This district was discovered in 1864, and located, as the Big Cottonwood mining-district, March17, 1870. I t has been worked continuously ever since. The area CQvered by mineral croppings isabout forty square miles. The ores found are smelting. Assays show the presence of small percentages of gold in the silVE'lr-bearing ores. The principal mines now worked are the Reed andBenson, Comet and Robert Emmet, (near the Reed and Benson,) Marine, Pannacca, and Kingsberg,(Mineral Fork,) Sailor's Jack, Provo, McDougall, aud Homeward Bound, (Kesler's Peak,) Richmond,Theresa, Congress, Davenport, Wellington, Highland Chief, Prince of Wales, and Wandering Boy,(Silver Fork,) Beckwith, Casper, and Wahsatch, (Honeycomb,) Ontario, Mullen Zook, Evergreen,(South Fork of Mineral Fork,) Mountain Lake, Brighton, Day, Bemoth, and Mastodon, (SilverLake,) Elgin, Eclipse, Scott, and Golden Era , (Scott Hill,) and Maxfield. There is one smeltingfurnace, the Hawk-Eye, not running at present.


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nearly the same, including transportation and expense of construction.. The average cost for miningtbe ore is from .4 to .6 per ton; mining labor averages .3.50 to .4 per diem. One man can extractabout 2 tons of ore per day. Tbe average cost of running a drift on a main vein is .10 per foot;grain costs 3 to 4 cents per pound; hay, .25 per ton; no facilities for ra.isin g farm-produce. Thereis a good stock range. The sources of supply are the Mormon settlements in Juab and Utab, Utah Territory. Tbere is plenty of wood for fuel, but no good timber on the mountains and foot-hilltl. Timberis hauled moretban thirty miles from the Wahsatchat a cost of 4icents per foot. Water is limited;about Eureka and Homansville are several good springs; elsewhere in the district water can befound by sinking wells iu the canous from 30 to 95 foot. Tbe dis trict contains 600 inhabitants.Tbere is one stage-line, (Wells, Fargo & Co.,) bu t no regular freight-lines. At present, it is fifty'miles to the terminus of the Utah Southern Railroad, which will eventually run within twenty-four

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.Boy, ]!'anny Fern, Galena, Spanish, Saturn, Crresus, and Last Chance.The Winamuck mine, Winamuck County, (on the ground of Messrs. Daggett & Bristol,) isdescribed as follows: Strike southeast; dip 330 northeast; foot-wall quartzi te; hanging wall analtered sandstone impregnated with metalliferous minerals; ,-ein-matter quartzose un oxidizedore, argentiferolls galena, pyrite present as au impurity, slight copper-stains; thickness of vein 18feet; average5 to 6 feet; fissure-walls good, iu places couspicuous. Principal body of ore reachedis oxidized, the lead being in the form of au o x i d e ~ and the silver (supposed to be) in that of chloride. There are two tunnels on the vein, 450 and 500 feet; incline, 260 feet. Lit tle Stocking, locatedon the south side of calion, one mile below Monument. Mine was bonded by present owners, andafter exploration, purchased of original locators (eighteen months ago) for t13,000; since which, it

bas been put in the English market. Twenty-five men are employed.


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stroke, 42 inches. The ore is drie


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are a few small springs. The district contains but two inhabitants. The countryroads are good.NORTH STAR DISTRICT, UTAH.

[From DOtes famished by Mr. G. K. Gilbert.]This district was discovered March 8, 1871, and organized November 9,1871, and worked continuously since that time. Nearest railroadcommunication is via Fillmore to the Utah SouthernRailroad, a distance of one hundred and ninety miles. The area covered by miueral croppings isabout three miles east and west by six miles north and east. The mining.ledges lie aloug thesummit and along both slopes. Trend is north and south. The general direction of lodes, &c., isnortheast and southwest. The veins cross the countryrock at all angles. The richest veins are


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countryroaus are good. No Indians.LINCOLN DISTRICT, UTAH.

[From notes furnished by Mr. G. K. Gilbert.]The mines in this district were discovered in 1859, and included (with Granite district) in thePioneer district in 1860; reorganized January 16, 1871, and worked until November, 1871. Thedevelopments are in an arc one mile by onehalf mile, trending northwest, and including GrnndySpring. The miningledges are on the south face of Mineral Granite range, which trends northand south. General strike of strata and veins is west and south. Dip of both is easterly. The oresare chiefly of smelting grade; assays show the presence of gold in the silver.bearing ores; goldhas also been found by panning. There are no miues worked at the present time. No mill. The


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Blue Olaud, on the southern side of the canon, about three-fourths of a mile from Websterand Homestead to the west, 250 feet above the valley. Vein 4 feet, running north and south. Tunnel 31 feet long; little denloped. Assays $250.Springtown, one-fourth mile west of the former and on about the same level. Tunnel 82 feetlong; ledge running north and south; 4 feet wide; picked ores assay from '600 to $800. Work,as a general rule, never less than '125; considerable copper and silver blend occurring; gold 25per cent.Belcher, about 100 yards west and 80 feet above Springtown; narrow vein in quartzite; tunnel40 feet 101lg; assays from $160 to $190; not much developed; direction of vein northeast andsouthwest.Niagara, about one-fourth mile to the southwest of Belcher, and about 120 feet below; in the


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'this district was organized in August, 1871, but not yet worked. I t is located eight miles westof Cedar City. The area covered by mineral croppings is about 190 square acres. There are nodevelopments, except dam to reservoir, and a few roads. Trend of longer axis is north and south,Mining-ledges run northwest and southeast; main range running east and west. The claims aresituated in a gap opening sontheast and northwest, in the northern portion of the Iron Mountains.Foot-hills and spurs trend north and south and northeast and southwest. The general direction ofthe ledges is northwest and southeast i the lodes dip and strike the country-rock perpendicular,and no relation is found to exist between the country-rock and the veins, except a sl ight iron coloring of the former. The ores are hematite and magnetic. The ores in this district have a muchfiner grain than those at Iron City, and seem to be richer by 10 to 15 per cent. The average yieldis 75 per cent. Some of the ores have been worked by the Mormons about sixteen years ago, atCedar City, with .tolerably good success, considering the imperfect furnace erected there-at that


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cipal miues are sliver. The East Ledge, shalt pei'pendiCUlai', feet; l\lonswr, shaft perpendicular, 60 feet; Putnam, shaft perpendicular, 25 feet; Little Brig, shaft perpendicular, 6 feet; Mammoth, Washingtou, Humboldt, North Oarolina, and others. Very little work has been done 011the four last named. Iron mines are the Duncan Ledge, on southern slope j very large deposit ofabout three-fourths of a mile in diameter in a blue limestone formation; hematite-ores, with 311excellent road from Iron City; distance about four miles northeast; ore contains 74 per cent. pureiron j about three-fourths of a mile northeast of this ledge a lode containing conglomerate ore ofsilver, iron, copper, and lead was discovered, (runniug east snd west.) Assays show $30 silverper ton. This lode is not considered worth working for either of the metals contained therein.Abont 300 yards north from this ledge a small arsenic vein, three-fourths of an inch, has been founel.


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2, 'CHlm: : ' , "="Agnes, Saint Patrick, and Lily. The Olive Branch tunnel runs through four lodes-Hague,Revolution, Atlantic, and Olive Branch. The mines in this distriot are only in the first stage ofdevelopment. Capital is sadly wanted, and consequently further developments can only take placeiu ('.ourse of due time. The veins and ores look very promising. Mill-site and woodlands haveno t ye t been located. There is very little water in the immediate vicinity of the mines, and woodcan only be procured at a distanee of about five to seven miles, from the high foot-hills of MountNebo. The average C O l ~ t for mining the ore is '9 per ton. The average cost of mining labor is '3per diem, and one lUan can extract one-third of a ton of ore per day. It costs $6 (average) perfoot to run a drift on a main vein. There are no chances for a decrease in mining expenses.Grain is $1 per bushel; hay, $10 per ton. Salt amI Willow Creeks (24 and 18 inches respectively)4W


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\\"iL.u ieutl c h a l a c t e l " n ~ L i C O ; jjUlio have Deeii lliiHetl. "l."I.,ie dUSLi"lct has .lu LO iHiia,tlilc"j,ijl,s, who ha,"on.o regular means of communication with other points.

PIERMONT DISTRICT NEVADA.[From notes furnished by Mr. G. K. Gilbert.]

Discovered and organized in July, 1869. The area coV"ered by mineral croppings is not grl".at.The mining-ledges are in a canon of th e east slope of th e Schell Creek range. General strike ofthe lodes, deposits, and stratifications is north and south. The ores arc free, and assays show th epresence of gold in the silver-bearing ores I i per cent. of value ill bulli(,lI. The principal mine is thePiermont. This lode is said to be folded or to occupy a fold, and it s two parts dill east and westat 450 ; extreme depth, 150 fep,t; total shaft and illcline, 5;")0 feet,; tUlIlleftl, 1,0"" fl'ct. One thou-


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are very good. There are about 100 men, women, and children of the Goshute tribe of Indians inthe vicinity. SAN FRANCISCO DISTRICT.

rFrom notes fnrnished by Mr. Francis Klett.]Discovered May 23 and organized June 1, 1872, and has been worked continuously since organi.zation. The nearest railroadcommunication is one bundred and seventy miles. The area coveredby mineral croppings is supposed to be 30,000 acres; the miningledges run parallel with themonntain.range situated on divides between canons. The general direction of lodes, deposits, andstratifications is north and south; dip to the west. 'rho ores are sulphurets and bromides, andIUIsays show the proscnce of gold ill small quantities. The principal mines are Secnrity ledge, Mc-


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basins.In turn, the amount of rain-fall pe r sqnare mile in the great interior basin is very much less than

that over the Colorado basin, aud bears bu t a small ratio to that known to exist in the basin of theColumbia.I t is unfortunate that we have so little systematic data at typical points thronghout theseareas upon which to base a numerical calculation as to either relative or positive amounts of ' precipitation. A physical distinction of the most marked character is found in tracing the course ofany stream in the interior basin f r o ~ its monntain source or sources to its valley-sink. Most frequently, until the stream emerges from t h ~ mountains, the cnrrent is swift, and the average fall, theerosive agents of nature that are constantly acting upon the sedimentary strata and other rock-

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case admit of the practical elucidation of the problem.From the large amount of humidity gathered along the crests of the Rocky Mountains andotber parts of tbe dividing ridge of the continent, from the thirty-fifth to the forty-ninth parallel,there seems to be but little doubt that a comprehensive canal-system would direct such a volume

of water to accessible points now arid upon tbe plains, along the eastern flanks of these ridges, asto make it a matter of sufficient interest to have, in connection with the general topographical survey of that region, a series of special contours marked out, intersecting the axial lines of thebasins at altitudes somewhat greater than the generql contour of the conn try lying to the eastward.Large tracts in these sections would then, if irrigation ensue, become agricultural. Farther eastward, the sinking of the artesian wells ought to be 8uccessrul if points are carefully selected, andvast grazing-fields become habitable for stock. I will here state that the objects to be gained by


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----------_.


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lDate and subject to much modification, still that the probabilities are in favor of assigning at least200,000,000 acres to this class.In this entire portion to which an application of the system may be made, it needs bu t a singleglance to determine that this question becomes a natiollal one.

The objects to be gn,ined by irrigation are m,my, and will from year to year be better under-stood. I t is plain that the Government can afford to IDflke large temporary sacrifices of parcels ofthis land, as it would in return reap the remUlleriLtion to enSU6 froID the enhanced value of territorynow entirely add.Should the gl1ueral S . P ~ t t l l l l of irriga.tion in all or l>art of the dOlllJoin west of the Mississil>pi bedetermined upon, the Rubject will naturally receive full and earnest consideration at the hands ofCongreRs whell p r o p e r l ~ ' represented by the difl'erent Stntes and Territories.


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. . . ,"n' ' ' '6 the area OI t i le many ~ i u ' u ; . ; , U - ' < i U " I K ; U valleys among the interior basins, and eliminating from it the area of sandexposure, and that ofa few half-mesa gravelly beds that protrude into them from the base of the foot-hills, we have apretty general view of the amount of lund araule, or that may be made such, in the State ofNevada, portions of Utah, California, and Arizona, so far as my experience reaches. Take fromthat tlte very small amount which is apparently arable, nuder rude method!!! of irrigation, and wehave left that amount which, if artificially irrigated, might be made productive, thereby largelyenhancmg the value of onr public domain. I t is believed that in certain localities where underlying clay and marl beds more neady approach the surface, by deep planting most of. the grainsand vegetables can be raised without artificial irrigation at the 8urfa(!c. This has been prmellin Parahnagat Valley, Nevada. Indeed, the Moqnis anl1 Zuni Pueblo Indians of Arizona aud


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tribute would, at least as much as those lauds known as double-miuimum lands, afford an iucreasedrevenne from their sale.

ROUTES OF COMMUNICATION.The examinations of the present year give data from which certain conclusions may be drawnregarding the locus of prominent lines of interior communication. This refers more especiaUy tothose lines that depart but little from a northern and southern direction.The constantly accumulating series of profiles along lines of various azimuths create a recordfrom which much may be drawn at such time in the future as the growing wants of interior com-munication call for t.he opening of new rontes. West of the dividing ridge of the contineut, between

the parallels of 490 aud 320 north latitude: most of the routes of interior commuuication must for-5w


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ernment bas boon made to comanue the construction or tnese roads. Here and there, in the vicinityof military posts, the troops have been called npon for some little labor in local constructions. I twonld, in my opinion, be wise economy on tile part of the Government to inaugurate anew the surveys and estimates for the construction of more accessible routes between the several militaryestablishments of the interior, govemed by necessities for their supply, possibility of the movementof troops in the change of stations or in operations against the Indians, or in placiug of the military force with celerity at points where they may be called upon to sustain the civil law. If, forinstance, it costs 2 cents per pound per hundred miles fro:n, we will RAY, Santa F ~ , to transportsupplies by contract south or westward 011 existiug roads for this ye'ar, and during this year a roadshall have been improved 25 per cent. on a new route discovered and opened, impro\"ing travel bythis amount; then, in subsequent years, if the contract were not Ii cents per pound per hundredmiles, it certainly would be less than 2 cents per pound per hundred miles. With very Htt.le trouble,


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liualapais LLU lU l IUd l l l ' V IU IJ ,persons who have reached the summit of the low divide joining Hualapais Valley with the washthat leads to the river from the south, about three-fourths of a mile below the mouth of the GrandWash. Reaching the head of the Hualapais Valley, one road might diverge to the mines in theCerbat range, an.d another to those in the Hualapais range, as branches from the main route.The total distance of the shortest of these routes from Salt Lake to Prescott is five hundredand eighty-five miles. The most direct r o u t ~ from Salt Lake City to the south, until lati tude 37030' is reached, is the present traveletI stage-route to Nephi; thence entering the vaUey of theSevier, Gunnison is reached, anti following it to it s h e a d ~ whence by a low valley divide the KanabCreek can be gained. At this point a series of flank movements to the east will be necessary, inorder to reach the first practicable crossing of the Colorado at the mouth of Paria Creek. Theprofiles from whence the information might be derived as to the route from the head of Kanab


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th e limit of vegt"wtioii.Our land-surveys have not reached many of the areas covered by the forests, hence theadventurous squatter has full possession, and consumes the property which he temporariJy enjoys

at will. The result very naturally appears as an improvident wastage of forest-products, with noreturn to the Government, and with the danger, at an early day, of the most damaging decimationof the forests containing trees of t.he kinds above mentione9. I t would Reem wise that the Government, through some of its branches, should take cognizance of this matter, and, by legal enactmentor otherwise, stay the fearful cutting of timber, which, in connection with the many mining-towns,agricnltural settlements, and military posts, will fast bring about the disappearance of forestproducts that in time must have an effect upon the local climates.UnfortunateJy the small areas that are under cultivation bring about no opposite to this stateof affairs by the creation of other areas of increased exportation.


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Lake and in the San Rafael, that have not yet accepted the offers of the Government,'and havethus far been on no reservation. The settlers on the Upper Sevier, until as late as 1868, have hadfrequent difficulties with these Indians, and it was necessary at one time for the former to withdraw. Of later years, there has beeu a better feeling existing, and these Indians could, doubtless, beconsolidated with the Uintah and White River Utes, on a reservation iu that vicinity. The Seovietzare a small nomadic tribe, who live by hunting, upon roots, mice, &c., along parts of the valley ofthe Colorado, in the Grand Wash, and numerous canons and narrow valleys that lead into it. Hereand there they plant small fields of corn, wheat, squashes, and melons, but the amouut raised furnishes only a small share of their subsistence. South of the Colorado, about New Creek and Diamond Creek, they are quite successful in hunting, but to thE\ north they live a squalid and miserableexistence. At the date of our crossing the Colorado, a party of volunteers and Pah-Utes, aboutseventy in number, bad just been collected to go on a scout with General Crook agains t the Apaches.


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continue to recede bef


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L 1 \! ; '1! I , ! !

Lleul Geo M'Wheeler, Corps of E n g r ' ~ , Com. ,',::

CRAND CANON OF THE COLORADO-MOUTH OF KANAB WASH, LOOKINC EAST.


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i

I


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vne c.l:uei: topographer;One ass istant topograpber and meteorologist;One geologist;One:collector;One odometer-recorder; andEigbt engineer-soldiers.

MAIN FIELD-PARTY No.3.One officer of engineers, executive and astronomical duty;One officer of tbe line, assisting;One cbief topographer;


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It has been fonnd that, where an executiveOmoor is caiied upon to carry ou field astronomicalobservations, the duties of his position become too arduous; hence he should have assistance,80 that the executive aud astronomical duties may be divided up between the two persons.

For assisting astronomical parties and to protect the public property and animals of the working field-force, I have thought it wise to suggest that a special detail, to consist of two sergeants,three corporals, and twenty-five enlisted men of the engineer-battalion, be stationed near the observatory-site at Ogden, Utah; said station to be ill charge of an engineer-officer selected for thatpurpose.

At this point could be established an interior depot of supplies, which is quite necessary forthe economic interests of the service, and as a matter of convenience to the survey.


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One naturalist; andThree collectors.One photographer; andOne artist.Three draugbtsmen.Twenty-four engineer-soldiers.

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NATURAL HISTORY.

GENERAL.

OFFICE.

ESCORT.

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iornia; a final report of tbat year goes forward to the present Oongress, in answer to call of tbatbody of January 9, 1873. A preliminary report and map of the o p e r a t i o m ~ of 1871 appeared in,bespring of 1872. Tbe progress-report for the year 1872 is herewith.A variety of office-publications bave been necessary as aids to the compilation of the immensemass of topographical and other material gathered by the survey.

SCHEME FOR PUBLIOATION OF RESULT8.The annual report submitted to the Chief ,of Engineers, .June 30,1873, presents the schemeproposed for tbe pUblications pertaining to the survey tbus far, as follows:I t is proposed to group the material at disposal into tbe following form:1st. Six 'luarto volumes.


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- ---.............- - - - - - ~ EXPLORATIONS AND SURVEYS "WEST 0'1' mE ONE-HUNDREDTH ME

r

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has been KlnQly furntsueu trom the records of theI!Jogilleer uepartment. Although it s compilationwas exceedingly hasty, most of the information which it contains has been accurately transferred.The rontes laid down are only those resulting from the expeditions where maps have beenrendered to the Burean of Engineers for pnblication or for use in the compilation of their generaltopographical maps, and cannot be expected to embrace tbe large number of military expeditionsof various characters that have been directed from the headquarters of the several geographicaland military departments of the interior.This map has been extremely valuable for a variety of officeuses in connection with the compilation of our finished maps, and will form the basis of a series of topographical and other mapsof this scale, proposed for publication from time to time.


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of Oambridge, Mass. The chronograph was also used to record the observations for time. Theseautomatic signa.ls were excha.nged six evenings; besides, there was one evening of ordinary signals.For latitude there was a list from the British Association Oatalogue of about 40 pairs, most ofwhich were measured from six to eight times, and will give some 175 results. The apllroximatelatitude is 410 07l' ; longitude, 28m 20- east of Salt Lake observatory.

FORT FRED STEELE.For the determinations at Fort Steele, as also at the subsequent station, Laramie Oity, the

instruments used were the same as those employed at Oheyenue, and they were mounted in thesame manner. The observatory here was very favorably situated in respect to the ja r and smokeof the trains; there was a deep ravine between it and the track, and, being on the west side, it wasto the windwarrl.


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APPENDIX B.PRELIMINARY AS'fRONOMIOAL REPORT, BY WILLIAM W. MARYATT, A ~ T R O N O M

ICAL ASSISTANT.UNITED STATES ENGINEER OFFICE,

EXPLORATIONS AND SURVEYS WEST OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH MERIDIAN,Washington, D. G., February 18, 1873.Sm: In compliance with your instructions, I have the honor to su1)mit the following brief preliminary report of my observations for latitudes and longitudes during the field-season of 1812:Observations were condncted by me at the following-


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On evenings when exchanges of signals were effected, observations for two independent determinations were made, one series preceding and the other im mediately following the exchange.

TELEGRAPHIO SIGNALS.Telegraphic signals for difference in longitude were exchanged with President BrighamYoung's observatory in Temple Square, Salt Lake Oity, with which th e requisite connectionswere made at the first two stations by the Deseret Telegraph-Line, (A. M. Musser, superintendent,)

and at the last by a wire of the Atlantic and Pacific line, (J . J. Dicky, superiutendent.)The Salt Lake observatory was in charge of Mr. Edward P. Austin, principal astronomicalobserver to the expedition.The exchanges consisted, first, in receiving, during an interval of five minutes, in addition to


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and circum-meridiau altitudes of the same body and altitudes of Polaris.for latitude.When the camps were for a single night , east and west stars were observed for time, and Polarisand, when practicable, south stars for latitude.At all rendezvous-camps, and partioularly at main astronomical stations, t.he observations weremultiplied.By comparing the results at the latter points with those obtained by the use of more perfectinstruments, the limit of probable error at the sextant-stations may be found.

LONGITUDE.Throughout the season, M. S. box-chronometer No. 1501 by Myers, and pocket-chronometer

No. 1497 by Frodsham, were carried by Lieutenant Hoxie, and M. S. b o x - c h ~ n o m e t e r s No. 1521


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chiefly composed of crushed and altered Paleozoic strata, al ternate with somewhat broader valleys,half filled with the waste of the mountains; in the southeastern, which belongs to the plateauregion of the Upper Colorado, the rocks.vstem, ranging from the Tertiary to the Devonian, is comparatively undisturbed, and denudation has left its harder beds in a succession of steps. A se tof parallel faults across these steps cuts them into a system of limited tables, which are sothoroughly drained by tributaries of the Colorado and Sevier Rivers that the valley-deposits interfere little with geological examinations, while deep canons afford frequent natnral sections. In th efOrmer province ~ r a n i t o i d rocks are of frequf'nt occurrence, and in both are considerable areasoccupied by lavas. Metalliferous vei ns are almost entirely confined to the former; bu t the lattercontains coal inexhaustible in quant ity and widely distributed.From the great diversity of material aftorded by this field, I have selected for brie f mentionhere a few facts of semewhat general interest.


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slight antiquity. The majority of them were covered by the lake; but a few have been formed sincethe subsidence, and these are so fresh as to be absolutely devoid of vegetation.These features of the Hooding of Great Salt La.ke Valley, namely, that it m a r k ~ d a temporaryclimatal extreme, and that it s occurrence was, geologicaUy speaking, very recent, lead me to regardit as contemporary with the general glaciation of the northern portion of the continent, Rnd withthe formation of the numerous local glaciers of western mountain-systems, and to consider it, incommon with them, a phenomenon of the Glacial epoch. While the general climatal change thatcaused or accompanied that epoch (depression of' temperature, carrying with it decrease of evaporation, if not increase of precipitation) may be adduced as the cause of the inundation of Utah,there is no reason to suppose that the relath'e humidities of the v ~ r i o u s portions of the continentwere greatly changed; and this consideration will aid in accounting for the c u r i o l l ~ fact that tbe;,

7w


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and are intimately associated with ridges of upheaval. The regular alternations of curved anticlinals and syncliuals of the Appalachians demand the assumption of great horizontal diminutionof the space covered by the disturbed strata, and suggest lateral pressure as the immediate forceconcerned; while in the Cordilleras, the displacement of comparatively rigid bodies of stmta byvertical or nearly vertical faults involves little horizontal diminution, and suggests the applicationof vertical pressure from below. For theRe reasous, and others that will be adduced in the finalreport, I regard the forces that have npheaved the Cordilleras as distinctively deep-seated, producing, in a portion of the earth's crust below the immediate surface, inequalities, perhaps nndulations, in adjusting to whicb, under gravity, tbe upper portion of the crust bas assumed the formswe see.

, The po88ibility of the formation of glaciers and their magnitude at au;v point depend on precipitation no 1 _ thantemperature.


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FIG. 2. Ideal aootiou of valley between moontain ridges, m "1 i II, imperviolls bed i w, well.this is not likely to be fulfilled in a narrow valley among the Oordilleras, but may in a broad onl'.I can think of no place where I should be more confident of artesian water than on the Great SaltLake Desert-say on the jornada between Granite Rock and Redding Spring-but pure watl'rcould not be expected from the bottom of a basin so perfectly land-locked. Some point on theAmargosa Desert, or in Ralston's Valley or Big Smoky Valley, Nevada, would be more likely toafford it.To pierce the indurated rocks, a locality should be selected where those of the adjacent rangedip toward the valley with such inclination and uniformity HS to promise continuity below the

Identified by a comparison of fossils by Mr. F. B. Meek.


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52 EXPLORATIONS AND SURVEYSvaJIey-deposits, and where, too, the rocks comprise a. proper successiou of permeable and impermeable strata.

FIG. 3. Ideal monntain-section: 4, impervions strata j b, water-bearing strata j w, well.Such localities are very numerous, but are usually so well watered that there is uo demand forartesiau wells. Exception may be made of the western base of the Fi sh Oreek range, Utah, near

its northern extremity; of the eastern base of the same range, near Sevier Lake; of the easternbase of the Beaver Oreek range, Utah; of the western base of the Oedar range, Utah; and ofthe western base of the Pahranagat range, under Quartz Mountain, Nevada. The most favorableof these st.ations are the two last mentioned, but none of them give nnequivocal promise of snccessA C K N O W L E D G ~ I E N T S .

My own work bas been flopplemented throughout the season by tbat of tbe assis taut geologistMr. E. E. Howell, and tbe data presented above are in part from bis notes. I am speciallyindebted.to Messrs. Gilbert Thompson and Francis Klett, of the Topogropbical Corps, for valuablenotes and collections from points not visited by the geologists, and I gratefully acknowledge thecheerful cooperation and assistance of all the officers and other gentlemen of the party. Our tbanks are tendered to Prof. J. E. Olayton, of Schellbourne, Nev., and to Mr. JobnHarris , of Glendale, Utah, for valuable fossils.Very respectfully, your obedient servant,GEORGE M. WHEELER,First Lielttenant United States Engineers, in charge.

A PPEN D I X E.

G . K. GILBERT,OMej Otological Assistant.

REPORT UPON NATURAL-HISTORY OOLLEOTIONS, BY ACTING ASSISTANT SURGEON H. O. YARROW: SURGEON AND NATURALIST.UNITED STATES ENGIlI.'EER OFFICE,

EXPLORATIONS AND SURVEYS WEs'r OF ON E HUNDREDTH MERIDIAN,Washington, D.O., January 8, 1873.Sm: In accordance with verbal instructions received from you, I have the honor to submit

the following preliminary report of the work and collections made in natural history during themonths of Jnly,August, September, October,November, and December, 1872, in Utah, Nevada, andArizona., by the expeditIon under your command. Our labors in natural history may be said to havecommenced from the time of our arrival at Salt Lake City, Utah; for, during tbe unavoida.ble delayincident upon organizing so large an expedition, nearly every moment was occupied in studyingand co])ecting specimens in the vicinity of Salt Lake Oity and Provo, Utah, and I am glad to beable to state that our researches were richly rewarded. The Great Salt Lake was viRited, and itswaters carefully examined for forms of animal life; but with the exception of Artemia jerlilis, a( ~ u r j o u s crustacean, (lescribed by Prof. A. E. Verrill, of Yale Gollege, some time since, nothing wasfound. From certain newspaper and popular reports, we had been led to believe there existed inthe lake a representative of the g e n ~ s Anguilla, (eels;) but after a close and careful e:xaminat\on ofthe bottom of the lake for upward of sixty miles, no Boch fish could be seen; in short, uo fish


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lucuS WCla also secured, and ,Viil ptuuauiy i)imuye valuable IU iu(3,gasiug \luI"' knOWledge uf tha SOllio"what limited flora of Utah. I t is an interesting fact, and worthy of mention, that in Provo is theonly locality in all Utah in which the common garden or angle worm is fonnd. They are not native,but were introdnced by Doctor Roberts, of tbis city, and have increased to snch an extent as tocompletely boney-comb the soil of an the gardens of the vicinity, and in this way greatly assist inirrigation. To the same pnblic-spirited gentleman, the settlers are indebted for the introdnctionofthe common eastern quail, (Ortyx. VirgianUB., Bonap.,) which is constantly increasing to snch a degreeas to bid fair in a tew years to o\"'errun the entire western conntry. After leaving Provo and pro-

At this place onr attention Willi called to a fish numerons in winter, called by the Mormons" mountain-herring j "UPOIl iuvestigation, much to onr surprise, this Willi found to be a species of whitefish, (CortgOJlIUI WilliarRllOlli,) a nativeof the fauna of Puget Sound. From t.he bll8in of the Great Salt Lake it hllll never been chronicled before, and thisi n t e r e s t i n ~ fact is mentioned l1li showing oue of the many valuable items of geographical distribntion established bythe expedItion. It was also found in the Sevier, near Panquitch.


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swamp-sparrow, (JfiloBpiza palust1'is, Baird,) whose previous geographical range was from theAtlantic Eastern States to the Missouri, aud Abert's Towhee, (Pipeto Abertii, Baird,) an individnalheretofore found only in New Mexico, Arizona, and California. We secured this bi rd also at SaintGeorge, and about ten miles northward from that city we were fortunate enongh t.o capture a finecactus-wren, (Oampy torh!lnchwJ brunneicapillus, Gray,) a species found in California, New llexico,and Arizona, but never before in Utah. Passing np the valley of the Santa Clara River, we wereovertaken by a severe hail-storm, which effectually drove away all the migratory birds, and fordays no specimens were seen except a few jays and ravens. At Beaver we had a few days pleasan t weather; but after this, during the entire trip to Provo, we had sach severe cold, that hadspecimens beeu abundant, we should have failed to collect them. At this latter point, oa r workagain commenced, and we made a fine collection of birds and fish. We here procured a valuable


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accomplished during the season of 1872, in accordance with verba.l instructions issued by yourselfin the field.The extent of the work in the department of ethnology was necessarily abridged to a consider-able degree by the rapidity of the marches consequent on the traversing of largo area.s of country,and the small amount of time that could be devoted in anyone place to the consideration of a spe-cial local topic. Another element hostile to much work in this line was the unfrieO(lly attitude inwhich the Ute and other tribes of the Territory of Utah stood to the General Government duringthe months in which the expedition held its line of march tbrough their country; which naturallyrendered intimate intercourse not only profitless but dangerous, and shut the door upon a sourceof information concerning a tribe of comparative obscurity and interesting history. An endeavorwas made, however, as far as possible, to overcome these obstacles; and the collection of data.relating to the present and past inhabitants of the country passed over will be found to be notinconsiderable.


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geon and naturalist., I am indebted for valuable aid in prosecuting the work briefly mentioned intbe above skelewn-report.I am, sil', your very obedient servant,

MAax SiBLEY SEVERANCE.Lieut. GEORGE M. WHEELER,

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Wheeler Report on Mining Districts From 1872

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