United States -Surcey of the West. 



Important additions to our knowledge of the distribution 

 of the strata and crystalline rocks of the region, of its 

 ancient glaciers, aiul of the relation of its economic min- 

 erals to its geological structure. Mr. Howell, start in g 

 with Lieut. Hoxie from S;ilt L:iko City, remained with his 

 division nearly to the end o2 the season. The earlier part 

 of the Summer was spent in a portion of the Plateau 

 region immediately east of that examined in the previous 

 year, and was largely devoted to the study of the system 

 of faults, there well displayed. At Fort Wiugate ho 

 passed though at a later date the initial point of Mr. 

 Giloeri's examinations ; ami in the area to the south the 

 principal area for that season the routes of these two 

 geologists were so near as to enable a combination of their 

 work. Dr. Loew's geological examinations moreover 

 were in this region and tracts adjacent to it. Among 

 the results of the Summer were the further definition of 

 the boundary of the Plateau continuing the work begun 

 in previous years, the recognition and partial survey of 

 souie almost unknown volcanic belts of great extent, and 

 the accumulation of many new facts in regard to the 

 great cretaceous co.il-field of the Plateau region. 



Vol. IV.. "Geology," will comprise reports by Messrs. 

 Gilbert, Marviue, Howell, and Stevenson, upon the 

 geology of the regions they have severally examined, 

 aud by Drs. Hoffman and Loew upon mineralogy and 

 chemistry. The chemical report will include analyses 

 aud discussions of soils, minerals, rocks, mineral waters, 

 coals, aud vegetable principles. Amoue the topics 

 treated in the geological reports will be " the Lignites," 

 geologically and economically considered; iron ores, 

 metalliferous veins, springs aud artesian wells, erosion, 

 mountain structure, descriptive and theoretical; stratig- 

 raphy aud the distribution of tue several formations, 

 metamorphic rocks and nietatnorphisin, eruptive rocks 

 and their distribution, and the phenomena of the glacial 

 epoch. 



The illustrations will consist principally of woodcuts 

 incorporated with the text and designed for the elucida- 

 tion of the matter rather than for mere embellish uieut. 

 Some points of structure aud especially certain peculiar 

 phases of erosion will be illustrated by full-page helio- 

 types or other prints from photographs made in. the 

 field. An atlas of geological maps, uniform iu size with 

 the topographical, and of course based upon them, will 

 accompany the report. 



MINES, MINERAL WATEKS, AC. 



More than 150 districts of precious nutal.s in the terri- 

 tory covered by the survey have been visited and ex- 

 amined as far as circumstances permitted. The reports 

 show a great number of points at which precious min- 

 erals have been discovered. Their value will be ivalizeu 

 in connection witii the geological and other investiga- 

 tions, aud the mining localities will be indicated iu the 

 maps. The want felt of comprehensive aud accurate 

 maps of the mouutuiu areas about which so little is 

 known has repeatedly been called to the attention of 

 Lieut. Wheeler by prominent meu botii iu public and 

 private life, and especially since the discovery of pre- 

 cious minerals has awakened a new aud vast field of in- 

 dustry in those distant regions. 



Mineral waters have been collected at various points, 

 and in the more interesting cases several gallons of the 

 water were evaporated, the residuum being kept for a 

 more exact determination of those that occur only in 

 email quantities. 



The most interesting mineral springs were those of 

 'Qjos Calieutes," ou the Jemez Creek, about 50 miles 

 west of Santa Fe. These springs are situated in a deep 



but spacious canon, tho wal's of which are ovor 1,500 

 feet in higbt. The creek rushes through over u rock v 

 bed with great rapHit> , and s.mi Mexican tanners 

 have built huts along the margin. Hprlnas ..r tbis class 

 are invariably warm, the cold springs showing limited 

 if any mineral qualities. 



The principal warm spring is in continuous ami vio- 

 lent action, a current ol'carbonic acid cs,":iuii!r thron-h 

 the water, wlttch has a temperai niv of n;'/> F ihrenheit. 

 This water is used for bathing aud drinking by the 

 Mexicans, who flock thither. Tliis spiing \vns found to 

 contain chiefly chloride of sodium, sulpiiat of soda, c .r- 

 lioiiiite of lime, carbonate of magnesia, and chlori le of 

 lithium. Smaller springs of .similar composition, a 

 few steps from the chasm, contain, in addition, car- 

 bonate of iron, and have a lower temperature. 1U8 

 to 130. Two miles above this group of springs i.-) 

 another, quite distiucc, 42 in number, all issuing from 

 calcareous mounds, undoubtedly former spring deposits. 

 Tuere is a cave iu one of these mounds whose walls are 

 coated with glittering crystals of caloite, and two snow- 

 white columns stand iu front. Tneso springs contain, 

 beside the above-mentioned substances, carbonate of 

 soda, their temoerature ranging from 80 to 105. A. 

 quantitative analysis has been made from springs oi bod 

 groups, aud will be reported in the final volum s. 

 The&e springs have some similarity to those iu 

 Marieubad, Bohemia, and undoubtedly deserve 

 attention. At some future tima wo may here find 

 one of our fashionable watering-places. Mineral springs 

 in the caflou of the Rio Francisco at San Isidro ami 

 other localities, have been carefullr examined. Lithia 

 was found accompanying the soda salts ; borat.es, whicii 

 are so frequently encouncered iu Nevada, have not been 

 fouud yet in New-Mexico and Arizona. 



A FARMER BECOMES A MINER. 



An extensive collection of ores from New-Mexico aud 

 Colorado was made. Tuese will be subjected to analysis. 

 There is a vein of rod oxide of copper of 80 feet width 

 and 3 feet hight, iu quartzite, iu the vicinity of the 

 Rio Francisco. A deposit of silicate and green 

 carbonate of copper of about the same hight and 

 of a width of 46 feet occurs on the Burro Mountains. 

 Some new copper mines were discovered by the parties 

 of the expedition on Mount Turn bull aud in the Gila 

 Valley near the Rio Bonito. The silver mines of New- 

 Mexico are extensive, containing chloride of silver, na- 

 tive silver, argentiferous galena, and argentiferous iron 

 pyrites in many places. A characteristic ore is the de- 

 posit of chloride of silver in. slate and silenite at Silver 

 City. On the Madelina ruts occur argentiferous cer- 

 russite and massicote. Gold is louud in various places 

 in sand alona- the Rio Francisco and the Rio Meuibres; 

 iu quartz sandstone, talc, and soil on the Placer Moun- 

 tains. One farmer in the vicinity of Silver City sub- 

 jected the soil of his corn-field to a washing, and 

 obtained such favorable results that he sunk a shaft. 

 The profit of his labors last year was $1,800 m gold. 



The region above 7,000 feet receives nightly dews, aud 

 has occasional springs aud abundance of timber aud 

 grass. The country below this altitude sutlers from the 

 dryuess of the climate, but the streams are often 

 flanked by belts of good bottom lauds that may be irri- 

 gated. A report will be made describing m detail tlie 

 auds suitable for farming. Iu New-Mexico aud Ari- 

 zona many soils were analyzed. Lithia was present In 

 all of them a substance not so common iu other coun- 

 ries. Potassa and phosphoric acid were found iu all in 

 sufficient proportions to insure production of crops. 

 In Mime localities the soil contains ad uiuoh 



