United States Survey of the West. 



87 



EARLY EXPLORATIONS AT THE WEST. 



! England. Germany, Spaiu, Russia and Franco have 

 i made elaborate surveys and maps of their respective 

 territory, the value of which is incalculable. In onr own 

 country the most, finished and exact have been those of 

 the coast, along which the principal interests were for a 

 Ions time situated ; next came the survey of the great 

 lakes. The results of each of these undertakings are 

 in the highest degree creditable to the officers engaged, 

 and they have proved of groat benefit to the country. 



] The earliest history of survevs and exploration In our 

 Western interior is found in the chronicles and adven- 

 tures of the old Spanish and French travelers and mis- 

 sionaries. Their experience and the wonders wnich they 



! relate are still full of interest, although the information 

 they gained has been superseded by more accurate and 

 detailed reports. One of the last and most entertaining 

 of this class of historians was Padre E-icalanta, a Span- 

 ish priest, who penetrated from the Gulf of Mexico to 

 the Great S lie Like of Utah. Some of the records of his 

 travels are yet in the State Library at Santa F6, N. M., 

 others among the archives of the Spinish Government 

 at Madrid. 



The first to attempt an organized survey were Capts. 

 Lewis and Clark, who were sent out under the auspices 

 of the Government of the United States in 1804. They 

 were absent until 1806. They were followed by M-ijor 

 Pike, U. 8. A,, 1805-7, who discovered the sources of the 

 Great Colorado of the West. Rsctor and Robordean 

 were the nexr, in 1818. After them. Major G. H. Long, 

 U. S. A., conducted an exploring party, under orders 

 from the Secretary of War. The first explorers of the 

 sources of the Mississippi were Lieuts. J. Allen and 

 Schoolcraft, 1832. The wanderings of Capt. Bmneville, 

 U. S. A., from 1832 to 1836, were woven into a graceful nar- 

 rative by Washington Irving. In the order of date*, sub- 

 sequent explorations were made by the folio wing officers: 

 Commander Wilkes, U. S. N., 1838-42; Nicollet, under 

 Bureau of Engineers. 1836-44; Lieut. J. C. Fremont, Eu- 

 gineers, 1812; Cant. Boone, of the Dragoons, 18i3 ; Capt. 

 J. Allen, 1843; Lieut. Fremont, 1844-46, assisted by 

 Lieuts. Alierfc and Peck; Abort, Engineers, 1845; Frank- 

 lin, Engineers, 1846-47; Ahert and Peck, Engineers, 

 1846-47; Col. St. George Cnoke, 1846-47; W.irner, Engi- 

 neers, 1847-49 ; Derby, Engineers, 1849; Lieut. Webster, 

 Engineers. 1849; Lieut. Simpson, Engineers, 1849; Capt. 

 Mnrcy, Infantrv, 1849; Capt. Stanslmry, Engineers, 

 1849; Col. Johnson, Infantry, assisted by Lieuts. Smith, 

 Bryan and Michler, E igiueers, 1849-57 ; Lieut. Prtrke, 

 Capt. Pop?, Capt. Sitgreaves, Lieut. Woodruff, Engi- 

 neers, 1851; Capt. Marc.v, assisted by Capt. McClellan. 

 Engineers, 1852. From 1852 to 1857 the explorations and 

 surveys for a railroad, route from the Mississippi River 

 to the Paciltc Ocean were carried on, principally by 

 officers of the Corps of Topographical Engineers. The 

 resulting reports attained a worldwide reputation on 

 account of their valuable data, and to this day they are 

 frequently consulted. 



TOPOGRAPHICAL MAPS. 



To enumerate all he officers of the arm v who, fitted 

 by education and training for such work, have taken 

 part in or directed surveys in the Western Territories, Is 

 aot necessary for the purposes of this letter. There is 

 Lardly any important portion of the West that they 

 have not penetrated, and their labors have supplied the 

 basisforthe principal topographical maps of our country. 

 The Engineer Bureau of the War Department has, since 

 its organization, published several hundred maps, which 

 are the most accurate, and, conoeq.ueutly, tlie muse fre- 



quently consulted. Of the map'i I; pared and compiled 

 by Lieut, (now M>ijor-Qjn.) G. K. Warren, a l:u-gc edi- 

 tion has been distributed. It is still tin- b .,(, map of 

 Territories west of tho Mississippi K:\vr. To the com- 

 mon intelligence there is no media n that conveys in- 

 formatioii ao directly as graphic illustration. 



In tho prosecution of explorations and surveys west of 

 the 100th meridian, it has been the aim of tho officer in 

 charge so to direct tho operations that tho results wili 

 meet at least a portion of tho needs of the actual set- 

 tlers, to enable them to carry out thoir enterprises. At 

 the same time care has been taken to collect d.ita upon 

 scientific problems that are of inter 'st ami value. Tuo 

 facts ascertained by tho expedition) are promptly re- 

 duced to practical results, and the wtrlr Is vigorously 

 pushed forward to completion. The volumes dewrlbed 

 hereafter, covering the surveys of Lieut. Wheeler, will be 

 forthcoming as soon as Congress sees fit to onler the 

 publication. Photo-lithographic copies of the atlas maps 

 will be issued in advance for immediate use. 



ASTRONOMICAL WORK. 



Tne duties in this branch of the survey a*; the main 

 field stations, conducted with instruments of the most 

 approved pattern, were first undertaken in the year 

 1871, althoush in 1869, at Camp Halleck, Elko, Camp 

 Ruby, Peko, and Hamilton, Nov., longitude by tele- 

 graph had been detenninedllby connecting with the 

 Coast Survey station at San Francisco, signals having 

 been sent from that point through the kindness of Prof. 

 George Davidson of the Coast Survey and others. In 

 the year 1371 the services of two principal astronomical 

 observers were obtained, and connections were made 

 that year with the meridian of tho Naval Observatory 

 at Washington and that of the United States 

 Lake Survey at Detroit. The sending stations were 

 Carlin, Battle Mountain, and Austin, Nevada. Subse- 

 quently in the field season of that year, the astronomical 

 position of Fort George, Utah, was determined, connection 

 being made, with tho Mormon Observatory at Salt Like 

 City. Tae longitude of Camp Independence, California, 

 and Prescott, Arizona, was determined by lunar culmin- 

 ations, and at all the stations this year, latitude was de- 

 termined by the use of the zauith telescope the method 

 originally introduced by Capt. Andrew T.ilcott of the 

 Corps of Topographical Engineers. 



By the exercise of care and after considerable labor in 

 taking the field in 1872, the org.iniz Uion for astronomi- 

 cal work in its methods, personnel, a:id instruments, was 

 considerably improved, and three parties, two fully 

 equipped and moving between several points of the 

 field, and ou3 at the M >rrnon Observatory at Salt Like 

 City, were actively employed. The results of this sea- 

 sou determined with creditable accuracy the positions of 

 the following loints : Beaver and Gunuison, Utah ; 

 Pioche, Nevada; Fort Fred. Steele, Cheyenne, and 

 Laramie, Wyoming Territory. Observations were begun 

 at the crossing of Green Rivr by the Union Pacific 

 Railroad, and completed in tuo following year. The 

 observers of this season were Assistants J. H. Clurk, 

 E. P. Austin, and William W. Maryatt. 



ESTABLISHMENT OP AN OBSERVATORY. 

 It was proposed to establish a connecting field-ob- 

 servatory at Ogden, Utah, from which point tho signula 

 for a large stretch of territory to the north, south, east, 

 and west could be sent. A substantial brick observa- 

 tory on a stone foundation was planned, and has been 

 essentially completed except the dome. It has three 

 observing rooms that may be increased to five, and. 

 U connected, with the mum wire of the West- 



