452 proceedings: geological society 



American Expeditionary Force was the forecasting of the physical 

 conditions within the enemy's hnes. 



337TH MEETING 



The 337th meeting was held at the Cosmos Club on Wednesday 

 evening, May 14, 191 9, President Ulrich presiding, and 58 persons 

 present. 



Capt. Charles H. Lee: Experiences in supplying water to our army 

 at the front. 



Drainage areas and general geology with special reference to pervious 

 and impervious rocks were described. The rivers are widely distributed 

 and in many areas springs are a very valuable source of water supply, 

 especially in Northeastern France where the American Expeditionary 

 Force was engaged. The most important are contact springs between 

 limestone and shale. The Paris Basin is an artesian basin, the water 

 being in greensand formations. Illustrations were shown of the various 

 methods used by the engineers to supply the troops with water, 

 including the construction of dams and concrete and wooden tanks, 

 and the transportation of water both by pipe lines, automobile trucks, 

 wagons, and, lastly, by small tanks on men's backs delivered directly 

 to the men in the trenches. 



Kirk Bryan: Habits of thought of a geologist applied to military 

 problems. 



The speaker related his experience as a private in the Intelligence 

 Section (G-2) of the 5th Army Corps, First American Army, during 

 the St. Mihiel and Argonne-Meuse operations extending from Septem- 

 ber 12 to November 11, 191 8. He referred to the demand for geologic 

 and physiographic information in active military operations and showed 

 examples of such work done under the disadvantageous conditions of 

 war. He pointed out that geologists have a mental limitation which 

 compels them to think along professional lines; they should on this 

 account be placed in such position in an army that this habit of thought 

 will be most useful. One of these places is in the Intelligence Section 

 where studies of the terrane are required and can be most readily cir- 

 culated. 



These studies will be of two types: (i) general papers referring to 

 large areas in the theater of war and sent out from Army Headquarters 

 from time to time; (2) special local reports of enemy defensive areas or 

 of the zone of advance sent out from Army Corps Headquarters im- 

 mediately previous to an attack. These descriptions should be skil- 

 fully prepared on the basis of a genetic study of the physiography but 

 without technical language and accompanied by diagrams, profiles, 

 sketches and, when available, photographs. The object of the re- 

 ports is to stimulate the imagination and assist in the visualization 

 of the enemy country. Over this country troops must advance and 

 it is too much to expect that the officers of the time, largely drawn from 

 civilian life, should be adepts at the difficult art of visualization from 

 maps. For, however good the maps, visualization is a difficult mental 



