154 MICHIGAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. 



and the one now supplying the city of Waterbury, suggested by the 

 study of the map referred to, but not one cent was expended for pre- 

 liminary surveys. 



Much additional testimony in the above connection might be presented, 

 but a single example must suffice : 



The Chief Engineer, L. A. Hyer, of the Washington and Chesapeake 

 Kailway Company, in a letter expressing his appreciation of the topo- 

 graphic work done by the United States Geographical Survey, says: 



"I used your contour maps in the location of this road. Had to re- 

 run but very little of the line and reduced the number of curves to six 

 from 107, or saving in all 3,266° of curvature, shortening the line 4.7 

 miles over a line previously located by me without the aid of these maps." 



In a memorial advocating a topographic survey of Michigan, presented 

 to the Legislature in 1897, by the Michigan Engineering Society, the 

 reasons for demanding such a survey are tersely stated and I cannot do 

 better than to quote them in part, in proof of the value of topographic 

 maps to engineers: 



*'No topographic map of the State of Michigan, and, in fact, no map 

 of the State worthy of the name, now exists or can be compiled from 

 existing surveys. 



"Such a map cannot be constructed except as the result of an accurate 

 topographic survey. 



''Much money is wasted every year in re-surveys owing to the lack of 

 a general compilation of past surveys in a convenient map. 



"The increase and extension of sj'stems of land drainage and irriga- 

 tion imperatively demand a contour topographic map by which alone 

 they can be planned in a systematic and efficient manner. 



"The construction of systems of sewerage for our growing towns would 

 be greatly aided by topographic maps. 



"Topographic maps are an absolute necessity before intelligent judg- 

 ment can be given between various projects of water supply for towns, 

 and for this use alone they might well be worth all that Ihey would cost. 



"They are a prerequisite for the scientific study of our water powers, 

 and of those areas which should be preserved for forest cultiire at the 

 head waters of our streams in order to prevent the depletion of these 

 water powers. 



"They would aid immensely in securing the best locations for railroads, 

 both steam and particularly the electric roads which will eventually grid- 

 iron the State, and would save large sums of money which would other- 

 wise be spent for preliminary survcj^s or useless construction, the interest 

 on which the people of Michigan would have to pay. 



'They would be of great value to both the sellers and purchasers of 

 land by showing the character of the surface, whether level or hilly, wet 

 or dry, timbered or cleared, well or poorly watered. , 



"The establishment of a true meridian line in every county, which is 

 part of the proposed wojck, would go far toward diminishing the litiga- 

 tion which arises out of erroneous surveys due to variation of the mag- 

 netic needle; and the establishment of permanent bench marks in every 

 township, referred to a common datum, would be of great value to land 

 owners in planning extensive systems of drainage." 



To Geologists : I make bold to say, and without fear of challenge from 

 competent judges, that a high gi'ade topographic map, on such a scale 

 as the nature of the region studied may dictate, is indispensable for 



