REPOKT OF THE SECRETARY. 79 



this fact the number of tield parties was increased to four. This neces- 

 sitated greater supervision, and in order that the inauguration of the 

 survey upon this more comprehensive plan might be made under the 

 most auspicious conditions, its general management was undertaken by 

 the Chief Geographer of the Survey, Mr. Henry Gannett. The season's 

 work included the counties of Hampshire, Bristol, Norfolk, and Ply- 

 mouth, and embraces an area of 658 square miles. 



New^ Jersey District— Under arrangements very similar to those en- 

 tered into with Massachusetts a survey of New Jersey was commenced, 

 and one topographic party, aided by two subordinate parties, was as- 

 signed to the work. Professor Cook, State geologist, kindly under- 

 took the direction of this force. With the exception of a small area in 

 Sussex County all the northern counties had been completed under 

 State direction. During the field season Sussex was finished and con- 

 siderable progress made in Monmouth and Ocean Counties. The area 

 surveyed up to December 31 was 1,082 square miles. 



Appalachian District.— Dwvmg the previous season the chief geogra- 

 pher of the Survey had given much of his time to the supervision of 

 the work of his district. His withdrawal to New England made it 

 necessary to secure the services .of some other competent geographer, 

 and Mr. Gilbert Thompson was relieved from the direction of the Cali- 

 fornia district, and placed in charge of the Appalachian. Before the 

 15th of July the large force assigned to this district was organized 

 into seven principal parties and field-work commenced. These parties 

 operated in Eastern Maryland, Northeastern and Southwestern West 

 Virginia, Western Virginia, Eastern Kentucky, Eastern Tennessee, 

 Eastern North Carolina, and in Northern Alabama and Georgia. The 

 total area covered in these States was 17,466 square miles. This work 

 required the construction of between 8,000 and 9,000 square miles of 

 triangulation and the connection of portions of it with the triangula- 

 tion of the Coast and Geodetic Survey. 



Divisions of the South Mississippi and the Rocky Mountains. 



Heretofore topography was undertaken only in the latter division, 

 but the increased appropriation permitted its extension into the former 

 also. As Prof. A. H. Thompson had previously been in charge of the 

 parties in this region the additional territory was also placed under his 

 management. 



Missouri and Kansas.— Ono topographic party was sent into each of 

 these States, and in addition to this an astronomic party took the field 

 for the purpose of making observations from which to determine the 

 positions to be used by the topographers as a basis for their work. 



In anticipation of the extension of the survey into these States, much 

 valuable topographic material was compiled from all available sources 

 before the parties left for the Westj and, as in many cases it was oulj 



