REPORT OF TIIE SECRETARY. 69 



the Elk Mountain region, in Western Colorado. This region, compris- 

 ing one of the finest bodies of mountains in the country, has recently 

 acquired prominence as a mining district both of the precious metals 

 and coal. The extension of this work on the southwest, in order to 

 include within its limits all of the mining district as now constituted, 

 was intrusted to Mr. Anton Karl. It was commenced during the month 

 of July, and carried on nearly to completion when Mr. Karl was called 

 away for the purpose of verifying the survey of the Maxwell grant, in 

 Northern New Mexico. Mr. Karl performed this latter duty to the sat- 

 isfaction of the Department, and, upon its completion, the season being 

 far advanced, field operations in the Elk Mountain Region were post- 

 poned until the following year. 



The revision for the survey of the Southern Appalachians was organ- 

 ized upon a considerablj- enlarged scale, five topographic and two tri- 

 angulation parties being put into the field. Three of the former, under 

 Messrs. Yeates, Bien, and Pearson, took the field during the month of 

 June, and at the same time one of the triaugulation parties, under Prof. 

 W, C. Kerr, commenced work. The area assigned to Mr. Yeates com- 

 prised the southwestern part of the mountain region of North Carolina; 

 that to Mr. Bien, the northeastern part of this area, the southwestern 

 corner of Virginia, and McDowell County, in West Virginia; that to 

 Mr. Pearson, the valley of East Tennessee, with instructions to work 

 from the boundary line of Virginia down the valley as far as the season 

 would permit. The triaugulation party was instructed to cover the area 

 assigned to these three parties with a scheme of triaugulation of suf- 

 ficient accuracy to control their work. Early in July, topographic party 

 No. I, under Mr. W. A. Shuniway, was put into the field, with instruc- 

 tions to survey the area lying between the Kanawha and Big Sandy 

 Rivers, in West Virginia. Triaugulation party No. 2, under Prof. J. 

 Howard Gore, also took ttie field about this time, with instructions to 

 connect the Coast Survey transcontinental belt, which follows generally 

 the Kanawha River, with the work of the other party under Professor 

 Kerr. At the same time, topographic party No. 5, under Mr. S. II. 

 Bodfish, was put into the field, with instructions to survey the western 

 part of Maryland and the adjacent portions of Northern West Virginia. 

 Shortly after Mr. Bodfish took the field his health failed and it became 

 necessary for him to relinquish charge of the party. Mr. W. T. Griswokl 

 was intrusted with the further prosecution of the work. 



The weather throughout this region was unfavorable. The journals 

 of the parties show that fully one-half of the days were so stormy as to 

 preclude field work ; furthermore, the character of the country, espe- 

 cially the density of its forests, makes field work at all times slow and 

 difficult. Nevertheless, an area of fully 2,200 square miles was sur- 

 veyed, a result attained only by great energy and ingenuity in over- 

 coming and circumventing obstacles. 



The survey of Massachusetts was intrusted to Prof. H. F. Walling, 



