84 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 



much of the labor of this and previous years by the fire which occurred 

 in the Science building of the University of Wisconsin, on the night of 

 December 1. This conflagration destroyed most of their collections, 

 instruments, and field equipage ; seriously damaged their field-notes, 

 manuscript text and accompanying illustrations, and a number of excel- 

 lent field-maps upon which the geology thus far determined had been 

 laid down, and also ruined a quantity of carefullyijrepared micro-sec- 

 tions. At the time of the fire, Professor Irving and his assistants had 

 well under way papers upon the following subjects : (1) Observations 

 on the contact-line between the western sandstones and the copper- 

 bearing series on Keweenaw Point, to be issued jointly by Professors 

 Irving and Chamberlin ; (2) Notes on the preliminary geologic map of 

 the region bounded by Lake Superior, the national boundary-line, and 

 the Saint Louis and Vermilion Eivers ; (3) The geology of the region 

 between Gunflint and Knife Lakes ; (4) The geology of the region west 

 of Knife Lake and lying between the national boundary-line, Vermilion 

 Eiver, and tbe Mesabi Eange; (5) The Penokee-Gogebic iron-bearing 

 series, and (C) The cherts, jaspers, and iron ores of the Huronian of 

 the Northwest. Professor Irving and his assistants at once set about 

 repairing the damage done by the fire, and while it will be possible to 

 reproduce much of this material, delay in its publication must neces- 

 sarily follow. 



Rocky Mountain Division. 



Montana District. — Prof. F. V. Hayden and assistants continued in- 

 vestigations in Western Montana. The special field of work selected 

 was the eastern and northern sides of the Gallatin Valley, the west side 

 of the Bridger's Range, and the country in the vicinity of the Forks of 

 the Missouri Iliver. The object of the reconnaissance was the comple- 

 tion of the section of the Silurian and Cambrian formations which are 

 so well exposed in this region. In traveling to and from the field of 

 work a careful examination was made of the springs of Western and 

 Southeastern Montana, Idaho, and Utah, for the purpose of obtaining 

 data to be used in connection with the list of mineral springs of the 

 United States, which is being prepared by Dr. A. C. Peale. 



The publication by the Geological Survey of Canada of the results of 

 investigations in British Columbia enabled Dr. Hayden to ascertain 

 with more definiteness the relation of the geology of the region being 

 studied by him to that of the country extending to the northward into 

 British Columbia. 



Yellowstone Park Dlstrict.^-Bj the last of June Mr. Arnold Hague and 

 assistants completed office- work in connection with the material col- 

 lected during the previous season, and were ready to take the field. A 

 reference to the season's work in detail shows that it was only by adopt- 

 ing a comprehensive plan of procedure and dividing the force- up into 

 small parties that it was possible to make the most of the short field - 

 season in the Park. A careful compilation of such observations as had 



