UNITED STATES CENSUS. 



COAL. 



Distribution in Accordance with Humid- 

 ity. The Superintendent of Census, in an offi- 

 cial publication giving facts under this heading, 

 explains the object of the inquiry, preceding 

 such explanation with a statement as to the 

 technical meaning of the phrase " Relative Hu- 

 midity." He says : " By the relative humidity 

 of the atmosphere is to be understood the amount 

 of moisture contained in it in proportion to the 

 amount required to saturate it. The amount, of 

 course, varies with the temperature, the higher 

 the temperature the greater the amount of moist- 

 ure which it is capable of holding in solution. 

 The term is not, therefore, an expression of the 

 absolute amount of moisture. This factor of 

 climate has marked influence upon certain classes 

 of diseases, particularly pulmonary and throat 

 diseases, and a study of the distribution of the 

 population in accordance with this factor, com- 

 bined with deaths from pulmonary complaints, 

 will doubtless prove of value in the selection of 

 reports for those afflicted." The geographer of 

 the census points out that the atmosphere along 

 the Atlantic, Gulf, and Lake coasts, and the en- 

 tire Pacific coast, is heavily charged with moist- 

 ure. It is especially so on the coast of Oregon 

 and Washington. The high mountain regions 

 of the Appalachian, and to a considerable extent 

 those of the Rocky mountain ranges, also have 

 a moist atmosphere. The moisture is less in the 

 Piedmont region east of the Appalachians and 

 in the upper "Mississippi valley. Passing across 

 the prairies and the great plains, the amount 

 of moisture in the atmosphere diminishes stil 

 more, while the minimum is reached in the Great 

 Basin, in Utah, Nevada, southern Arizona, and 

 southeastern California. In a general way, the 

 amount of moisture in the atmosphere increases 

 and decreases with the rainfall, but this is not 

 always the case. The upper lake region, with an 

 atmosphere as moist as that of Washington city, 

 has a much smaller rainfall. The coast of south- 

 ern California, with a deficient rainfall, has 

 as moist an atmosphere as the Atlantic coast. 

 "Nearly all the population breathe an atmos- 



phere containing 65 to 75 per cent of Ha full 

 capacity of moisture that is, tho atmo F 

 from two thirds to three fourths Kntumt.-.l In 

 1890, 57,030,000 out of ( ;-,.. iu'2,250 were found in 

 this region; in ISMI. !<;:,:,<., (HX) out of ,1- 

 783 ; and in 1870, 30,273,000 out of 88,55* 



Distribution by I Maina^e Basins. -The 

 distribution of the population l.y drainage basins, 

 in 1890, is shown to be as follov. 

 90-2, which is made up of New Kngland coast 

 7-2 : Middle Atlantic con 

 coast, 0-8; Great Lakes, 11-2; (Jui; 

 52-7; Great Basin, 0-4; and Pacifi. < 

 The drainage areas are classified primarily by the 

 two oceans and the Great Basin ; second,' by sec- 

 tions of the coast; third, by the principal 

 the rivers of each section of the coast being ar- 

 ranged under that section, and the brand.- 

 river placed under the main river. Th 

 England coast comprises the area an< i 

 of the basins of the several rivers given ! 

 it, and, in addition to these, the area and jmpu- 

 lationof the minor streams and of the immediate 

 coast from the eastern border of Maine to the 

 Hudson river. The Middle Atlantic coa- 

 prises, besides the basin of the rivers under it. 

 in like manner, the basins of the minor streams 

 and of the coast itself as far as the mouth of the 

 Potomac, including that stream. The South 

 Atlantic coast comprises the country from the 

 Potomac southward to Florida. The Gulf of 

 Mexico, beginning with the peninsula of Florida, 

 embraces the coast and the whole Mississippi 

 valley to the mouth of the Rio Grande, including 

 that stream. The proportion living within the 

 region drained to the Atlantic is steadily dimin- 

 ishing, while of this region the part drained to 

 the Gulf of Mexico is becoming relatively more 

 populous, as is the case in a still more marked 

 degree in the Great Basin and the region drained 

 to the Pacific. 



Official Staff. The following members of 

 the official census staff include all who are re- 

 sponsible to the Superintendent of Gem 

 the accuracy and completeness of information to 

 be inserted in the volumes to be issued as final 

 reports under their respective headings : 



Geography : Henry Gannett, expert sperhi! 

 Population :* William C. Hunt, expert special agent: 

 Vital Statistics: Dr. John S. Billings, e\i;<r: 

 accent; Church Statistics: Dr. Henry J. Carroll, s]*- 

 cial agent; Educational Statistics: Trot'. JaOMl H. 

 Blotlgett. special agent; Pauperism and Crim 

 Frederick 11. Wines, special agent; Wealth. Debt, 

 Taxation, and Local Government : T. CampbeU-Cppe- 

 land, expert special agent: National and i 

 Finances: J. K. Upton, special agent ; Farns-. 

 and Mortgages : George K. Holmes, spedal ge: 

 Agriculture: John Hyde, special a<rent,aml Mortimr< 

 Whitehcad, special agent; Manufactures: Frank 1 

 Williams, expert special agent; MUMS and Mining: 

 Dr David T. Day, special agent ; Fish and i i.- 

 Charles W. Smiley, special agent; Transportatioi 

 Prof. Henry C. Adams, special agent 5 Insu 

 Charles A. Jenney, special agent ; Statistics ot - 

 Classes: Dr. John Billings, exp. - 

 Alaska: Ivan Petriff, special agent : StatMu-s ot In- 

 dians : Thomas Donaldson, special agent 

 Statistics of Cities: Henry TnTany, n 

 For purposes of discipline, to facilitate the i-: 

 of tabular exhibits and to conduct special nr. 

 tions, expert special agents and others taking first i 

 In each division have chiefs of divibion or specU 

 agents assigned to them. 



