490 THE FIVE CIVILIZED TRIBES 



of the exterior lines were furnished by the levelmen, and addi- 

 tional elevations were obtained by means of vertical angles run 

 through the interior of the township, checked upon the levels. 



The progress made in the survey of the Indian Territory to the 

 end of June, 1898, when the field-work was completed, is shown 

 by the reports submitted to the Director of the Geological Survey. 

 As appears from these reports, 138 triangulation stations have 

 been established, from all of which angles have been observed. 



In the land survey 63,881 miles have been run, as follows : 

 Standard lines, 2,491 miles; exterior lines, 7,777 miles; subdi- 

 vision lines, 50,931 miles ; meander lines, 2,149 miles, and bound- 

 ary lines reestablished, 533 miles. In addition, level lines have 

 been run as follows: Railroad levels, 1,613 miles; other level 

 lines, 7,690 miles. Vertical angles have been run over 8,595 miles. 

 The total mileage of the land survey, level and vertical angle 

 lines, since the beginning of the work is 81,778. 



The Geological Survey has not only executed the land or sub- 

 division survey of the area, but has in addition carried on the 

 triangulation, the topographic survey, including many miles of 

 spirit-level lines, and has also set the iron posts or bench-marks, 

 a labor not required of contractors, and all this has been done 

 at a great saving to the government from the amount which it 

 would have cost under the contract system. There has been 

 some trouble occasioned by the destruction of corners and bear- 

 ing trees by Indians, but warnings from the Indian agent and 

 from the several Indian governors abated this annoyance. No 

 interference has been attempted by Indians with the surveyors 

 in the field. 



During the late summer and early fall months of the several 

 seasons malarial fevers have been prevalent among the men, and 

 at times have seriously interfered with the work. The summer, 

 of 1896 was remarkable for its intense heat, and the hottest part 

 of the United States seemed to be that section included in the 

 Indian Territory. Only one death from sunstroke occurred, 

 however, and as a rule the health of the different parties and the 

 immunity from accident of the 300 or more men employed have 

 been remarkable. 



The headquarters camp and office were located at South Mc- 

 Alester, in the Choctaw Nation, until June, 1897, when, for con- 

 venience, they were transferred to Denison, Tex., near the border 

 of the Chickasaw Nation. The work of preparing transcripts of 

 field-notes, township plats, and topographic maps has progressed 

 rapidly, but some of the office-work still remains to be completed. 



