FOREST mO STREAM. 



371 



think northeast Mississippi, contiguous to the Mississippi 

 river, is the hunter's paradise for large game— bears, deer, 

 anther wild turkey, geese, swan and duck, with some 

 few partridges, out on the hills, and abundance of squirrels 

 everywhere. There are many hunters, and some who are 

 excellent shots with a rifle. Parties can generally get ac- 

 commodated with board, the best the country affords, at 

 from $8 to $10 per month, and although the accommoda- 

 tions are not such as are to be had in a more thickly settled 

 country, yet we have always found that in our trapping 

 and hunting expeditions down here the past few winters 

 have always given us a keen relish for the corn bread and 

 fried bacon, with an occasional cup of good sweet milk, 

 and always a cup of good hot coffee. Shethar-boznai. 



THE HAYDEN SURVEY. 



SUMMARY OF THE FIELD WORK OF THE ZOOLOGICAL AND 

 GEOGRAPHICAL SURVEY OF THE TERRITORIES UNDER THE 

 DIRECTION OF PROF. F. H. HAYDEN, FOR THE SEASON OF 



1876. 



♦ 1 



FOR reasons beyond the control of the geologist in 

 charge, the various parties composing the United 

 States Geological and Geographical Survey of the Terri- 

 tories in charge of Prof. Hayden, did not commence their 

 field-work until August. Owing to the evidences of hos- 

 tility among the northern tribes of Indians, it was deemed 

 most prudent to confine the labors of the survey to the 

 completion of the Atlas of Colorado. Therefore the work 

 of the season of 1876 was a continuation of the labors of 

 the three preceding years, westward, finishing the entire 

 mountainous portion of Colorado, with a belt of fifteen 

 miles in width of northern New Mexico, and a belt twenty- 

 five miles in breadth of eastern Utah. Six sheets of the 

 Physical Atlas are now nearly ready to be issued from the 

 press. Each sheet embraces an area of over 11,500 square 

 miles, or a total of 70,000 square miles. The maps are 

 constructed on a scale of four miles to one inch, with con- 

 tours of two hundred feet, which will form the basis on 

 which will be represented the geology, mineral, grass and 

 timber lands, and those portions that may be redeemed by 

 irrigation. The areas of exploration the past season are 

 located in the interior of the continent, far remote from 

 settlements, and among the hostile bands of Ute Indians 

 that attacked two of the parties the previous year. 



The point of departure the past season was Cheyenne, 

 Wyoming Territory. Two of the parties, with all their 

 outfit, were transported by railroad to Rawlins Springs, 

 and proceeded thence southward. The other two were 

 sent by railroad from Cheyenne southward, one party to 

 Trinidad and the other to Canyon City. 



The primary triangulation party was placed in charge of 

 A. D. Wilson, and took the field from Trinidad, the south- 

 em terminus of the Denver and Rio Grande railroad, Au- 

 gust 18th, making the first station on Fisher's Peak. From 

 this point the party marched by the valley of the Purga- 

 toire, crossed the Sangre de Cristo range by way of Costilla 

 Pass, followed the west base of the range northward as far 

 as Fort Garland, making a station on Culebra Peak. 



About six miles north of Fort Garland is located one of 

 the highest aud most rugged mountain peaks in the west 

 called Blanea Peak, the principal summit of the Sierra 

 Blanca group. On the morning of August 28th, the party, 

 with a pack-mule to transport the large theodolite, fol- 

 lowed up a long spur which juts out to the south. They 

 found no difficulty in riding to timber line, which is here 

 about 12,000 feet above sea level. At this point they were 

 compelled to leave the animals, and, distributing the instru- 

 ments among the different members of the party, proceeded 

 on foot up the loose, rocky slope to the first outstanding 

 point, from which a view could be obtained of the main 

 peak of the range. Although this first point is only six 

 hundred feet lower than the main summit, yet the most 

 arduous portion of the task was to come. The main 

 summit is about two miles north of the first point, in a 

 straight line, and connected with it by a very sharp-toothed, 

 zigzag ridge, over which it is most difficult to travel, on 

 aecouat of the very loose rocks and the constant fear of 

 Being precipitated down on either side several hundred 

 ieet into the amphitheaters below. After some two hours 

 oi this difficult climbing, they came to the base of the main 

 point, which, though very steep, was soon ascended, and 

 at eleven o'clock a. m., they found themselves on the very 

 summit. From this point one of the most magnificent 

 views in all Colorado was spread out before them. The 

 greater portion of Colorado and New Mexico was embraced 

 in this field of vision. This point is the highest in the 

 sierra LI an ca group, and, so far as is known at the present 

 time, is the highest in Colorado. The elevation of this 

 point was determined by Mr. Wilson in the following 

 manner: First, by a mean of eight- barometric readings, 

 wtieu synchronously with those at Fort Garland, which 

 gave a difference between the two points of 6,460 feet; 

 aeconaly, by fore and back angles of elevation and de- 

 pression, which gave a difference of 6,468 feet. The eleva- 

 _ on at the fort was determined by a series of barometric 

 jeaamgs, which, when compared with the Signal Service 

 <7 i£<y¥ le * at dorado Springs, gave it an elevation of 

 lev l SI' . makin S tne Bianea peak 14,464 feet above sea 

 hilt * pealc may be re S arded > therefore, as the 



ft?/, ?\ or at least next t0 the highest, yet known in the 

 r.P!ir • bt * tes - A comparison with some of the first-ciass 

 peaus in Colorado will show the elevative height: 



Blan°^ ah?re Peak - above sea level 14,235 



nianca Peak, G .<■ U4&1 



£t. Harvard,' « » J|^J 



fe^f. " " ::::::::::::":;::::::::iM4 



BLi. Lincoln u ,« MaOR 



if^^; « - ::::::;::;:;;;;;::::;::i4;ili 



difnVnii° reg01ug table wil1 afford so, »e conception of the 



whtra J enc °untered in determining the highest peak 



^ there are so many that are nearly of the same eleva- 



tion. About fifty peaks are found within the limits of 

 Colorado that exceed 14,000 feet above the sea level. 



From this point the party proceeded westward across 

 the San Luis valley, and up the Rio Grande to its source, 

 making two primary stations on the way, one near the 

 summit district and the other on the Rio Grande pyramid. 

 From the head of the Rio Grande the party crossed the 

 continental divide, striking the Animas park, and thence 

 proceeded by trail to Parrot City. 



After making a station on La Plata Peak, the party 

 marched northwest across the broken mossa country west 

 of the Dolores, making three stations on the route to com- 

 plete a small piece of topography that had been omitted 

 the previous year, on account of the hostility of the TJte 

 Indians. After making a primary station on the highest 

 point of the Abajo mountains, the party turned eastward 

 to Lone Cone, where another station was made. Thence 

 crossing the Gunnison and Grand rivers, they proceeded to 

 the great volcanic plateau at the head of White river. The 

 final station was made between the White and Yampah 

 rivers, in the northwestern corner of Colorado. During 

 this brief season Mr. Wilson completed about 1,000 square 

 miles of topography, and made eleven geodetic stations, 

 thus conecting together by a system of primary triangles 

 the whole of southern and western Colorado. 



In company with the triangulation party, Mr. Holmes 

 made a hurried trip through Colorado, touching, also, por- 

 tions of New Mexico and Utah. He was unable to pay 

 much attention t# detailed work, but had an excellent op« 

 portunity of taking a general view of the two great plain- 

 belts that lie the one along the coast, the other along the 

 west base of the Rocky Mountains* For nearly 2,000 

 miles' travel he had constantly in view the cretaceous and 

 tertiary formations, among which are involved some of 

 the most interesting geological cpuestions. He observed, 

 among other things, the great persistency of the various 

 groups of rocks throughout the east, west, and north, and 

 especially in the west; that from northern New Mexico 

 to southwest Wyoming, the various members of the cre- 

 tacious lie in almost unbroken belts. 



Between the east and the west there is only one great 

 incongruity. Along the east base of the mountains the 

 upper cretaceous rocks, including Nos. 4 and 5, are almost 

 wanting, consisting at most of a few hundred feet of shales 

 and laminated sandstones . Along the west base this group 

 becomes a prominent and important topographical, as 

 well as geological feature. In the southwest, where it 

 forms the "Messa Verde" and the cap of the Dolores 

 plateau, it comprises upwards of 2,000 feet of coal-bearing 

 strata, chiefly sandstone, while in the north it reaches a 

 thickness of 3,500 feet, and forms the gigantic "hog-back" 

 of the Grand River valley. 



While in the southwest he visited tire Sierra Abajo, a 

 small group of mouutains which lie in eastern Utah, and 

 found, as he had previously surmised, that the structure 

 was identical with that of the four other isolated groups 

 that lie in the same region. A mass of trachyte has been 

 forced up through fissures, in the sedimentary rocks, and 

 now rests chietly upon the sandstones aud shades of the 

 lower cretaceous. There is a considerable amount of arch- 

 ing of the sedimentary rocks, caused probably by the in- 

 trusion of wedge-like sheets of trachyte, while the broken 

 edges of the beds are frequently but abruptly lifted up, as 

 if by the upward or lateral pressure of the rising mass. He 

 was able to make many additional observations mi the geo- 

 logy of the San Juan region, and secured much valuable 

 material lor the coloring of the final map. 



He states that the northern limit of ancient cliff builders 

 in Colorado and eastern Utah is hardly above latitude 

 37 deg. 45 min. 



The Grand river division was directed by Heniy Gan- 

 net, topographer, with Dr. A. C. Peale as geologist. James 

 Stevenson, executive officer of the survey, accompanied 

 this division, for the purpose of assisting in the manage- 

 ment of the Indians, wliolast yearprevented.the completion 

 of the work in their locality by their hostility. 



The work assigned this division consisted in part of a 

 small area, containing about 1,000 square miles, lying south 

 of the Sierra la Sal. The greater portion of the work of 

 this division lay north of the Grand river, limited on the 

 north by the parallel of 29 deg. 30 min., and included be- 

 tween the meridian of 108 dog. and 109 deg. 30 min. 



This division took the field at Canyon City, Colorado, 

 about the middle of August. The party traveled nearly 

 west up the Arkansas river, over Marshall's Pass aud down 

 the Tomichi and Gunn son rivers to the Uncompahgra 

 (Ute) Indian agency. Here they secured the services of 

 several Indians as escorts in the somewhat dangerous 

 country which they were first to survey. This area, lying 

 south of Sierra la Sal, was Worked without difficulty. It 

 is a. broken plateau couutry, and presents many extremely 

 curious pieces of topography. Eleven days were occupied 

 in this work. 



The Grand river, from the mouth of the Gunnison river 

 to that of the Dolores, i, e. for nearly a hundred miles, 

 flows along the southern edge of a broad valley, much of 

 the way being in a low canyon, 100 to 200 feet deep. The 

 course of the river is first northwest for 25 miles; then, 

 turning abruptly, it flows southwest, and then south, for 

 about 75 mih-'s. This valley has an average width of 12 

 miles. It is limited on the north and west by the "Roan 

 or Book Cliffs" and their foot-hills, which follow the gen- 

 eral course of the river. These cliffs rise from the valley 

 in a succession of steps to a height of about 4,000 feet above 

 it, or 8,000 to 8,500 feet above the sea. 



From its crest this plateau (for the Book Cliffs are but 

 the southern escarpment of a plateau) slope to the N. N. E. 

 at an angle Of not more than nve degrees. It extends from 

 the Wahsatch mountains, on the west, to the foot-hills of 

 the Park range, on the east, and presents everywhere the 

 same characteristics. The Green river crosses it, flowing 

 in a direction exactly the reverse of the dip. It borders 

 the Grand on the north for 100 miles, the crest forming the 

 divide between the Grand and the White. On the south 

 side of the crest are broken cliffs; on the north side, the 

 branches of the White canyon immediately. This leaves 

 the divide in many places very narrow, in some cases not 

 more than 30 to 40 feet wide, with a vertical descent on 

 the south towards the Grand river, and an extremely steep 

 earth-slope (35 degrees in many cases) at the heads of the 

 streams flowing north to the White river. This crest, 

 though not over 8,500 feet in height, is the highest land for 

 a long distance in every direction. 



After leaving 

 lowed Gunnison 



that river to the mouth of the Dolores, in latitudge 38 deg. 

 50 m/iu. t longitude 109 4eg. 17 mm, At this point they 



• leaving the Uncompahgre agency, the party fol- 

 Junnison's Salt Lake road to the Grand and down 



turned northward, and went up to the crest of the Bock 

 plateau. They followed the crest to the eastward for up- 

 wards of a hundred miles, or to longitude 108 deg. 15 min. ; 

 then descended to the Grind and followed it up to longi- 

 tude 107 deg. 35 ( min., and thence via the White River (Ute) 

 Indian agency, to Rawlins, where they arrived on Octo- 

 ber 28d. 



The whole area worked is about 3,500 square miles, in 

 surveying which about 60 stations were made. 



The geological work of this division, by Dr. Peale, con- 

 nects directly with that done by him in 1874 and 1875. 

 Sedimentary formations prevail on both districts visited 

 during the past season. 



The country first examined lies between the San Miguel 

 and Dolores i ivers, extending northward and northwest- 

 ward from Lone Cone mountain. The general character 

 ©f this region is that of a plateau cut by deep gorges or 

 canyon, some of which, especially towards the north, ex- 

 tends from the sandstones of the Dacota group to the top 

 of the Red Beds. The depth of the canyon, however, is 

 no indication of its importance as a stream-bed, for, except- 

 ing the main streams, they are d:y the greater portion of 

 the year. There are no great disturbances of the stra'a. 

 What folds do occur being broad and comparatively gentle. 



The San Miguel river, on reaching the San Juan Moun- 

 tains, flows toward the northwest, and with its tributaries 

 cuts through the sandstone of the Dakota group, exposing 

 the variegated beds lying beneath, that have generally 

 been referred to the Jurassic. About 25 or 30 miles north 

 of Lone Cone, the river turns abruptly to the west, and 

 flows west and southwest for about 15 miles, when it again 

 turns and hows generally northwest until it joins the Do- 

 lores. Between the San Miguel and Lone Cone the sand- 

 stone of the Dakota group, or No. 1 cretaceous, are nearly 

 horizontal, forming a plateau which, on approaching the 

 mountains, has a capping of cretaceous shales. 



Beyond the bend the Sau Miguel flows in a monoclinal 

 valley, in which the Ganyou walls are of the same descrip- 

 tion as in the upper part of its course. As the mouth is 

 approached the Red Beds appear. Between this portion of 

 the course of the ban Miguel and the almost parallel course 

 of the Dolores, which is in a similar monoclinal rift, there 

 are two anticlinal and two synclinal valleys parallel to 

 each other. They are all occupied by brandies of the Do- 

 lores, lower cretaceous, Jurassic, and triassic strata out- 

 crop, and present sojne interesting geological details, which 

 will be fully considered in the report on the district. The 

 Dolores river comes from a high plateau in a zigzag course, 

 flowing sometimes with the strike, and sometimes with the 

 dip of the strata. Its general course on the western line 

 is about northwest, from which it turns to the northward 

 and westward, finally changing to northwest again, to its 

 junction with the Grand. It is in canyon the greater part 

 of its course. 



In the region of country north of Grand river, the geo- 

 logical formations extend uninterruptedly fiom the Red 

 Beds exposed on Grand river to the white tertiary cliffs 

 forming the summit of the "Roan Mountains" or Book 

 Cliffs. The Grand is generally in a canyon in the Red 

 Beds; on the north side the No. 1 cretaceous sandstone 

 forms a hog-back, slopiug towards the cliffs. Between the 

 crest of this hog-back aud the cliffs there is a broad val- 

 ley formed by the eioision of the soft cretaceous shales 

 which extend to the base of the cliffs, and in some places 

 form their lower portion. The cliffs are composed mainly 

 of cretaceous beds, rislog one above another in steps until 

 au elevalion of about 8,000 feet is reached. The summit 

 is the edge of a plateau sloping to N. N . E. This plateau 

 is cut by the drainage flowing into the White river from 

 the south. These streams rarely cut through the tertiary 

 series. 



Coal of poor quality is found in the sandstones of the 

 Dakota group, and also in die sandstones above the mid- 

 dle cretaceous beds. Wherever noticed it was in their 

 seams, and of little economic importance. 



The While river division was oirected by G. B. Chitten- 

 den, as topographer, accompanied by F. M. Eudlich as 

 geologist. 



The district assigned to this party as their field for ex- 

 ploration during the season of 187t>, commenced from the 

 eastward at longitude 107 deg. 30 min., joining on to the 

 work previously done, and extended westward 30 miles 

 into Utah Territory. Its southern boundary was N. lati- 

 tude 39 deg. 38 min., while the White river formed the 

 northern limit. In order to complete to the greatest pos- 

 sible advantage in the short time that could be allowed, it 

 was determined to make the White river agency headquar- 

 ters, and in two trips from there complete tne work. Auout 

 3,800 square miles comprised the area surveyed. 



In working up ihe topography of this district the party 

 spent 48 days of absolute field work made 41 topographi- 

 cal stations and 16 auxilliary ones, and traveled within the 

 district about 1,000 miles. The party ascertained the course 

 of all the main trails, the location and quality of almost all 

 the water, which is scanty throughout, and can map with 

 considerable accuracy the topographical forms and all the 

 water courses. The area is aimost entirely devoid of topo- 

 graphical "points," and the topographer is obliged to de- 

 pend to a considerable degree on those for the north and 

 south for the triangulation. The couutry has heretofore 

 been almost entirely unexplored, and was described by the 

 nearest settlers as a broken canyon country, extremely dn . 

 It was marked on the maps as a high, undulating plateau^ 

 with fresh water lakes and timber. The party saw no lakes 

 of more than 400 yards in diameter, and only two or three 

 of those. The country is nearly all inhabitable, both win- 

 ter and summer, and considerable portions of it valuable; 

 and though three quarters of it is within the Ute Indian 

 reservation, the advantage of a more accurate knowledge 

 of its character can reacily be seen. 



While working in the low, broken country of Southwest- 

 ern Colorado, last year, Mr. Chittenden made use of a 

 light, portable plane-table, and found it of great value. It 

 appeared at that time that its value was greatest in that 

 class of country, and that in a low, rolling district, with 

 few prominent points, or in a high mountain country, it 

 would probably be of little or no use. Altitudes were de- 

 termined by the mercurial barometer, with a base at the 

 White River Indian agency, and checked by a continuous 

 system of vertical angles. The altitude of "the agency has 

 been determined by a series of barometric observations ex- 

 tending over two years and a half, and referred to railroad 

 levels, and can probably be depended on to within a few 

 feet. The altitude of the agency being about 6,500 feet k 

 and the altitudes in the district ranging from 5,000 to 

 8,000 feet, makes its location the best possible i a height for 

 a barometric survey of the region, 



