THE TOPOGRAPHIC MAPS OF THE UNITED STATES 
The United Stale*- Cieolngiea! Survey i* making h etemkird 
topographic Siliiw of the United titeto*. Thin work has lieen in 
progrvx* «intr 1888, and it* requite wnwut *»f publiahwl map* oi 
morn i.hmi -10 pur cent of tlio country, cxcItiKivc nf on living 
pa-^cfedwilfc. 
Tina topographic atlas b published in tlio form of maps on 
shed* immuring ftlnnil bv 20 Inches, Under tlio general 
plan adopted the munti'y in divided into quadrangles bounded 
by parallel- of latitude and m^nduTiir of longitude. These 
quudmuuto* are ruupped oil different *eule», Hie se:i.e selected 
tor eat It mop being thut which i> bc-t adapted to geoerni vbo :u 
the development of ill* ctaiiitry, urn! consequently, though the 
standard maps me of nearly lubferm §ithey represent areea 
of dilforelil d?.es. On the lower mntgin of eneli map are printed 
graphic scale? allowing distance? in feet, meters, ami miles* In 
addition, the genie of the Amp b shown by h fraction expmwh^ 
a Ji.\ed ratio between linear ineatturanent* on Lb* map and cor- 
iWJ>otiding dislmin* oo the ground. For example, (Ju. scale 
^ mean* tli3t J unit ou the niup (isueh 1 inch. I foot, or ] 
meter) represent* tj2,500 similar unite ou the on Til's s-jrfacc. 
Although Borne areas are surveyed and sonic maps are com¬ 
piled and published on apeeial ocaIch Jbr special purposes, the 
Standard topographic surveys for tlio United States proper and 
the resulting map* have for many veurs been divided into three 
types, diffeitm tinted ae follows! 
1. Survey- of urea* i« which, there ore problems of great 
jnitdic.iWporOmoo—ieluting, for example, to mineral <kiv*jlnp- 
ment, irrigation, or mdnmataon of swamp arts**—are made with 
auffieieut nmuiiey to be used in the publication of niupfl on a 
scale inch—one-half mile), with a contour interval of 
1, d, or 10 f(Bt 
*2. Surveys of areas in which tlicrc are problems o! average 
public imjHirtanw, such aa inrat of the basic of the Mississippi 
und it:- tributaries, are made with Bidfieumt aeemney ’o h* used 
in the publication of map- on ti soaluof^d inch = nearly 
1 mile), with •> contour interval of lU to 25 feet, 
8. .Surveys of affAr in which the problems tire of minor 
public imjiortuins, tmeh qb mudi of the mountain or desert; 
region of Arizona or Now Mexico, an* made with sufficient 
ttWUTsiey to lie used in the publication of maps on u scale of 
(1 inch = tiearly 2 miles), with a contour interval of 25 to 
100 feel, 
A topographic surveyed Alaska baa boon in progress since 
ltfys, and nearly :}f per cent of d* area im> now IhwiV napped, 
About it) per cent of the Territory has ’icon covered by recon¬ 
naissance maps on a ^ale of or about 10 miles to an 
inch. Meet of the remaining area surveyed j.: Alaska lots 
been mapped on ii scale of but about: 4,000 square miles 
bus been mapped on a scale of n ^. 
Almut half of the Hawaiian Inlands has been surveyed, and 
the. resulting maps arc published ou a smle of 
The features shown on these maps may be arranged iu three 
group*—<1) water, including sea* lakes rivers, caosle. svnmtpy 
and,other bodies of water 4 , (2) relief, ineltiding tiioauiidas* 
hills, valleys, and other features of the laud unriiioei (A) r.,du ra 
(works of man), such as towns, nititw, muds, -eilrosilft, a-,: 
bcmr.oiiraw The conventional yigus used to reprraent these 
feature* are known ami explained below. Variation* appear on 
atone earlier -naps anti additional bxrturw are represented oo 
some spot’ial map? 
A lie wutur features aj" reprinted in blue, the smolb i 
atreatna and oanttU by *i/»gle blue Iketjad the larger streams 
the lakes, and the sen by blur water Riling ui blue tint Inter, 
miiteut nlrwimh—H v\ bed* arc dry for u large part of 
Luc ywuS—«iftt tiliown by luo-- of blue dole, und dwoiicx. 
Kh.isf is ahown by cnotonr line®' in brown, which on xnne 
majirs are s: ppl*Trmt>h‘d by “hadiiig showing the etTc.-t *f li^bt 
thrown from the northw<^b aorta* the arwv rop»vs»Milod, for the 
pur;man of giving (lie apptarance «.*f itdief and tliu*- aiding in 
the intcrjirrtai.ion of the contour lines. A contour line ropre- 
aeutaa!: imaginary line on the ground (a contour) every pun 
uf which in ut the sumo altitude above mn level, duoha line 
iirwild bn drawn at any altitude, but iu practice only tlie con- 
toTustat irtoin regular intervals d' uliitmlo uiv shown. The 
line of tlu: soaeouet itflalf u a contour, iho dauim oi auto ol’allt- 
tude lasing lueoii sesi level. The 2D-lb6t oouluui* would bo the 
shore line if the sea should rise 20. feet. Contour linue show 
tne fihupe ol tlie If. I la, moutitaitia, uud valleys, na w ell as their 
.utltutlc. Snccc.satve ctmloin flics that uve far apart on rhn 
map in lu-itc a goutlti skqioi'lbtHB that are Giffee togetlu-r jmli- 
euto a sfeop slope; and line:- that mo together indicate u. cUfl, 
The ixmuncr in rb*d» r-mtOur line» alblude. form, 
und grade is shown in die figuiv below. 
The akereh represeuis a river valley that lie* between two 
hills. In Jin foreground in the sea, with u bay that is partly 
hmlfiser bynhcokud sutwl bar On ench aide of llto vnllny i« 
n terrace into wlticb .small slreums Imvc cut narrow gubii** 
r F.\c Kill on tlie right lute n rounded summit nail gently slop¬ 
ing bpuTS separated by in vines. The spun are truncated at 
(heir lower cuds by .. «ou dilf The lull at tlu* lell tamuimuw 
abruptly hi (In* valley iu q *nrp -carp, froio whlcli u mIojhw 
grail unity away und form*, u iurlilual li*blw|aod tbul bt tmv- 
e?v»s! by n few •hallow gulbc On llm map cuoli of iImmh 
features i* n fuvHinu*t. diriicUy tiutimf.h ife pcoitaon in the 
akptob, by cun (our lima. 
Tim contour intervul, or tlie vertical distance m li ct between 
om* contour und the next, i* HUiUjd nf the bottom of eM*'li map. 
This interval dI3hr- -acc^rjli:;- to the of the fircn 
mapi^fi; In m tla( country It may bn u, *i»all uj? 1 (hot.; in a 
mnuntainotiK region it inuy bf as gi-caL aa 250 feet. Cermin 
cau tin it lines, every fourth or litiJi ona, are mode hoovlei than 
die mberK and nro uccorupamcii by Hguix<e showiug altitude. 
The beiglud of lmicy poinh—such aa road oorner*. -ummite, 
8urfkreH of lakes, nmi betiuh nuirks—are aleo given on the map 
in IlgurcH which -how ultltudue to llic ncartel foot only. More 
exact altitude*—those u! bonuli ruarkH—o* well m tlie geodetic 
coordinate* of tmuguluUL'ii eturiims, are published in bulletiog 
iV-Ucd by the Gnjlugicul Survey. 
Lettering and the works of man are diown iu black. Bound- 
arm-, Mich ax those of a State, couuty. city, land grunt, town- 
fihip, or nvevvation, are phoW u by oontlmloua or broken lines 
nl different, kinds and wvjgkt*. Metaled roud* me ghown by 
clouhlu lines, mm of which i* necentilAlud. Other public road- 
arc hIiowji t«v line double lints, private, and poor ronda by 
danhed double line* tiaib l»v dashed ?iugle line*., 
.Kacb qixHib'Olglc i- iJrmguatjxi by iin: name of a ciry, town, 
nr prmiliimht mUund Itatuiv iviflilu U.. ami on the jnargUH of 
Um map arc ppotol die nutate of adjoimne ipludmuglc* of 
which ruiqw buVc been pubb-bed. Ovar d,(M)0 quadnuigltr in 
the United Spues have been surveyed, and map* of tlieui 
sbntho In llm nuc no the other dde of ibin -beet have been 
published. 
r J’he topogmptdc map itf lln na*<. nu whieJi the gwdogy und 
miiiml riMMifftxu of .( quadrangle arc lepi^ented, and the 
moji- ‘howing tbrsr feutme- mvc bound together with a descrip¬ 
tive text to form a folio of the Imilogic Atlas td' the (Hited 
Suites. Mote then 2(KJ tiilloP have been published. 
Hill uf Almka and Row a": fih,OWing 
the ureaa cUVBtvd by to|iogmphir map* and geologic lidiii? pub- 
liahed by the United State* (Jeoioginfll Survey may be obtained 
free CVkpiea of the *tun«i.T»vl lopograpliic. map* may b<3obtained 
for ID i e?nl* esmhi *omc -p*ial maps an - «old at: different prices. 
A disonijut nf -iM pm cent is allowt.i! on an oivlcr for mn/w 
amounting to rn- o»otta at tlm n.lail The geologic 
UliiH aiw (iiilil (iir 25 cunt* or more ejudi, the jiru'e depending 
ou tliu Hi*‘to of I be folio, A circular describing the iiilioH will 
be cent on roquet 
Applications? for nmpo or f«'bo* should ho acooiujMnicd by 
cash, draft, or tmmes older (not potnuge stanq*) und should be 
:uhl!‘CM>cd 10 
ft 11C nlkbiCTOR, 
United St aha Utofoe/Siawy, 
Wurihiiit/ton, l). (\ 
January, 
It ijlrliiijp 
FUmm ITrlT road Tlivirw <u 
dwvl I tut 't i.... . 1 ' i nu,( 
• w/yw rvifiv ' 
TtailnuiOs 
.•iul pit.Oil ms 
KI*-iOj ir 
j'ullxi im I 
• ' 'b:t>' • 8DGNS 
CULTURE 
i pnnt*/ iu bUtrlf) 
Tuiimsl 
WlmaT'-s 
llr>«fikw&]»u Oi idm-» Ut.i iiim 1^«". I* 1 . t't’V 
Ul«l |l-ttir-s 
rojD- 
iiiiiti Omio% irliln<*l< * "nuol I... It ir.S.tntvusiUiv raid StAmliup I'jiuoiy Um- Civp aonvuiikii• ffeKorraUcm Lnwd, Jfcvuii ia Nnitfli-iici-k Tr 4 .-oCii'.,ri,>i - «i.mrsmi I'hiu. Uun* 
fUM» «,.,w«mwi . f *o»*UoU lim-S urilixiilfUim bur t»'rr Somi-ujli ln»ff <,.su-p1*<JWtni.. . *i JiAii.mm iu.i.iiiti, n* iiiiumiiidil 
iiuil t.»p--<l#'d » 
... 1 .... 1 O 
I CFU 
:A 
. . I, i,mi rvii 11 ii . ,.i . •piukt nit 
! Ikfifi. i ..I A .1..,. 
/V"''** rtW'l’ > 
«n- n»»yia»n»-' uii 
• >uf m,o +* 
RELIEF 
r j>ri7riff{ *> Voiiu. 
I i'll | ..nl'lt'uil'h 
Y 
Mltu- <a 
i^unnr 
V. . 
I'/V l«ij •»!<» 
sv.i»n 
Miw tvumcl Moo tmuarJ 
'. .«o» <Jfrs/Ui) 
. Dip i 
•I«ili 
R$*i -r»ij. 
I.IN %/»v*us: 
•»U1ll» II 
r.v.u. 
»,»no /-•*i»t »f qkilp 
WjHi v-n faitt Dim . 
f i o||^ 
* a *Vi 
^ ! 
pfjir,j<M,.>* 
I tl llll xlli r. 
I 
WATER 
Miwu"; 
r.*tu .aid 
mUii*niiun|l 
nod 
till llm 
I .ii.Ofc ,11' Ai|Un.1U'1 j ,..I \.jn».tiW't 
.lill'to** VVMlrr|il|.«f» imniil* 
l.'lin <»r 
||,vilt 
i * • •■ •• 11 
mi** an aul 
1 • <iUi<lon«d i mnni 
• liOr. 
Frtl f|i « 
Mill** duminv IliijlUi/si.C 
_SiaiO mid 
drilling ifr-ly-iK *-xi»d •lifUCI* 
lr>xormio>nir illaaoi Spi<f|^rr ’.NMI 
'•k>* ' •Ac In i cAAia* - 
toll/ in.ii'rl. 
FlT*i0ll|rtl**ti * i'.»,\V mil Viil.it dt-l 
WOOr-c 
, mA, n rt.l. iz n pn'nlid , . Q*-rcn 
