Box 15, Folder 6: Geological Survey 1873

AN ACT to provide for a complete Geological Survey of Wisconsin.

SECTION I. The Governor is hereby required to appoint, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, a Chief Geologist, who shall be a person of know integrity, thorough, practical and scientific knowledge of the sciences of Geology and Mineralogy, and, upon recommendation of said Chief Geologist, the Governor shall appoint one or more assistants, not exceeding in number four, one of whom shall be a skillful analytical chemist and assayer; the said chief Geologist and his assistants to constitute a geological corps, whose duty it shall be to make a thorough and complete Geological Mineralogical and Agricultural survey of the State, and topographical surveys of such portions as may be deemed by the corps to need them for the thorough completion of the work: Provided, that if the appointment of Chief Geologist be made during the recess of the Senate, such appointment may be confirmed at the next session thereof.

SECTION 2. The survey shall have for its objects: 1st. An examination of the geological structure of the State, including the dip, number, magnitude, order and relative position of the various strata; their richness in minerals, metalic ores, clays, mineral waters, fertilizers, building stones, and other useful materials, the value of such materials for economic purposes, and their accessibility for mining and manufacture. 2d. Accurate chemical analysis and assays of the various ores, clays, peats, marls, building stones, etc., discovered by the State. 3d. A careful topographical survey of the lead region, for the purpose of ascertaining as far as possible, the amount of denudation, and the exact position of the mining ground at each locality; also careful barometrical observations on the relative elevation and depression of various parts of the State 4th. An examiniation of soils and subsoils, and observations upon the animal and vegetable productions of the State, with reference to its agricultural interests.

SECTION 3. It shall be the duty of said Geological Corps, in the progress of the examinations hereby directed, to collect such specimens of rocks, ores, fossils, minerals, etc., as many be necessary to exemplify the Geology of the State; sets of these specimens shall be deposited with the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters, and the State University, and with each one of the incorporated Colleges of the State, and with each of the Normal Schools; provided, application be made to the Chief Geologist before the commencement of the field work.

SECTION 4. It shall be the duty of the Chief Geologist and his assistants, on or before the first Monday in January of each year during the continuation of the survey, to make to the Governor a report of the progress and results of the survey, accompanied by such maps, profiles and drawings as may be necessary to exemplify the same, which reports the Governor shall lay before the Legislature.

SECTION 5. As soon as the progress of the survey will permit, the Chief Geologists shall begin, and on completion of the survey, shall complete a final report, including the results of the entire survey, accompanied by such drawings and topographical maps as may be necessary to illustrate the same, and by a single geographical map showing by colors and other appropriate means the stratifications of rocks, the localities of the beds of mineral deposits, and the charater and extent of the different formations.

SECTION 6. To carry into effect the provisions of this act, the sum of thirteen thousand dollars for each year, until the completion of said survey, is hereby appropriated to be drawn from the Treasury on warrants from the Governor, as needed; which shall be in full for all expenditures except printing of reports. The salary of the Chief Geologist, and the salaries of the Assistanst Geologists shall be fixed by the Governor, and shall be for services actually performed, and time actually spent in the work. The balance of the sum hereinbefore appropriated shall be used in such manner as shall best promote the purposes of this act.

SECTION 7. The survey shall commence by the first of June next, or as soon thereafter as practicable, beginning with the counties of Ashland and Douglas, and the entire survey shall be completed within four years from and after its commencement. Approved March 19, 1873.

GEOLOGICAL CORPS. CHIEF—I. A. LAPHAM, LL. D., Milwaukee. ASST'S—ROLAND D. IRVING, A. M., E. M., Madison. " T. C. CHAMBERLIN, A. M., Whitewater. " MOSES STRONG, A. M., Mineral Point. CHEMIST—W. W. DANIELLS, M. S., Madison.

Chap 292 Laws 1873

[March 19 1873]

$1.50

AN ACT to provide for a complete Geological survey of Wisconsin and to repeal chapter one hundred and thirty seven, general laws 1870, entitled "an act to provide for the survey of the lead district, making snaps and collecting statistics from the same, and chapter one hundred and thirty six general laws 1872, amendatory thereof.

The people of the State of Wisconsin, represented in Senate and Assembly do enact as follows.

Section 1. The governor is hereby required to appoint by and with the advice and consent of the senate, a chief geologist, who shall be a person of known integrity, thorough practical and scientific knowledge of the sciences of geology and mineralogy, and upon recommendation of said chief geologist, the governor shall appoint one or more assistants, not exceeding in number four, one of whom shall be a skillful analytical chemist and assayer; the said chief geologist and his assistants to constitute a geological corps, whose duty it shall be to make a thorough and complete geological, [??sumeral-] logical and agricultural survey of the state and topographical surveys of such portions as may be deemed by the corps

to need them for the thorough completion of the work, provided, that if the appointment of chief geologist be made during the [illegible] of the senate, such appointment may be confirmed at the next session thereof, Section 2. The survey shall have for its object 1st An examination of the geological structure of the state, including the dep, number, magnitude, order and relative position of the various strata, their richness in minerals, metallic ores, clays, mineral waters, fertilizers, building stones and other useful materials, the value of such materials for economic purposes and their accessibility for mining and manufacture. —

2nd Accurate chemical analyses and assays of the various ores, clays, peats, marls, building stones, and so forth, discovered by the state. —

3d A careful topographical survey of the lead region for the purpose of ascertaining as far as possible the amount of denudation and the exact position of the mining ground at each locality; also such other topographical surveys as shall be deemed necessary by the corps, also careful barometrical observations on the relative eleva

tion and depression of various parts of the state.

4th An examination of soils and subsoils and observations upon the annual and vegetable productions of the state with reference to its agricultural interests.

Section 3. It shall be the duty of said geological crops, in the progress of the examinations hereby directed, to collect such specimens of rocks, ores, fossils, mineral and so forth, as may be necessary to exemplify the geology of the state; sets of these specimens shall be deposited with the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters, and the State University and with each one of the incorporated colleges in the state and with each of the normal schools, provided, application be made to the chief geologist before the commencement of the field work. —

Section 4. It shall be the duty of said chief geologist and his assistants on or before the first Monday in January of each year during the continuation of the survey, to make to the governor a report of the progress and result of the survey, accompanied by such maps, profiles and drawings as may be necessary to exemplify the same, which reports the governor shall

lay before the legislature. —

Section 5. As soon as the progress of the survey shall permit the chief geologist shall begin and on completion of the survey shall complete a final report including the results of the entire survey accompanied by such drawing and topographical maps as may be necessary to illustrate the same and by a single geological map, showing by colors and other appropriate means the stratification of the rocks, the localities of the beds of mineral deposits and the character and extent of the different formations. —

Section 6. To carry into effect the provisions of this act the sum of thirteen thousand dollars for each year until the completion of said survey is hereby appropriated to be drawn from the treasury on warrants of the governor as needed; which shall be in full for all expenditures except printing of reports. The salary of the chief geologist (not exceeding three thousand dollars) and the salaries of the assistant geologists shall be fixed by the governor and shall be for services actually performed and time actually spent in the work.— The balance of the sum herein before appro