Annual Report, for the Year 1893
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2010 with funding from University of Toronto http://www.archive.org/details/annualreport22geol w THE GEOLOGICAL AND NATURAL HISTORY SURVEY OF MINNESOTA. The Twenty-second Annual Report, for the Year 1893. State Geologist. MINNEAPOLIS: HARRISON & SMITH, STATE PRINTERS. 1894. ISL7 THE BOARD OF RECrENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA. Hon. Stephen Mahoney, Minneapolis ]895 Hon. Sidney M. Owen, Minneapolis 1895 Hon. John Lind, New Ulm 1896 Hon. John S. Pillsbury, Minneapolis 1896 Hon. Ozora P. Stearns, Duluth 1897 Hon. William Liggett, Benson 1897 Hon. Joel P. Heatwole, Northfleld 1897 Hon. Greenleaf Clark, St. Paul 1898 Hon. Cushsian K. Davis, St. Paul 1898 Hon. Knute Nelson, Governor of the State Ex-officto Hon. W. W. Pendergast, Supt. of Public Instruction Ex-officin Dr. Cyrus Northrop, President of the University Ex-officio OFFICERS OF THE BOARD. Hon. John S. Pillsbijry President Hon. D. L. Kiehle Recording Secretary President Cyrus Northrop Cm-respoiiding Secretary Joseph E. Ware Treamrer - ADDRESS. Minneapolis, Minn., Aug. 1, 1894. To the President of the Board, of Regents: Dear Sir —I have the honor to offer herewith the twenty second annual report of the Geological and Natural History- Survey of Minnesota. It embraces preliminary field reports on a large amount of work, contributed by the various assist- ants who were engaged on the survey during the season of 1893. It also contains lists of additions to the library and to the museum. Respectfully submitted, N. H. WINCHELL, State Geologist and Curator of the General Museum. GEOLOGICAL CORPS. N. H. WiNCHEi.L State Geologist Warren Upham Assistant Geologist U. S. Grant Assistant Geologist L. A. Ogaard Surveyor and Draughtsman SPECIAL ASSISTANTS IN 1893. Paleontology. E. O. Ulrich, J. M. Clarke, W. H. Scofield. Field geology and topography, in charge of parties. J. E. Todd, G. E. Culver, J. E. Spurr. a. H. Elftman, A. D. Meeds, H. B. Ayres, C. P. Berkey. General assistants. A. N. Winchell, E. R. Barton, H. B. HovLAND, H. C. Carel, H. E. White, R. P. Johnson, R. M. Wheeler. CONTENTS. PAGE I. Summary statement 1 II. List of rock samples collected to illustrate the notes of N. H. WiNCHELL. 1893 5 III. Preliminary report of field work during 1893 in north- eastern Minnesota, chiefly relating to the glacial drift. By Warren Upham 18 Areas examined 19 Mapping accomplished 19 Sketch of results of geological work 26 IV. Preliminary report of field work during 1893 in north- eastern Minnesota. By U. S. Grant 67 V. List of rock samples collected in 1893. By U. S. Grant 79 VI. List of rock samples collected in 1893. By A. D. Meeds 87 VII. Preliminary report of a reconnoissance in northwest- ern Minnesota during 1893. By J. E. Todd 90 Itinerary 90 Summary of principal results 92 VIII. Notes on the geology of Itasca county, Minnesota. By G. E. Culver 97 Introduction 97 Topography 98 Rock systems observed 102 Glacial phenomena Ill IX. Preliminary report of field work done in 1893. By J. E. Spurr 115 Itinerary 116 Area mapped 118 Salient points in the geology 119 X. List of rock samples collected in 1893. By J. E. Spurr 125 XL Preliminary report of levelling party. By C. P. Berkey 134 XII. Preliminary report of field work during 1893 in north- eastern Minnesota. By A. H. Elftman 141 General report of field work 141 Geological notes on northeastern Minnesota 150 XIII. List of rock samples collected in 1893. By A. H. Elftman 181 XIV. Museum additions 190 XV. Additions to the library since the report of 1892 198 XVI. The exhibit of the Survey at the Columbian Expo- sition. By N. H. Winchell 201 ILLUSTKATIONS. PAGE Fig. 1. Sections of quartzyte blocks, showing mode of change of color 102 Pig. 3. Hand specimen of ore-bearing rock, T. 56-24, showing the irregular banding seen in cross sections 103 Pig. 3. Showing stratigraphic relations at the falls of Prairie river 105 FACING PAGE Pl. I. Map of the glacial geology of northern Minnesota 19 PL. II 44 Pig. 1. Section on the D. & I R. R. R. in the north part of sec. 1, T. 54, R. 12, 3 miles northwest of Highland station. Pig. 2. Section on the D. & I. R. R. R., in the south part of the S W. i of sec. 23, T. 55, R. 12, -k to i mile north of Thomas siding. Pig. 3. Section on the D. & I. R. R. R., in the southeastern part of sec. 15, T. 55. R. 12, 2^ miles southeast of Cloquet River station. Pig. 4. Section of part of the west side of the Biwabik Iron mine, Oct. 18, 1893; showing in the basal part of the drift two large masses of the red iron ore which were glacially uplifted and probably transported very short distances. Pl. III. Section across the Mesabi range 120 Pl. IV. Two profiles across Cook county, from Brul6 lake and from Grand Marais N. N. W. to the International boundary 138 Pl. V. Map of the west central part of Lake county..,. 150 Pl. VI 160 Pig. 1. Geological map of the western end of Birch lake and adjoining country southward. Pig. 2. Cross section from Moose lake to Snow- bank lake. I. SUMMARY STATEMENT. An effort was made in 1893 to finish that amount of field-work necessary to warrant the preparation of the final rejDort and maps of that portion of the state remaining unpublished. Al- though there are still many unknown elements in the geology of the northern part of the state, and some considerable tracts, remote from routes of travel, some of which have not been "subdivided"' by the township survey of the United States gov- ernment, which the parties of the geological survey have not been able to visit and map, yet it is thought best to close up the active work in the field and to enter upon the preparation of the last volume of the final report. It was with an earnest de- sire to round out the present survey with what might be called a final report, showing its completed results in systematic rela- tions, within the reasonable term of a single administration, that the writer, four years ago, volunteered to pledge the com- pletion of the field-work for the sum of twenty-five thousand dollars. This was stated to the appropriation committees of the Legislature of 1891. Fifteen thousand dollars were appro- priated by that Legislature. The last Legislature (1893) ap- propriated ten thousand dollars under similar representations. Although the full sum of twenty- five thousand dollars has not yet been expended on the field-work, yet so much has been done that nearly all the remaining plates, which will represent the geology in the final report, can be drawn. There will be need yet of special examination in some difficult and some important areas, where the opportunities of the past have not been favor- able to entirely and satisfactorily understand the geological structure. Practically, however, the campaign of 1893 may be said to have finished the field-work. The rest of the time to be devoted to this work by the writer will be given, as now con- templated, to the preparation of the last final volume, with the necessary accompanying maps. 2 TWENTY -SECOND ANNUAL REPORT During the last season parties were in the field under the fol- lowing assistants: Prof. J. E. Todd, in the northwestern portion of the state, north and east of Red lake. Prof. G. E. Culver, in Itasca county. Mr. Warren Upham, in Aitkin and Cass counties. Mr. J. E. Spurr, on the Mesabi range and southward in St. Louis county. Mr. A. D. Meeds, on the Mesabi range and southward in St. Louis county. Mr. A. H. Elftman, on the Mesabi range and southward in Lake county. Dr. U. S. Grant, on the Mesabi range and southward in Cook county. Mr. C. P. Berkey, from Grand Marais northward, in Cook county, and in co- operation with Dr. Grant. The writer also was in the field in different places, but chiefly in Cook county. Mr. H. B. Ayres began work in Carlton county, but was interrupted by sickness and afterward by other engage- ments, and accomplished but little. It is planned that he will finish his allotment of work in Carlton county the coming season. In view of the proposed final mapping of the rest of the state it was deemed highly desirable to obtain such hypsometric data as would warrant the approximate drawing of contour lines in the manner shown on the final plates already published in vol- umes I and II. Each party was furnished with the necessary instructions and apparatus for platting these lines en the field maps which they carried, while at the same time a continuous hourly reading of a mercurial barometer was recorded a>x, "Mesaba* station," by means of which the simultaneous aneroid readings of the different parties could be corrected and reduced to a uniform basis, and referred to the sea level. In this way a large mass of data was obtained which, when corrected and platted, will result in contour lines, 50 feet separate, over a large area in the northern part of the state. This will give an ex- pression of a preliminary topographical reconnaissance, and will serve as an introduction to the topographical map which it is hoped may yet be constructed. At the same time it is an in- * Tdore luiving been great diversity In the spelling of this word, the matter was brought before the United States Board of Qcouraphical Names, of which the Superin- tendent of the Coast and Geodetic Survey is president.