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Show 136 APPENDIX E. EXECUTIVE AND DESCRIPTIVE REPORT OP LIEUTENANT C. C. MORRISON, 8IXTH CAVALRY, ON THE OPERATIONS OP PARTY NO. 2, COLORADO 8ECTION, FIELD- 8EASON OF 1875. UNITED STATES ENGINEER OFFICE, GEOGRAPHICAL SURVEYS WEST OF THE 100TH MERIDIAN, Washington, D. C., May 1, 1876. SIR : I have the honor to render execntive and descriptive report as follows of the operations of party No. 2, Colorado section, of the survey for field- season of 1875. Reporting in person to Lient. W. L. Marshall, Corps of Engineers, in charge of the Colorado section, at the camp of organization, at Pneblo, Colo., on Jnne 5,1 found the personnel of the party completed as follows: First Lient. Charles C. Morrison, Sixth Cavalry, execntive officer and field- astronomer; topographical assistant, Mr. Fred. A. Clark ; recorders, Messrs. W. C. Niblack and Anton Karl; general assistant, Mr. W. H. Rideing; packers, Alex. Harbeson and Samuel Abbey; laborer, N. Bascoin; cook, Green Terrell. The necessary supplies, record- books, & c, being received later, the party took the field June 12. Moving southward upon the Santa F6 stage- road, our objective point being Fort Garland, we crossed the Sangre de Cristo Pass June 15, and reached the post the following day. It is a military post for fonr companies, built of adobe or sun- dried brick, not very prepossessing in appearance, although very prettily located on the eastern edge of San Luis Valley, near the junction of Sangre de Cristo and Ute Creeks. From the latter of these the post draws its supply of water by acequias, or ditches. My instructions were to carry the snrvey from Fort Garland westward, to cross the San Juan range north of the San Antonio Creek, to extend the triangnlation on a portion of this rauge unfinished the previous year. Having completed this, to go to Fort Wingate by way of Pueblo Pintado, surveying a large section in that vicinity; to examine Washington Pass as to its possible use as a wagon- pass; thence to proceed down the Bonito Creek to the Puerco of the West; thence to W in gate, surveying the Zoni Mountains southeast of Wingate, and large areas on each side of the Wingate and Albuquerque wagon- road; to carry the survey from the Rio Puerco of the East to longitude 104° 7' 30", betweeu latitudes 34° 50' and 35° 40'. Having finished this belt, to proceed to West Las Animas, Colo., the disbanding camp, reaching there by November 15, the return route being up Ute Creek to its head. The route followed was essentially as directed, and incurred traveling by this party of 4,627 miles. The area surveyed during the season was 11,300 square miles. It became necessary to divide the party for a portion of the time to accomplish the survey of this great area. During such time Mr. Karl acted as assistant topographer to the main party, and did so very satisfactorily indeed. The ration- points used during the season were: Pueblo, Tierra Am aril] a, Fort Wingate, Albuquerque, Santa F6, Anton Cbico, and Stone Ranch, rations being distributed to those points from Santa Fe and Fort Wingate. The triangnlation was carried over nearly the whole area and profile lines run. Hynsometrical data were gathered by careful observations taken regularly throughout the season. Latitude- observations were made, wheu possible, at all camps not located by triangnlation. The examination - © f the country between Tierra Amarilla, N. Mex., and Fort Defiance, Ariz., developed two possible wagon- routes of communication to the latter place by way of Washington Pass; thence into Southern Utah or Northern Arizona. The one, striking west just south of Nacimiento, crosses the main divide not tar from the eastern head of Chaco Creek, follows down this drain past Pueblo Pintado to where it passes out of the cation opposite Mesa Techada; thence, a little north of west, crossing the Vaca Creek, nearly opposite the pass; thence over Washington Pass; thence, bearing to the south, skirting the Black Lakes, down the drain of the Bonito past Fort Defiance, nearly to the mouth of the creek; then crossing over to the main wagon- road from Fort Wingate to Prescott, Ariz. The second route crosses the Atlantic and Pacific divide at the head of Cation Largo, where the main wagon- trail crosses north of San Jose*; thence running down Canon Largo about 17 miles, it leaves the main trail, crosses over to the southwest to Ojo Nues-tra Senora; thence running nearly due south it strikes the Chaco iu the vicinity of Pueblo Pintado; thence it follows the same route as above. On either route there would be a scarcity of water. Little work would be necessary JOU the first route from Nacimiento as far as Pneblo Pintado; from there there would be some blasting, cutting, and filling in Canon Chaco, as also in Washington Pass, particularly near the summit on the eastern slope; here the pass narrows, and a short, sharp rise around a point of rocks would require much blasting. A very careful selection of route would be necessary on the whole eastern approach ; the rise is almost 3,000 feet. On the Treat little difficulty would be met |