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Show 147 At the head of Ute Creek, as well as on the Dry Cimarron, we fonnd ranches. In and about the head of the latter stream is a very pretty section of graziug- land and some little arable land. We had been in the field 166 days; during that time the party traveled 4,627 miles, surveying an area of 11,300 square miles; in this, 24 sextant latitude- stations, 94 mountain and mesa points for triangulation and topography, 160 three- point stations for the location of important points were occupied, 2,968 miles traverse line were run with stations or meander, 147 cistern- barometer, 1,767 aneroid barometer stations were occupied. The highest altitude reached was 13,393 feet, on Meigs Peak, Colorado; the lowest point was Las Animas, Colorado, a little less than 4,000 feet. Too much credit cannot be given to Mr. Anton Karl and Mr. Niblack for the energy and ability with which both carried out the duties assigned them. I desire to tender my thanks to the officers at Santa Fe* and Fort Wingate, N. Mex., particularly Capt. Charles P. Egan, C. S., U. S. A, and Lieut. L. H. Walker, Fifteenth Infantry, for their prompt official kindness. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, CHAS. C. MORRISON, First Lieutenant Sixth Cavalry, Lieut. GEO. M. WHEELER, Corps of Engineers, in charge. APPENDIX F. EXECUTIVE REPORT OF LIEUTENANT C. W. WHIPPLE, ORDNANCE CORPS, ON THE OPERATIONS OF SPECIAL PARTY, CALIFORNIA SECTION, FIELD- SEASON OF 1375. PHILADELPHIA, PA., April 25,1875. SIR : I have the honor to report the following outline of the operations of the party of which I was in charge during the field- season of 1875. It was composed as follows: Frank Carpenter, topographer; Frank M. Lee, meteorologist; Sergeant Eugene Farn-ham, Twelfth Infantry, odometer recorder; 2 packers, and 1 cook. Leaving Los Angeles, Cola., on the 28th of June, several days were spent in the vicinity of Wilmington to enable Mr. Carpenter to connect by a line of levels the southwest end of the Bates line with the bench- mark of the San Pedro Breakwater. This being completed, the party moved past the little settlements of La Bayonna and Santa Monicu, and at the foot of the range of the same names, along the beach to the Malaga Ranch, at which point an ascent and station were made on a somewhat prominent peak. The great difficulty so frequently encountered afterward, and which was so serious an obstacle to the progress of my work, met me here. Excepting a small, scant stubble- field of barley, there was literally not a particle of feed to be obtained for my animals, which were already suffering severely from unaccustomed work. I wished to stay at this ranch a couple of days, but I could not buy the permission for more than a single night. The following one, after a most trying march through soft, shifting sand, and over deep, dry gulches, we were even worse off, for we had, in spite of representations to the contrary, neither water nor grass. Finally leaving this snore, we succeeded in forcing our way througb the chaparral, and camped on the summit, in the vicinity of which we made a topographical station. Throughout my stay in these mountains, work was very much retarded by the almost constant existence of heavy fogs. The ocean was scarcely ever visible, but far away, clear and distinct, we could see the peaks of the various islands rising above the clouds. So intense was this fog that even the ordinary meander- work was accomplished with difficulty, and sextant observations were impossible. Descending into the valley of the Simi, we occupied the extreme western point of the Santa Monica ranges and connected with several Coast Survey stations. Following the dry wash of the Simi, ( called in this vicinity " Lost Palos,") we crossed the divide of the Susan a range; made a station on its most prominent peak, and, keeping along the Conejo and Triunfo Creeks, finally orossed the San Fernando Plains, and camped, July 14, with your party at the Mission. A week well occupied in meandering the Little and Big Tujunga Creeks, in visiting the Charlotte mines, situated at the head of the latter, and collecting topographical details of this vicinity. Crossing the Arroyo Seeo, which your own topographers had already meandered, we kept along close under the San Gabriel range, with the intention of crossing it by what is known as the Wilson trail. This plan was changed in consequence of meeting Mr. Cowles, of Dr. Kamfp's party, who informed us that they had just returned from a triangulation station by that trail, which only ran to the top of the mountain?, that the countrv beyond was impassable, and that Mr. Joy, of their party, w as lost, and might possibly be found by going up the San Gabriel Cafion. With the intention of making such an |
