The United States: facts and figures illustrating the physical geography of the country and its material resources. Written for, and published in part in, the Encyclopædia Britannica. Ninth edition

Preface

. '"PHE volume herewith offered to the public consists essentially of an article written for the last edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica. As published in that work, however, portions of the matter furnished were found to have been omitted altogether, and other por tions materially altered by attempts at condensation, so that the meaning was often obscured, and sometimes even rendered entirely unintelligible. The sources from which various items of information had been drawn were, in the original manuscript, carefully indicated ; but, as the article stands in print, these references are found, in many cases, to have been struck out. This seems unfair, both to the authors whose materials have beeii used, and to those consulting the work, who natu rally wish to learn what reliance can be placed on the statements made, and who is responsible for them.

Under these circumstances I have thought it best to reprint the article as originally written, with very few alterations, and these mostly in the form of notes. When obtainable, fresh statistics have been added, in many cases bringing information down to the middle or end of the year 1888. This has been possible with

PREFACE.

. VI regard to various important items, such as the produce of the metals, of coal, petroleum, the more important cereals, cotton, etc. Little additional matter con nected with the increase of the population could be added, since nothing of general importance has been published since the Census of 1880 was taken. For some of the larger cities later figures than those of that Census could have been given, but these figures are not always trustworthy, and the data are not sufficient in amount for anything like a general statistical compari son. In regard to immigration, however, the publica tions of the Bureau of Statistics have made it possible to give information of quite a recent date. The sources from which information has been obtained for use in this volume have, in general, been indicated in the text.

The principal authorities are : the publications of the Census of 1880 ; of the Bureau of Statistics ; of the United States and the various State Geological Surveys ; of the Iron and Steel Association ; the Transactions of the American Institute of Mining Engineers ; the Mining and Engineering Journal ; the Reports of the United States Mint ; and, for clima tology, those of the Smithsonian Institution and the Signal Service. To gentlemen who have kindly furnished information in advance of its regular publication, the thanks of the author are gratefully tendered. A small addition has been made to the matter originally furnished the editors of the Encyclopædia, in the form of an Appendix. In this various matters connected with the discovery and scientific development

PREFACE.

. VII of the country are discussed more at length than would have been admissible in the text of the work. It is thought that the present volume may be found useful to teachers of physical geography, as well as to others who have occasion to consult a compact and, it is hoped, accurate statement of facts and figures brought together for the purpose of throwing light on the material resources of the country, and the progress made in their development. J. D. WHITNEY. Cambridge, Mass., March 14, 1889. Note. — Throughout this work the ton of 2,240 pounds is used. By doing this the confusion is avoided which necessarily arises when two kinds of tons are employed. It is also especially desirable, because it greatly facilitates the comparison of our statistics, not only with those of England, but also of the Continent of Europe, where the " metrical ton " is chiefly used ; this being sufficiently near the ton of 2,240 pounds to justify, for purposes of ordinary statistical comparison, our considering them as exactly equal. CONTENTS.

Part I. Physical Geography And Geology

Pages Section I. Introductory 1-31 II. The Appalachian System 31-68 III. The Cordilleran System 68-128 The Rocky Mountains, 68-82. The Great Basin, 82-89. The Northern Plateau, 89-94. The Colorado Plateau, 94-103. The Sierra Nevada and Cascade Ranges, 103-116. The Coast Ranges of California and Oregon, 116-121. The Great Central Valley, 122-128.

• • 251-258

Part VIII. Mineral Resources

I. Historical 259-268 II. Coal 269-281 III. Petroleum . ' 281-291 IV. Natural Gas 292-296 V. Iron and Steel 296-309 VI. Gold and Silver . 309-339 VII. Quicksilver 339-342 VIII. Tin 342-344 IX. Copper 344-353 X. Zinc • 353, 354 ■, XI. Lead 354-359 XII. Non-metalliferous Minerals 360-366 XIII. General Summary 367,368

Part IX. Agriculture

I. The Cereals 369-375 II. Grass and Hay 375,376 'j III. Animals and Dairy Products 376, 377 IV. Cotton 377-386 V. General Summary 386-388

Part X. Manufactures

389-396 CONTENTS. XI

PART XL FOREIGN COMMERCE.

Pages I. Exports 397-402 II. Imports 402-408

Appendix

. A. Sketch of the Progress of Geographical Discovery on the Pacific Coast, and in the Cordilleras of North America 411-437 B. Sketch of the Progress of American Cartography during the past half-century 438-446 C. Remarks on the methods by which the elevations of the mountains of the United States have been determined, AND THE PROBABLE ACCURACY OF THE RESULTS OBTAINED : 447-457 INDEX 461-472 THE UNITED STATES.