THE RECLAMATION SERVICE. 1. Continued the construction and operation of irrigation works capable of furnishing water to 1,602,000 acres of arid land and actually irrigated in 1918 nearly 1,120,000 acres, covered by project statistics, producing crops valued at over $66,000,000. 2. Increased the area irrigated and covered by crop census 93,000 acres over that of the previous year. 3. Operated irrigation works including 40 reservoirs, several power and pumping plants, over 12,000 miles of canals and drains, as well as pipe lines, flumes, and tunnels and thousands of structures, such as dams, headgates, weirs, checks, drops, etc. 4. Continued the extension of the projects, including the construction of 396 miles of canals, 179 miles of drains, and nearly 8,000 canal structures, and excavated 14,000,000 cubic yards of earth and rock. 5. Continued the standardization of the numerous irrigation structures in the interest of economy and the efficient operation of the projects. 6. Continued the policy of stimulating crop production by expending construction funds where they would most quickly increase the productive area of the projects, by active cooperation with the farmers in leveling and otherwise preparing their lands for cultivation, by temporary leasing of withdrawn lands not yet ready for irrigation for dry farming and grazing purposes, by disposal of stored water to lands outside of the projects whenever it would result in increased production and would not jeopardize the project supply, and by encouraging better storage and marketing facilities. 7. Cooperated with other departments of the Government, with other bureaus of the Interior Department, with State governments, and with numerous local project organizations in the furtherance of reclamation work and the interests of the water users. 8. Carried on a survey of soldier-settlement possibilities throughout the United States resulting in the location of probably feasible projects in practically every State, ranging in area from 5,000 acres to over 200,000 acres. THE BUREAU OF MINES. Cooperated with various departments and bureaus of the Government in work relating to the war. 1. In cooperation with the War and Navy Departments continued work on a plant for recovering helium, a rare, noninflammable gas for balloons and airships from natural gas, and demonstrated the merits of the process used. 2. Completed the construction, in cooperation with the War Department, of a plant for manufacturing sodium cyanide by the Bucher process. 3. Investigated mining and milling problems at mineral deposits throughout the country in order to ascertain the available supply of war minerals, and how these minerals could be produced more efficiently. 4. Issued reports showing the markets for various ores, minerals, and metals, and giving data on the status of various mineral industries. 5. Made a thorough study of the manufacture of sulphuric acid in the United States. 6. As a result of an examination of methods of purifying crude graphite, developed improvements in milling practice. 7. Determined the possibility of substituting domestic for imported graphite in the manufacture of crucibles. 8. Made further advances in methods of utilizing radioactive substances. 9. During the year trained 9,781 miners in first aid and rescue methods at the mine safety cars and stations as compared with 8,851 in the fiscal year 1918. 10. Investigated causes of 29 mine accidents, 19 at coal mines and 10 at metal mines. 11. Determined the limitations of Army gas masks for use at mine and other fires and in industrial plants. 12. Sampled coal mines for the Navy Department and prepared reports on the quality of coal and the methods of mining and preparing it for market. 13. Continued work on the explosibility of coal dust from different mines, thereby gaining additional information on how coalmine explosions can be prevented or limited. 14. Continued work on a method of signaling danger to miners underground by the injection of an ill-smelling substance into the compressed-air lines supplying machines and pumps. 15. Continued tests of explosives to determine their suitability for use in mines and quarries. Two new explosives were approved as permissible for use in dusty or gaseous coal mines. At the end. of the year there were 162 explosives on the permissible list. 16. Made further tests of an explosive made of liquid oxygen mixed with carbonaceous material, and studied its suitability for mining work. 17. Determined the value of the geophone, a device for detecting sounds transmitted through earth, coal, and rock, with reference to its use in locating mine fires and in communicating with miners entombed by a disaster. 18. Completed a comprehensive review of explosion tests of coal dust at the experimental mine near Bruceton, Pa. 19. Completed, in cooperation with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the appraisal of the segregated coal and asphalt lands in eastern Oklahoma which belong to the Choctaw and Chickasaw Nations. 20. Investigated, in cooperation with the Public Health Service, dust and ventilation conditions in mines in Arizona. 21. In cooperation with State mine inspectors collected and published monthly reports on fatalities at coal mines throughout the country. 22. Improved furnaces in boilers for the Emergency Fleet Corporation, increasing the economy 16 per cent. 23. Acted in an advisory capacity for the United States Fuel Administration in matters of conservation. 24. Planned, and had charge of the construction and operation of the Government fuel yard in the District of Columbia, whence all Federal buildings in the District are supplied. 25. Prepared for the War Department special steels containing uranium, tungsten, molybdenum, and zirconium. 26. In administering the act regulating the manufacture, sale, possession, and use of explosives during the war, supervised the work of about 14,000 licensing agents throughout the United States and its insular possessions; investigated accidents at explosives plants; examined magazines for storing explosives; and began numerous prosecutions against violators of the provisions of the act. 27. Cooperated with the War Industries Board in measures to reserve an adequate supply of platinum for war requirements. 28. Began a comprehensive investigation of the white clays of the United States and the value of these clays in the ceramic industry. 29. Cooperated with the Geological Survey of Ohio in making a survey of the fire clays of that State. 30. In cooperation with the State of Idaho, investigated the treatment of complex lead-zinc and copper-iron sulphide ores by flotation. 31. Investigated the fuel value of the lignite in the Nenana field, Alaska. 32. Through field demonstrations showed operators and well drillers how large wastes of oil underground may be prevented by cementing oil wells so as to prevent water from entering the oil sands. 33. Gave the Bureau of Internal Revenue a method for estimating the future and ultimate production of oil fields, and thus determining depletion allowances in taxation of oil properties. 34. Cooperated with the officials of the State of Wyoming in formulating a proposed law governing the drilling of wells in that State. 35. Cooperated with State officials of Illinois in remedying troubles from underground water in oil fields. 36. Made a nation-wide investigation of the grades of motor gasoline being marketed. 37. Demonstrated the value of absorption for recovering gasoline vapors in the residual gas from compression plants for obtaining gasoline from natural gas. 38. Gave further attention to the recovery of oil from the oil shales of Utah and other States. 39. Continued investigations of the fusing temperature of the ash of different coals, in order to show the liability of the coals to clinker. 40. Began a comprehensive investigation of the best methods of utilizing lignite. ALASKAN ENGINEERING COMMISSION. During the fiscal year ending June 30, 1919, the following work on the Alaska Railroad was accomplished: Considerable rehabilitation work on the old Alaska Northern Railway, from Seward (mile 0) to mile 70. Thirty-eight miles of grading between mile 227 and mile 265 was practically completed; also the greater part of the grading for the 36 miles between mile 417 and mile 453 was completed. Seventeen miles of rail were laid between mile 74 and mile 91; also 26 miles between mile 365 and mile 391; also 3 miles between mile 414 and mile 417; also 6 miles between mile 453 and mile 459-a total of 52 miles. Location surveys were continued between mile 265 and mile 365 over the Broad Pass region. The bridge over the Talkeetna River at mile 227 was completed. Approach to dock in Anchorage Harbor was practically completed. Necessary maintenance of sections of the line in operation was attended to. Fifty-five thousand three hundred and ninety tons of coal were mined at the two Government mines in the Matanuska field. During the year work was seriously hampered through lack of funds caused by the delay in the passage of the deficiency and sundry civil bills until July. Such a handicap is not expected to recur, as the bill authorizing the appropriation of $17,000,000 (in addition to the $35,000,000 originally appropriated) for the completion of the Government railroad was passed by Congress in October. Six million dollars of this amount has been appropriated for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1920, and it is expected that the balance of $11,000,000 will be appropriated as needed. 140922°-INT 1919-VOL 1- -6 Since June 30, 1919, and prior to the time that this report went to press, grading has been completed and track laid from mile 417 to mile 453, thus connecting Nenana and Fairbanks; also about 10 miles of rail has been laid north from Talkeetna at mile 227; also such progress in the construction of the dock at Anchorage has been made that the largest steamers now dock there. The work which remains to be done includes the following: Completion of the rehabilitation of the Alaska Northern Railway, including construction of snowsheds and enlarging of tunnels. Construction of line from mile 237, ten (10) miles north of Talkeetna, to mile 365, five (5) miles north of Nenana Canyon. This is now the only gap in the line from Seward (mile 0) to Fairbanks, mile 471, with the exception of the bridge at Nenana, crossing the Tanana River, and a permanent bridge at mile 373 over the Nenana River. Completion of the dock at Anchorage.. A map showing progress on the railway will be found in Appendix C, page 218. Col. Frederick Mears, shortly after his return from France in July, was appointed chairman and chief engineer of the Alaskan Engineering Commission. Mr. Wm. C. Edes has been appointed consulting engineer. THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE. 1. Continued and expanded the work of informing the public about the national parks and monuments under the jurisdiction of this service. 2. Prepared 185,000 and distributed about 167,500 circulars of information relating to these recreational areas. 3. Prepared and distributed approximately 86,000 automobile maps of the national parks. 4. Continued the circulation of large quantities of motion-picture film and lantern slides of scenes in the national parks. 5. Handled the largest volume of tourist travel in the history of the parks; 1919 season, 755,527; 1918 season, 454,841; 1917 season, 490,705; 1916, 358,006; 1915, 335,299; 1914, 240,193. 6. Automobile travel to the national parks during 1919 season, 95,140; 1918, 54,596; 1917, 55,296; 1916, 29.828. 7. Grand Canyon National Park created February 26, 1919, thereby adding this titanic example of erosion to the national park system. 8. Lafayette National Park created February 26, 1919, giving States east of the Mississippi their first national park, and establishing first national park on the seashore. 9. Investigated and reported on merits of Mount Evans section in Colorado as national park material. 10. Completed the improvement of Sitka National Monument in Alaska, which included the repairing and painting of all the great totem poles on this reservation. |