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reprinted from SCIENCE, February 26, 1937, Vol. 85, No. 2200, pages
220-221.
Official geological surveys of the island of Newfoundland were begun as
early as 1839 (James Beete Jukes, 1839-40) and carried out intensively
by a small personnel for half a century (
Alexander Murray, 1864-1883;
James P. Howley, 1869-1909; Dr. Herbert A. Baker, 1926-1929). The
advances in the science of geology since the pioneer work was performed
are so great and the need of up-to-date information on the mineral
resources so pressing, however, that on its induction into office in
1933 the new Commission of Government, appointed by the British Crown,
authorized the resumption of the Geological Survey of a Geological
Section of the Department of Natural Resources.
The nucleus of the staff of the Geological Section consists of new
Newfoundlanders: Dr. A.K. Snelgrove, assistant professor of geology in
Princeton University, was appointed government geologist, and Mr. C.K.
Howse, B.Sc., assistant government geologist. Dr. Snelgrove continues in
his Princeton position, also.
Following the recent practice of the Geological Survey of Canada and of
Surveys in Crown Colonies, the field work of the Geological Section is
devoted primarily to investigations in economic geology, designed to
foster the mining industry. The reports on this work are issued as a
series of bulletins, the purpose of which is to provide a scientific
foundation for mineral exploration and exploitation. Areal studies in
particular are yielding fundamental data on the structure, stratigraphy
and petrogenesis of this most northeasterly part of the Appalachian
Mountain System of North America. For the benefit of prospectors, areal
geological sheets are distributed separately, with a simple description
of the character and manner of occurrence of economic mineral deposits
known or likely to be present. Already published are the results of
surveys of chromite and gold deposits by the Government Geologist, and
of two areal geological studies in cooperation with the Department of
Geology of Princeton University: The Bay of Exploits area, by Dr. G.R.
Heyl, and the Southern Half of the Bay of Islands Igneous Complex by J.R.
Cooper. A bibliography of Newfoundland geology, 1818-1936, by Rachel M.
Betts, Guyot Hall Library, Princeton University, forms Bulletin No. 5,
which was issued recently.
In the past field season an unusually comprehensive program of geological
mapping was carried out, with the assistance of a temporary staff of a
score of geologists in the areas represented in Fig. 1. Geodetic control
is being provided for the topographical base maps by a five-year
geodetic survey program now in progress in cooperation with the Geodetic
Service of Canada, under a grant from the Colonial Development Fund.
As Princeton
University Geological Expeditions have been sent to Newfoundland
intermittently since 1911, and fourteen Princeton contributions to the
geology of the island have already been published, it is natural that a
majority of the geologists called in on this expanded government work
were from Princeton. However, the faculties or student bodies of seven
other American and Canadian universities were also represented. Notable
members of the temporary and consulting staffs include: Professor G.W.
Bain, of Amherst College, who studied the promising marble deposits of
Canada Bay and Sops Arm; Professors A.O. Hayes and H. Johnson, of Rutgers
Unversity, who investigated the Bay St. George Carboniferous area;
Professor B.F. Howell, of Princeton University, authority on Cambrian
formations; Professor W.H. Twenhofel, chairman of the Department of
Geology of the University of Wisconsin, authority on Silurian rocks. In
addition ten Princeton geologists, chief among whom was Professor A.F.
Buddington, chairman of the Department of Geology, Professor E. Sampson
and Dr. H.H. Hess, engaged in faculty research, consultation to mining
companies or collection of data for theses.
Through the participation of Mr. J.W. Sullivan, graduate student at Yale
University, the studies in the geology of the west coast made by four
Yale expeditions since 1910 was continued.
The Geological Section also acts in an advisory capacity to the Labrador
Mining and Exploration Company, Ltd., holders of a mineral concession of
over 20,000 square miles in Newfoundland Labrador, on which extensive
work was begun last summer and is to be continued for a number of years.
The present geological activities are being followed up by prospecting
and exploration by local, Canadian, United States and English interests,
and it is anticipated that a number of the campaigns now in progress will
yield tangible results in the form of development of latent resources
and afford some amelioration of the economic difficulties which confront
Newfoundland.
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