[Illustration]
Upon invitation of the World's Congress Auxiliary of the World's
Columbian Exposition committees were appointed by the several sections
of the American Association for the Advancement of Science at its
Rochester meeting to coöperate with it in completing the organization
of scientific congresses to be held at Chicago in connection with the
forthcoming World's Fair. The committee appointed by the geological
and geographical section consisted of Thomas C. Chamberlin, John C.
Branner, Grove K. Gilbert, W. J. McGee, Rollin D. Salisbury, Eugene A.
Smith, Charles D. Walcott, J. F. Whiteaves, Geo. H. Williams, H. S.
Williams and N. H. Winchell.
It has been arranged that this committee should undertake the work
of preparing the scientific program for the Geological Congress. The
committee have prepared a provisional schedule of topics, which they
have submitted to the Advisory Council for revision. It has seemed
to the committee that all contributions should be such as to have an
international interest. Preferably, they should be subjects that can
only be treated most advantageously in such a congress, especially
those that involve the bringing together of data from different lands
for comparison. The committee suggest the organization of the subjects
under the following general classes:
=First.= Such as shall show the present state of geological progress.
It is believed that this can best be done by an exhibition of
geological maps which shall show the latest and best results of
official and other surveys. As such maps will be prepared, it is hoped,
for the World's Fair, duplicates can be made at a slight expense for
the use of the Congress. It is hoped that each country that has made
any notable progress in mapping its geological formations will furnish
for the Congress at least a general geological map, if not also special
or analytical maps.
=Second.= Such subjects as bear upon continental growth and
intercontinental relations. It is proposed to make this a leading
line of discussion during the Congress, in the belief that there is
no subject more appropriate, and that there is none which better
represents the present efforts of geologists or commands a more
general interest. It is hoped that analytical maps will be prepared
by the geologists of the several countries representing the stages of
growth of these regions in each of the great eras from the Archean
to the Pleistocene, and that such analytical maps may constitute a
leading feature of the several presentations. Among the subjects upon
which contributions are specially invited are the following: The
correlation of continental and intercontinental orographic movements
and geographic accretions by sedimentation; The coördination of periods
of vulcanism in the different countries; The coördination of climatic
states and changes; The correlation of faunal and floral variations
and migrations. It is hoped that one session may be devoted to such
coördination papers bearing upon each of the great subdivisions: viz.,
Archean, Paleozoic, Mesozoic, Cenozoic, and Pleistocene.
=Third.= Papers on Paleontological and Archeological Geology of
international scope.
=Fourth.= Contributions to Physical, Structural and Petrological
Geology having international or general bearings.
=Fifth.= Contributions to Economic Geology having general bearings.
=Sixth.= Miscellaneous papers of especial and general interest.
The foregoing groups are intended to embrace and coördinate the list of
special themes announced in the circular issued by the local committee
some months since, except such as may be best suited to popular
presentation, for which special provision is to be made.
It will be determined later, when the number and nature of the papers
are ascertained, whether all will be arranged so as to form a
continuous program, or whether sub-sections will be formed and two or
more sessions held simultaneously.
It is the desire of the World's Congress Auxiliary that a few addresses
of a popular nature shall be given, with a view to stimulating an
interest in the development of the science on the part of the public.