Old Coast Survey Publication

[NGS Surveyor]

I recently came across a publication of the U.S. Coast Survey (later U.S. Coast & Geodetic Survey), dated 1877 and titled, “”Methods, Discussions, and Results; Field-Work of the Triangulation.” It is on-line at: http://books.google.com/books?id=BVwOAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=methods+discussions,+and+results+field+work+of+the+triangulation&source=bl&ots=94tOXQyAvo&sig=ZxJtWIk5c4frn5rrRTyWxG6VFvU&hl=en&ei=vbacTci3CqSJ0QG--bHlAg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBgQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false .

 

Pages 8 – 14 are of special interest, discussing tripods, signals, underground marks, surface marks, and observations, and include several drawings. This is the earliest specification for USC&GS triangulation that I have found. The mark section includes descriptions for several different types of marks, including one, an iron cone (sometimes with a rim), that I had never heard of before. This section also mentions references and station descriptions.

 

GeorgeL

NGS

[+Mapperist]

This is awesome! Thanks for sharing!

[TillaMurphs]

A very interesting book.

 

I really like this sentence – especially the last part:

 

“The requisites for an underground mark or one buried below the frost and plow line, and beyond the reach of ordinary accident or interference, say three feet, in the clear, below the surface, are: indestructibility, peculiarity, capacity to resist displacement in case it should be accidentally struck, cheapness, and, finally, want of value for any of the ordinary purposes of life, as a protection against cupidity.”

 

Other things that I found interesting:

- Drill holes filled with Sulfur. (Would a hole packed with sulfur survive through the years or would the sulfur eventually wash out?)

 

- The words “

scantling

” and “

abattis

”

 

- This additional identification method:

“

…, the position is secured, whenever possible, by a circular trench, either left open or filled with charcoal or other substance foreign to the position, and then covered up, …”

(it would be great to come across something like that while looking for a station)

 

Thanks for the link George!

[ArtMan]

“The requisites for an underground mark or one buried below the frost and plow line, and beyond the reach of ordinary accident or interference, say three feet, in the clear, below the surface, are: indestructibility, peculiarity, capacity to resist displacement in case it should be accidentally struck, cheapness, and, finally, want of value for any of the ordinary purposes of life, as a protection against cupidity.”

Possibly the folks who run fiberoptic cable in Georgia should have read this.

 

-ArtMan-