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A Nail In A Pyramid?


MarkDuster

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I would guess the "nail in the pyramid" is a nail in the center of a triangle.

 

The real question is --Is this another time log benchmark? As the log reads for the 1908 recovery....

 

DESCRIBED BY US GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 1908 8.7 MI NE FROM DEAD INDIAN MOUNTAIN SUMMIT. 8.7 MILES NORTHEAST ALONG DEAD INDIAN ROAD FROM THE SUMMIT OF DEAD INDIAN MOUNTAIN IN JACKSON COUNTY, 0.3 MILE WEST OF THE FISH LAKE ROAD JUNCTION, AT THE LEE BRADSHAW PROPERTY IN 1934, ABOUT 500 FEET EAST OF THE HOUSE, 165 FEET NORTHWEST OF THE BARN, 170 FEET WEST OF A SMALL CREEK, IN THE NORTH FENCE LINE, AT A LONE 24-INCH PINE TREE MARKED WITH A TRIANGULAR BLAZE ON THE SOUTH SIDE AND AN ALUMINUM TAG STAMPED 4630 21 4636, AND IN A ROOT ON THE SOUTHWEST SIDE OF THE TREE. A NAIL IN A PYRAMID.

 

Perhaps they carved a pyramid in the tree root?

 

Sounds like an interesting hunt, so be sure to let us know what you do find.

 

Good luck,

 

John

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MarkDuster,

 

Blazing Trees was common back in those days. But then there was no shortage of trees. Pull out a pocket knife and carve what was needed into the bark. Here in the Northwest I have come across many o' tree in the Datasheets that helped out as an RM to a C&GS Station, but never read of any as the Station itself, at least not as Geodesy. I can not think of one instance where I have seen the C&GS ever used a growing tree as a Station. There are plenty of trees that became Property Corners, and Section Corners and such. A much more common practice in Line work. Sometimes later survey parties would find the blaze and attempt to re-blaze the tree so as to preserve the information as the tree will try to heal. In many cases, the tree grows and heals and you never find the blaze, or you do but you cannot be sure, as growth and healing distorts the mark, etc.

 

The Triangle with the nail in it in the root would be the location they observed. It is the Station, it was never occupied. Yup. That would be a triangulation station mark as far as basic practices would be concerned but this is a Bench Mark Station for elevation set by the USGS. Usually a cross would indicate Bench Mark, but I suppose that mark would be more difficult to interpret in a tree root, or when blazed in a tree root. The Station is VERTCON and has a Stability of D, not to mention 100 years of tree growth since as well... That is, if it is still there. It would be interesting to see a pic if you find this. If nothing else, the pic would show why after 100 years this would not be considered a best practice. Today it is not considered sound practice to Blaze a tree. It is not good for the tree, and can be considered defacing property. I would not even re blaze an old mark, it could mean that you get to buy a tree. Bad Ju Ju overall.

 

Rob

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I would surmise by pyramid they mean they cut the root in the shape of one and put the nail in the top so it a leve rod could be balanced over the nail. That was common practice for highway construction surveying in my state. They would find a prominent root, cut a notch in it and drive a nail with a nut and a washer for a bench mark. Surprising as it would seem, the elevation won't be affected by tree growth. Today it can be a crime in some areas to drive nails into trees for any purpose. Reason being that the nail gets grown over and if someone should cut into the tree with a chain saw and hit the nail, it could cause a serious accident. There have been cases of people being killed and this was a favorite tactic of radical environmentalist to get at the logging industry.

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|---------^----- tree root would look like this, with nail at apex

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