Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1866-11-29


suppose that the more southerly of the
two prominent peaks was In the town OF
Shrewsbury, have not been able to de-
termine but from about that time the
name Killington was indiscriminately
applied 10 the one and the other OF these
two mountains until the publication OF
Mr.. Hager's Geology of Vermont In 1861;
and even since that time some OF the
latest writers on the Physical Geography
OF the State have seemed TO have no
definite view of the subject.
As early as the year 1916 tne writer of
this article commenced 3 series OF 90
servatiou to determine the location OF
the highest peak OF this group of noun
tains by taking its bearing from differ
emit points in the easterIy part OF the
State, and by laying out these bearings
on reliable map after reducing them TO
the true meridian. All these converg-
Ing lines, met at point, in the South
erly part of the town OF Sherourne'
These observations, however, though
making it highly probable that the
highest mountain was situated In that
town, were not deemed sufficiently re-
liable to settle the question, and 1t was
thought best to visit the mountain and
take a series of observations from its
summit. This was done on the fourth
Of July, 1860, but violeut storm pre-
vented all reliable observations at the
time, and the work was renewed sgain
in August of the same year when, as
sisted by A. d. Hager Esq, the State
Geologist, and Henry Wolcott Esq, of
Quechee, VT and some others, full Sc
ries of observations were made, with
results far more satisfactory, and all
agreeing with those Of previous observa-
tons.
Having determined the centre Of the
town of Sherburne by a resurvey Of
some of the original allotments, in the
summer of 1865 computed the distance
and direction of the mountain from that
point, and by comparing these with the
survey made for the map of Windsor
County in 1854, it was found that the
south line of the town of Sherburne was
nearly oHe-fifth Of a mile south OF the
highest summit of the mountain; and,
also, by observations made in December,
1865, on the south line of the town from
known points near the sOutheasterly
corner, we arrived at the same result.
But after making the above observa-
tons and surveys learned that sur
vey OF the south, and part Of the west
line of Sherburne, had been recently
made by Calvin Carpenter, Esq, OF
Bridgewater, VT, whose long experience
in making surveys and in teaching the
| original lines in these mountain lands
renders his work entitled to the fullest
| confidence. By that survey the south
line Of Sherburne was found to cross
the highest ridge about fifty rods south
! erly Of the summit Of the highest noun
tain.
The results Of these different surveys
seem to establish the fact, that the more
southerly mountain of the two similar
peaks is situated in the sOutherly part o
the original town of Killington, now
| Sherburne; aud being nearly three hun
| dred feet higher than any other point II
| this knot or group Of mountains, anC
overlooking as it does, all the surround
ing country, there can be no doubt tina
it is the original Killington Peak, men
toned by all the early writers on tn
History and Practical Geography of GU
State.
The first attempt to determine thu
heighth of this mountain, as far as
have been able to learn was by DR.. Sam
uel Williams, as before stated in Decem
Der, 1892 and it is to be regretted tina
so careful, laboriOus, and persevering al
effort could not have been made will
instruments better fitted for the work
and with more perfect knowledge o
the Physical Geography OF North Amer
lea, that he might have arrived at
more satisfactory result. The height
as obtained by his most laborious geo
metrical measurement was 1884 feet
/ am not aware that any other attemp
was made to determine the height Q
! either of these noun tains until the
were measured by Capt. Partridge, no
far from the year 1920. Since that tim
a barometiCal measurement has bee
made J. W. Andrews of Albany, n. \
the result of which was published j
the map of Rutland County about tn
year 1854. In 1857 Prof. A. GuyOt c
/ PTlDcSJOU COIltStj IN. d. ulduc a SIlOiCd
and thorough barometical smeasuremen
of this and other mountains in the east
ern part of the United States. In tn
summer of 1868 the writer of this art
Gle, assisted by VIM. S. Dewey, Of Que
chez, and James X. P. Chamberlain an
Robert A. Perkins OF POmfret, CON
menced series Of levels to determine
the height of this mountain by the onl
strictly reliable method that has yet bee
employed for that purpose. BegianiD
at a previously determined base 3
White River Junction, and followin
the line of the Vermont Central Ra
Road to the valley of Quechee River g
North Hartland, we connected the 81
ries with the survey for the Woodstoc
r. R. Co., made by the writer in 1874
This carried the survey to the village {
Woodstock, from which it was extende
through the valley OF Quechee Rive
to sherburne, then up the northern an
eastern slope of the mountain to il
summit.
The following table exhibits I'll
| heights of all the important points