Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1870-10-14

| tIohOlhlcel OuseTNatlOIls. III either OF
the Commissioners so to be appointed 4
shall decline or be unable to go through
the duties of his appointment, the
Governor and Council shall appoint
some other to act in his stead. The
said Commissioners shall nominate
such skillful surveyors to execute their
directions, and such other attendants
as shall be necessary, and shall en-
deavor TO procure the most accurate in
struments, which II injured in the said
service, &c, &C."
NORTH CAROLINA, 1770.-An exact
copy of the preceding act was passed
by the General Assembly of North
Carolina, with the exception that the
latter included the names of the Com
missioners.
| 1t may be here remarked that the
identity of directions TO their respective
| commissioners proves beyond doubt
that, so far us regarded the reinaiIsder
of the dividing line, thorough under
standing and agreement existed be-
tween the two States.
| The first and imperative duty en-
Joined upon the Commission was to de-
termine and to start upon the parallel
of 1852 30|, without the slightest regard
TO the latitude of the terminal point of
the old line on Steep Rock Creek. The
next was to run the line due west. No
| discretion was allowed to the Commits
sloners separate or jointly; and to pro-
| vide rs far rs possible against the only
difficulties to be encountered, the de-
| termination of the true latitude and
the running of the parallel, the Com
missioners were ordered to procure
| skillful surveyors and the most accurate
1 d nEf 70 Il a
at frequent Intervals, by astronomical
observations. In fact, so definite was
the agreement betwe,n the two
States and so limited the powers gran
ted the Commission, that Is doubtful If
any line which differed from the true
| parallel of 360 30', whether to the ex-
tent of five miles of fifty yards, could
be considered as binding, or beyond
correction, unless subsequently, APP
| proved and confirmed by the contrac-
ting with parties of full knowledge of
| its sincorrectness.
| The Commissioners appointed by
| Virginia were Thomas Walker and
Daniel Smith, and on the part of North
| Carolina, Oroondates Davis, John w.
Caswell, James Kerr, VIM. B. Smith
and Richard Henderson, or any three
of them. Henderson and two others
of the Carolina nominees accepted and
| served.
1779.-The Commission met and or
ganized on Steep Rock Creek early in
September. The place where the old
line ended could not be found.
On the 9th of the month, both par
ties observed and agreed upon the suns
meridian altitude, viz, go 52/. On
computing the latitude, it was ascer-
Iained that the place of observation
was one minute and twenty-seconds
north of the parallel of 360 30'. Ac-
cordlngly distance of one mile and
2Ol3 poles was measured off on q due
south course, and the beginning of
the line was thus fixed to the satisfac-
tion OF all" This point, according to
the estimate made by the Commission
ers, was, in superficial measure, 329
miles west of Currituclx Inlet, from
which there should he an abatement
of II miles for mountains and uneven
ground" making the airline distance,
3l7 miles.
The line was then traced, due west,
to Carriers Valley, distance of forty
i've miles. AT this point the Carolina
Commissioners We're of the opinion
that the line was too far south. BY
an observation taken by Walker, the
line was found to be correct, while
similar observations by the Carolina
Commissioners showed that it was not.
In this dilemma, the surveyors were
directed to fix the latitude, and as they
agreed that the line was two miles TO
the southwark of $50 3W, that distance
was measured off directly north, and a
new point established. The following
extract from the report of the Virginia
Commissioners, made to the Governor
In 1910, will explain the origin of the
Walker and Henderson lines:
From this place, this new point, this
line was eastward, superintended by
two of the Carolina gentlemen and one
Of US, while from the same place il
was continued westwardly, superin-
tended by the others, for the sake ol
expediting the business.
The instruments proper for ascer.
tanning the latitude We're mostly taken
back ON the eastern part of the line
in order that those who superintendent
1t, might be further satisfied; but after
going back more than twenty miles
and observing every day on this line
his Judgement was so unalterably fixed
+ that the line was wrong, although the
Carolina gentlemen could not seem tC
be OF this opinion, and he returned
and overlook his colleague, on the
western part of the line on Blackwatel
Creek or whereabouts, To whom he inn
parted his sentiments, proposing thai
he also should observe for some days
which he did. The result was thai
we concluded our first line right, anu
De brought IL up dccOrdiRgiy from
Cdrtel's valley t0here IL hdd been ieft
and continued Oh with IL TO the west
ward.
at was once after this proposed by
us, and agreed to 10y the Carolina gen
tlemen, that as We differed so much in
observation, we would run his own
line, encamp as near together as We
could and let future observers, hereaf
ter appointed, determine which was
right; which might be done at a small
expense. But this they afterwards de
T clined, othOu9h they cdrried their linz
as far as the Cumberland Mountains
protesting against our line. This pro
test was received in letter after W,
had crossed Cumberland Mountains
We continued, however, as tal
rs Clear Fork, being l23} miles
from Steep Rock Creek, marking d
poplar and two blackberry trees with
, the initials of our names and with
November 22d, l779."
lIS0.--On the 18th of February, tn.
Virginia Commissioners were again in
the field, but instead of starting from
J the place where they left oil in the pre-,
; ceding November, they proceeded, fol
reasons given in their report, to the
Cumberland river, lO3 miles west ol
Clear Fork. Commencing anew at two
beach trees on the west bank of the
Cumberland river and in a latitude 30'
3O they traced the line TO the Tenncs-
see river, Il distance of lao Il miles.
| InAAlaI