The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1878-08-24
THE SIGNAL STATION.
ON FOY'S HILL: NEAR CHARLESTOWN.
Operations, Natural Scenery, &c.

On Wednesday Of last week. we had oC
cAsion - visit Carpenters Point and while
being entertained by the gcnJ!cmauly aud
ho>pijahlc proprietor of that celebrated
place, who had invited Us and clerical
friend to whose kindness we were indebted
for the visit tn he seated on the yeiauda.
and furnished us with a good glass with
which to view the fishing smackS that were
cruising i'll the river, our attention was at
tracted to something that rcscmhltd i tent
that iutted up above the tree tops on the
summit of high hill. few miles north
east Of where We were sitting. and we ia
qu!:cd what 1t meant. But our host couIi
give us no satisfactory information. only
that II was erected upon the site of q signal
station that had been uScd many years ago
10y the engineers when making the United
States coast survey. We had seen several
references ia our exchanges to the same a..
similar signals III Chester county, but had
failed tn obtain any correct information
about the purpose for which they were
erected. This caused
THE BOHEMIAN INSTINCT
10 pt come 81 STRONG III us mat We chartered
a vehicle, on Tuesday last, aud III company
with one OF the composltoyS OF III, Wkjg
office, who was raised mile or two from
the site OF the mysterious structure that
had vcxed US beyond endurance for nearly
= week. and started to explore the mysteries
Of Foy's Hill. THIS hill, we Will state JUS
here, is So called from the fact that some
time III the dim uncertain past a man 10y
that name had a cabin away up near it,
summit, some Indications of which We me;
with while proving around the hill look
ing FOR the signal station.
\ short distance beyond North East our
guide boldly struck of into the woods aud
we wound round among the stuuted aud
guarlod oaks and dwarf chestnut ;Ices
along the SerpentIne road TIL We came To-
the conclusion that our guide had gone
crazy oI lost his way, and began 10 think
seriously of rctTaciug our steps and giving
the matter up III disgust, when, much 10
our relief, aud that oil our guide also, We
emerged into a cleared space near the sum
init OF the hill, and after ascending two 81
three hundred feet higher came to the
OBJECT or oUH SEARCH.
1t was hexagoual IN shape. and was con.
structed of chestnut poles about seventy
1--WE or eighty feet IN length. placed about
twelve feet apart at the base, and forming
i point at the top. These poles ale bgaccd
10y numerous stays running IA almost every
conceivable direction from one to another.
\ kcXagoual platform, about ten feet III
diameter, is built upon the structure,
sixty feet from the ground, upon which
the observations are made. Staudlng.
as it did, upon the extreme apex of Tie
cmuence, 1t afforded a magnificent yIuy.
far down the Chesapeake bay and NJ the
Susquehauna and North East rivers. whiIu
llavre de Grace, PrrIyvIllc, Principe Fur
mace, CAarlestown aud North East appear
ed close AZ hand; Bay View was distinctly
seen. and Eikton was visible about eight
miles of in au casterly direction, nesting
among the hills
But the men uf science. whose !aburS had
caused MS all this trouble, were not tu Ice
seen, and we began 10 think that We had
come on fools GRAND, aud 50 after
looking 1t the stones which had been set
in the ground, well nigh half century
ago, to mark the site of the signal station
If it ever became necessary To- Use il again,
we concluded to 20 to ChaTlestUwu, which
was only short distance south Of the hill.
We accordingly turned our horSc's head
in the direction of tina, ancient town, where
we hoped L. lind some of the scientists or
some ,rue else from whom we could obtain
the information We sought. After \ few
minutes drive. We reached that place and
sought an interview with Mr.. John T.
Graham with whom the scientific .cutl.
men had been boarding for some weeks
INTELLIGENCE At LAST.
Mr.. Graham informed Us that those who
had been stopping with him had lett the
town that morning, having completed their
part of the work. but that some others. en-.
gagged upon 4 different branch of the bust
ness, were expected 10 arrive there that
night. He also informed ms that the work
was done under the supervision of Prot
Lewis VI. liaupt. of the United States
Coast Survey. who Is - son of General
liaupi, the engineer who constructed the
Hoosic Tunnel, III Massachusetts, Prof
lIaupt is assisted Ly Prof. DDDlittle Of
Bethlehem, Pa, aud several other survey
ors and civil engineers. and that the object
of the erection of the station on Fpy'S
Hill WAS To connect the United States Coast
Survey with system OF trargulation eN-
tending over the State OF reunsy wanna, IN
order tn make an accurate
MAI or THAT STATE.
We obtained much other information from
this gentleman. who told Us that the sta
ton we had just visited WAS visible from
another one, many miles away, on Polly
Dlummoud's or Meeting House HILL near
White Clay Creek meeting house. IN the
State of Delaware. The distance between
thuSc two place, which was determined
many years ago v. cu the coast survey WAS
made, - probably used - a base line. flum
winch other distances can readily Ice As
certained between important points i'll