New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-09-28
THE ADIRONDACK SURVEY.

am ONNERSiiIP OF IAN19,
IRON AN OCCASIONAL ConEEspoNDryr opTur rp1r,-x,,
BLACK MOUNTAIN, Lake George, n. Y, Sont.
io-Ihe attention OF travellers Lake George has laey
eeh attracted by the white summit OF Black
ana the curious looking structure near them.
1heSe belong to the NewYork State Adirondack Sur
Ney; and many tourists here climbed the steep but
peasant patti that leads the mountain top to look IN
on tue lr landscape that lies all around to exer-
' '"o A'"ercahs prer0gatlve of asking questions. AS
the region known the Adirondack district covers the
SHORES OF Lake George and Black Mountain ia Mt the
eastern margin of the gneissod rocks which form its
border In this direction, the been selected IA
saoh 10 connect the tr1angulalon of the Adirondack
survey Win the base lines of the United States
Geodetc Survey. great number of patent lines and
ot"er ancient land lines and corners visible from
Black Mountain, and their distances from other poirs
can therefore be measured hy trangulaton and their
True relative position ascerained The station an
invaluable one, from which topographer can look
ILL., westward on the Adirondack ranges perfect
maps upon the plane table Signals connecting land lines
are located along the shore of the lake Rogers Rock
Hayne, Bolton and Caldwell. whence survey lines ex-
tend westward to Schroon River and Lake. and the
lhkeS, ponds and mountains in the interior Thus the
Black Mountain station is important point in the
progress OF the survey aud the that CLEAN
oh 'he summit are now occupied by surveying party
engaged in triangulaon under Superintendent Colyn
The Adirondack Survey has been progress under
the authority OF tue State Government since 1872 The
first appropriation Il small one but the Lecislaturo
was soon convinced OF the importance OF tho undertake
ing and the provisions for s continuance have heen so
increased that from three surveying parties of
perenced Surveyors and wUodsmcn constantly in the
field.
The present has been Of activity on the
part of survey parties acting under the orders the
perntendent. Early in March the work was resumed
and an extensive series of observations determining
benchmarks OF heights was undertaken along a limo
reaching from the southeastern extension of he Adron
dacks to their northern border the Canadian from
permanent basis for all levels and engineering
Northern NewYork. well as what would be called nj
border wns Of the shore Of LAKE, 6"m AL ,'
Geographers viii fluid this part of the valuable
Champlan. and the gcolosist will have data which to
base IN accurate esmAle oil the upward and downward
| earth's crust. All projects for bringing pure wator
York and the other Hudson River cities depend upon
the difference of level which may exist between the
wa,ergapS through which the water must he conducted
IN canals or aqneducis III order 10 supply the valley OF
The mGit i GlPn,a,io part of the work taken
| above referred 10 was the re'racing Of a great
fnd where these grants had actually been marked
the ancient compass surveys OF the Colony of
This work of hunting the Old land lines was found
and mental effort Thus searching out the Inca Of
| what is called the Ola Military Tract in Esscx County
the greater part of which Ia dense forest traverse only
by a rev nnneTs trails me Only way in which the ont
ping into the Old trees which happened To remain along
whore the line surpassed to b. aud seeing whether
core of What was the tree hanared V ,4@gs
iSeTor Of the @ Of Kns George we're in tho bb
of marking oil these vast patents with nothing than
netc beds the region, the variation of tic
needle they consequently mad most deploranio work
started from TO- but merely peeled bits bark or
lanceand chained out the townships in the recl
less way 80 that some towns greatly oyerrun their
These old compass survcyr-sO caled-are held nv the
with m1jesic ioress valuable for lumber Yc t6rsa
land lines. through governmental neglect in the past
had not been kept marked ana in many places could
Logger be found. This became serious matter when
| we're assessed for taxes different claiming the
advantage Of the collection OF such taxes and in some
or, what for taxpayers, occas0ning his
h TO f he ANY T @ d as to
party enpoys taeir owT W Snd to
more obscure than before One cause of this the
,neir h W e no coy ppnT eent would
en s ses in and Hd h To- in gag
out the lines and report This seem however, under
nate that the nltiaon Of the Adirondack snryey Is Sr
ing all The great mountan forest region o. Northern New
some degree at least, OF tnSs ,r, old land lines
into The heart of tho forest 20 search for thc old
taking personal charge of OF the expeditions
After long ssorons and anxlons search all the parties
the aged pinos spruce trees the compass line
marks, ana from these marks the line traced in
that had long been Lost TO Tho world. 1t curious
| lie
| inscrptioness mark. deep in the heart of forest
1Tssi the exact 2s Of 7o7 the so 9 "1S aTs
together with the time of the year-a century agowheu
the tree MARKED whether in sprns, summer tall
1t seems quite simple, too. whom one told that each
year the tree RUG of resn white wood perhaps
not more than one,sx teenth OF an inch in thickness
sometimes less than the breadth o. hair and that by
counting the number Of the rings OF annual growth
covering the ingrown mark the age of the mark
These lines therefore superintendent Colvin had re-
traced; and they were like all compass lines, very
| crooked, transit lines them
| cable, and tho crooks and bends of the old
compass lines compared with the exact
transit lines and thus forever located by exactly
measured distances from the great stone monuments
| this survey. work in this department was carried on
during May and July IN Essex Franklin and Hamilton
counties, lines OF the old Military patent. the
Macomb purchase. and Toten and CrOssneld purchase
| About the middle Of July, superintendent Colvn
returned TO Albany and made arrangements the
vey OF the boundary liue between Counties Iek
mer Lewis in accordance with the directions con
tanned In the joint resolutions OF the Senate and As
ngneers brought together at Bronxvile, Oneida
Co, and started the work Moose River and by the
middle of August this important work was fairly Under
being northward from Moose River to form basis
that century assessments have been
and paid in the northern portion OF Herkmcr County
without the existence of the ghost OF county line de-
erine in which county the lands assessed really
The line being viii extend for nearly forty miles
through peculiarly interesting district OF forest lakes
sire crossing mountain ranges and deep valleys
and settle forever the much-vexed question
what county these valuable timber lands
a tiveiy pressed forward by party under
Assistant Smell who for forty las had constant
Meanwhile the grand work OF measuring the air line
| distances which form the basis skeleton Of the
bio than steclcontinues, and here from the Superin
tendents camp, one looks down upon mass OF peaks
the rocky submits. declaring to the world
York has risen to sense OF her responsibility to her