Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-02-01
THE FINAL MEETING
Of the Joint Commission to Relocate
The State Lie
Between West Virginia and Pennsylvania
Mason and Dixon's Work Veri-
fed.-The Expense Small.

The final meeting OF the luter-Stst Line
Commission appointed in 1884 by the au'
thori,ies Of Pennsylvania and West Vir.
GINA to locate and correct the boundaries
between the two States was held Friday at
the Seventh Avenue Hotel, Pittsburgh.
There were present on the part of Penpsyl-
vania, W. W Walker, Of Lawrence county,
and James Mccullough, of Canons-
burg, Washington county; Hon. Joseph c.
Gist, ]. j. Chiply and F. L. Hope, Of
this State, and C. q. St. Clair, Of
the United States Coast and Geodetic
Survey. The meeting was held to hear the
report of Mr.. st Clair and to examine the
charts and maps that he had prepared as
RESULTS OF HIS WORK.
These maps and charts show the theoretic
parallel of latitude which is the boundary
east and west of West Virginia and Penn
s~ylvania, and West Virginia to the Mary.
land line the boundary Of Pennsylvania,
and shows, also, the astronomical position
of the same parallel and the latitude of the
old mounds and monuments in reference
thereto, which has been found and recog.
nized as the work of Mason and Dixon.
These positions have been verified by
measurements. The old line was re ettab-
lished by the mounds. The commission
did not attempt to establish the astronomi'
cal parallel line, but recommended Tor
adoption the line as marked out and re-
sorted by the old monuments.
THE GREATEST DEVIATION
from the theoretic parallel was nc feet,
but as the engineer approached the Mary,
land lice it gradually reapproached the old
line and at the intersection at the two
State lines was only l52 feet from it.
The completion Of Mason and Dixon's
line by McLsin and Neville in 1884 cores
pond very nearly with the theoretical curve
laid down by Mr.. St. Clair. That curve
was from Browns Hill to the southwest
corner OF P Pennsylvania for nearly twenty
one miles, although it did not come any
nearer to the astronomical parallel than
the work of Mason and Dixon.
Mr.. F. L. Hoge, Of this city, o civil
engineer
OF CONSIDERABLY DISTINCTION,
said yesterday, work began in 1883,
mean the meridian boundary was begun
then, and finished OF the parallel boundary
for thirtysix miles, and again eighteen
miles, making ffty.four miles We did
the north and south line in 1883.
"An interval Of delay followed conse,
quent upon the procratinatirg policy Of
the Legislature OF the two States in making
appropriations. The work was rapidly
done and at much less expense than fol
the settlement Of the line between Pennsyl
vanis and Ohio. The total cost has beer
only $4,000. .
"Col. James Morrell, Of Harrisburg, the
original chairman OF the Commission, died
in 1885, and we passed appropriate resolu
tons at the meeting concerning his death
1--WE shall have
ONE MoBE MEETING,
and that will be not q business meeting
II will be on the occasion Of the dedication
of the monument that will mark the Stat
lines where the West Virginia State lint
intersects the Maryland line. The STATE
hne has been marked by durable monu
ments 90 close together that they are prac
tically intervisible.