Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1893-01-12
DEIaU1REs UPPER CURVE.
some Plain Words About the Much Dis
cussed and More Misunderstood Boun-

Some Plain Words About the Much Dis
cussed and More Misunderstood Boun-
Diary Line.
Editor Gd.etteG journal: Attention having
been drawn TO letter from Mr.. j. q.
Jackson of Hockessin, in which the work
of the boundary commission was severely
criticised, an interview was sought with
Mr.. W. G. Hodgkins, chief of the field
party, to inquire as to the justice OF these
criticisms.
Mr.. Hodgkins hardly cared to say any
thing for publication, as MIR. Jackson's
letter seemed to be designed as an attack
on the commission for its decisions with
regard to the proper location of the bound,
arg, matters over which Mr.. Hodgkins had
no control; his function being that of an
engineer, to lay down on the ground the
lines adopted by the commission.
However, upon the suggestion that Mr..
Jackson'S letter might exert some intlu-
enCe upon persons not well informed on
the subject, Mr.. Hodgkins consented to
furnish some further information. From
this it appears that your Newark cores
pondent was in error in stating, in his ar
ticle of January Sd, that points of the
curve between the half-mile points were
being determined by ordinates. The only
points on the curve which are now being
located are those at which the stone monu-
ments are to be placed, one half .mile apart.
The statement criticized by Mr., Jackson
| that,the greatest ordinate from half mile
chord would not exceed 10 feet is, how
ever. entirely correct. 1t was not stated
nor intended to be understood that Is feet
| was the exact length of the middle ordinate,
| ii being presumed that the public was not
greatly interested in fractional part of
| foot. The actual length of the middle
ordinates of the curve adopted are IA feet
| 3 inches in the western half of the boIln-
"A faat n
| half plus small fractions OF an inch in
| each case. Mr. Jackson's animns is very
| plainly shown by his absurd statement
| latter deducng fictitious error of | foot
and 3 inchesJ that "Penn's early surveyors
could hardly do worse than that"
| If Mr.. Jackson's knowledge of the ira
ditiunal line were as profound as he as
sures us it is, he would be well aware that
| Penns early surveyors located their line
| from three-eighths TO tive-eighths of a mile
| outside of the '12-mile circle" and that its
| course was quite irregular. He would also
| know that it is utterly impossible to run a
| circle of IL miles radius through the vari-
Gus points Of the old line, which have
| been preserved 10 this time and he GER
tainly does know, if he has read the article
in the Philadelphia Ledger of December
| eth, 1892. to which he refers, that the
commission has not undertaken such an
impossible task.
As stated in that article the boundary,
as laid out, is compound curve of two
radii. the western IL miles of its course
having radius of about III miles and the
eastern ll.6 miles having radius of a
little less than ID miles. This should dis
pose of the silly story, several times re-
peated, that the eastern part of the curve
has been varied or compounded to suit
the views of people in that neighborhood,
and that consequently the people on the
west end Of the line are entitled to similar
favors. The line as laid out is satisfactory
to the Delaware Commission. and we are
sure that Mr.. Bayard and his distinguished
associates have the interests of their people
at heart as fully as your Hockessin cor
respondent.
Ii may not be amiss to say that Mr.,
Hodgkins has made no boasts of extra
accuracy as implied by our friend. He
has found enough to occupy his time in
the difficult and exacting field work Of the
survey and if modern instruments anC
methods enable him to do more precise
work than the old-time surveyor with hi:
Jacob-staH compass and Gunters chain
he has not thought it necessary to CLAIM
any merit for himself in that account Of
to detract from the merits of those who il
their day did the best they could with in
adequate facilities. CORRESPONDENT.
NEWARK, Jan. 10th, 1892.