The St. Johns herald., 1894-01-04
WHO OWNS PoPE's FoLLYq
4 Little Island Which Is Still Claimed by
 the United States and England.

4 Little Island Which Is Still Claimed by
 the United States and England.
 The northwestern boundary of the United States is still a matter of dis pute. Two commissioners, Dr. Men denha1 for the United States and Mir. King for Great Britain, have recently been appointed. They are to deter mine whether Pope's Folly is on the American or English side of the line between Maine and New Brunswick. The treaty of Washington in 1S42, says the New York Press, defined this boundary, and in accordance with it's provisions the initial monument to mark the line was established the same year at point near the source of the St. CroiX river. Thence to the south ward to the Atlantic the line was to coincide with the axis of the channel. or the line of greatest depth. Notwith- standing it's importance as an interna- tional boundary, this line, if definitely determined at the time, was not ac- curately and permanently fixed. As sistant C. II. Boyd, acting under in- structions of the coast survey office, organized party in the summer of 1889, and began the work of definitely establishing the boundary line There was at that time no map of the coun- try on a sufficiently large scale to To- cate the initial monument, and they were obliged to conduct a lengthy search, depending almost entirely upon popular reports in the vicinity. The monument was evidently discovered, and consisted of a square cast iron col umn in three sections secured to powder which is situated in swamp ground on the town lines of Amity, Me, and Richmond, N. B.
 On the north side of the monument was inscribed Treaty of Washing ton,'' on the south side Boundary, August 9, 1842,' and on the east and west sides the names of the commis- sioners. The monument is 1 2-10 feet square and S-10 feet high. In June, 1889, Assistant Eugene Ellicott was instructed to make survey of the riv- CT and to determine the channel by taking systematic soundings. In his report, which is now filed in the ar chives of the coast survey office at Washington, MT. Ellicott recommend ed very strongly survey made with great accuracy of detail to serve as a basis for definitely marking the bound ary. Popes Folly is situated at the southern entrance to Passamaquoddy bay, about one mile to the northward of Lubec, Me. In case of war the is land is of the greatest importance, as the nation possessing it has absolute control of the entrance to the bay.
 The latest United States hydrograph- ic office chart, No. 1,247, places the island on the eastern or Canadian side of the boundary line, thus giving Eng land undisputed possession of the is land. The English admiralty charts of 1S42, however, show the island on the western or American side of the channel. Our knowledge of this fact is due to the recent examination of the charts of that date by Dr. Menden- hall, who is the present superintend- ent of the coast survey office. In ac- cordance with international law the boundary was fixed by the axis of the channel as it existed at the time of the treaty of Washington, and the bounda- ry was fixed line, although the chan mel may have changed. That the channel has changed is proved by the knowledge of local shipmasters and comparison of the charts made from the survey of 1889 and those ill use in 1S42.