Delaware gazette and state journal., 1896-01-02
THE STATE BOUNDARY LINE
Resolutions Adopted by the
Joint Commission.
THE REPORT OF SURVEYOR FARRA
Interesting Statement of the
Latter'S Work.
A Curve That Conforms As Near As Practi-
cable with the Well Recognized Points on
the Line Run by Taylor and Pierson in
170I--The boundary stones.

One of the most important papers
respecting the boundary between Della.
ware and Pennsylvania which were
taken to the office Of the recorder of
deeds on Friday for the purpose of being
recorded is the one containing the
resolutions adopted by the joint COM
mission on boundary survey. The
resolutions are as follows:
Resolved, That the boundary line he
tween the State of Delaware on the
north, and the State of Pennsylvania,
shall be held to commence at the north
east corner and boundary stone of the
State of Maryland, as fixed and in
scribed, and as it appears in the map
and report Of Lieutenant Colonel J.
D. Graham, United States Topographic
cal Engineer, to the joint commits
sioners of the States Of Pennsylvania,
Delaware and Maryland, dated Febru-
airy 9th, 1850, and extended thence
due east four thousand and one hun
dred and sixty-nine feet to the monu-
ment now fixed and agreed upon by
this joint commission as the western
terminus of the circular boundary line
between the said States; said mouu-
ment being at the distance of twelve
English statute miles from the spire of
the Court House at New Castle.
Resolved, That the monuments as
inscribed and set under the direction
OF this joint commission at the eastern
and western termini, respectively, OF
the said circular boundary line, be, and
are hereby adopted, approved and con-
firmed as the true and Just terminal
points of the said boundary line, and
that the intermediate line of boundary,
being twenty-five miles and fifty seven
hundredths between the terminal points
aforesaid, as surveyed and delineated
by w. G. Hodgkins, as assistant on
gineer of the United States coast and
geodetic survey, detailed for that SER
vice), under the supervision of Benja-
min II. Smith of Pennsylvania, and
Daniel Fara of Delaware, the sur
veyors there1pto duly authorized and
appointed by the joint commission,
and as the same appears by the sketch
or plat made and returned by the said
Assistant Engineer Hodgkins. aud
furnished to the joint commission, to
be adopted and approved, and that
the circular boundary line aforesaid
shall be held further to extend from
the said easterly terminal monument
TO low water mark on the Delaware
river, and continuing to low water
mark on the opposite shore of said
river
Resolved, That the points ascertained
and noted upon the said sketch, and
marked by stakee upon the said line
by the said assistant engineer under
the personal supervision and approval
of the said Surveyors Smith and Farra,
are hereby adopted as the points at
which the said mile and half mile
boundary stones, as marked and num-
bered shall be set and established.
Resolved, That the superintendent of
the United States Coast and Geodetic
Survey be requested to have prepared
and furnished, as soon as possible, for
the use CT the joint commission, two cer-
titled copies in full of all the field notes
and records of the said survey, together
with maps or pats of the said line,
as described and surveyed by the as
sistant, W. @. Hodgkins.
Another important paper is the re-
port of Daniel Farra, surveyor on the
part of Delaware, which is dated Octo-
ber 31st, 1894. Following is synopsis |:
To the Hon. Thomas F. Bayard, Hon.
John II. Hoffecker and Hon. B. l..
Lewis, commissioners on the part of
Delaware,
Gentlemen: After my appointment as
surveyor on the part of Delaware it
became my first duty under your in
structions to collect all available data
of record that would be of service in
the determination of the line upon the
ground. Here Mr.. Farra states whore
the information was obtained.
Early in the deliberations of the joint
commission the point was selected for
the initial monument of the present
survey and the site of the "old house"
at Chichester above mentioned, for the
terminal monument.
In November, 1891, by direction of
the commission | made a joint recon-
noisance of the line with Mr.. Benia-
min II. Smith, the surveyor on the
part of the State of Pennsylvania. Our
Instructions required us to identify
points on the line of l70l, ascertain
the knowledge OF the people in the
vicinity of its existence on the ground
and collect other information that
might be serviceable to the joint COM
mission. (Here Mr.. Farra describes
tho Reconnaissance.
We were directed by the joint COM
mission to make preliminary survey
TO determine curve that would con-
form as near as practicable with the
well recognized points on the line run
by Taylor and Pierson in 170l.
This problem involved the deter
mination of the relative position of
several points along that line, which
we agreed could be most economically
and accurately effected by connecting
them with the existing triangulation
stations of the United States Coast and
Geodetic Survey in the vicinity.
The positions and descriptions OF
several stations in the neighborhood OF
the initial ami terminal points and in
and around New Castle we're readily
obtained from the superintendent, who
also offered to detail an assistant engi-
neer and furnish the necessary instru-
ments for the execution of the field
work. This offer was accerted by Mr.
Bayard on behalf of the joint commits
sion, and on March Sth, 1892, we were
notified by the. superintendent Of the
detail of Assistant W. 9. Hodgkins,
who was directed to confer with us
relative to the choice of methods and
other details.
This conference was held at Mr.
Smiths Office in Philadelphia, March
18th, 1892, at which time we advised
Mr. Hodgkins of the nature of the pre-
liminary survey required by the joint
commission and the general plan OF
field operations was discussed and
agreed upon. On being subsequently
advised of the regulations of the depart
ment concerning estimates in advance
of the field expenses on April 18th We
requested the engineer to determine
the geodetic positions of the following
points: The site of the old house at