The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-05-30
OUR COUNTRY IN LITTLE.
Senator Cannon's Proposed Great
Ground Map..A scheme to Com
struct OH the Potomac Flats in
Washington II Reproduction in
Miniature Of the United States.

StruCt on the Potomac Flats in
Washington Reproduction in
Miniature Of the United States.
When young Mr.. Cannon OF Salt Lake
city was elected to represent the new
state Of Utah in the United States SEN
ate, he got, says the Sun, the particular
opportunity which he had nose desired
for several years. 1t was n chance to
pi oppose, in a way which should be sure
OF attracting thoughtful attention, his
scheme for the construction by the gov
ernment Of a gigantic ground map of
the United States, to be known as "Our
Country i'm Miniature" Senator Cam
mons resolution provides for the an
pointmont of a commission Of five citi-
zens, three to be selected by the presi-
dent, one by the president Of the SEN
ate, and one by the speaker of the house,
TO examine into and report to congress
upon the practicabii.;y, advisabi.ity,
and cost of establishing at or near the
city of Washington a ground map Of
the United States of America, on q
scale of one square yard Of map surface
for each square mile Of actual area, or
on such a scale as 1t may be possible
to comprise within the reclamation of
the Potomac flats, said ground map to
be as nearly as may be cur country in
miniature. reproducing in earth and
other materials. on scale, the boun-
daries and the topography, all the nat
ural and artificial features Of the sur
face. showing geographical divisions;
also, mountains, hills and valleys, for
ests, lakes and streams. cities and viii
lagos; and said commission Is to serve
without compensation.
AN OLD IDEA.
For long time Senator Cannon has
cherished the idea of constructing such
map. He proposed 1t to the managers
of the Chicago fair In 1890, but they did
not grasp the Importance or worth of
the project. Now he says he Is very
glad they did not, for there Is a prospect
that by government construction and
care 1t will be made q permanent thing.
Senator Cannon's plan Ia very compre-
hensive. His design Is to establish at
or near the capital of the nation a
ground map of the country. which shall
furnish In general and in detail a com
piete view Of the vast domain within
the boundaries Of the United States.
To do this satisfactorily he proposes
that the map shall be constructed on
the scale Of one square yard for every
square mile of actual territory, or one
one thousand seven hundred and sixth
eth Of the natural size Of the country.
This Is rot an excessive size for a
ground map, but It Is twenty-five times
or more the scale which ordinary map
makers use. TO provide map on this
scale there will be required 625 acres.
Upon 1t will be projected all the geo.
graphical lines. all the topography and
what map makers call the culture" of
the United States, that Is all improve
ments made by men, towns and cities,
nQn 1S nd o,ly,
Upon such tract Of land there would
first be established the periphery of the
United States, 10,S55 yards In length,
representing the 1885 miles of our ac-
tual boundaries by land and water.
Then from the apparent sea level on
the east and west the tract would be
graded to vertical scale correspond
ing with !he horizontal scale to show
the greatest height attained by any of
our mountains. All the rivers, all the
lakes, all the forests, all the mountains,
all the valleys, all the cities and viii
lagos of the country. would be repro
duced with as great cXactitude as the
skill of :he landscape gardeners could
produce. Upon such map the Missis-
sippi river with its Missouri tributary
VIII be 4,606 yards long and about three
feet wide. Lake Michigan will contain
%. 900 square yards Of actual water sur
face. Upon such body of water min
iature steamboats, and sailing craft
could ply. The cities would probably
be built OF class. so that by running
electric wires under them they could be
Illuminated at night.
In Senator Cannon's original scheme
1t was designed to have foot?aths run
on the state lines so that the observer
could pass around each state. When
such paths would not interfere with
the topography or the culture they
would also be run through .he larger
states. A grand driveway will be con-
structed around the boundary of the
United States. 1t may also be found
desirable to have transcontinental
driveway. following, perhaps, the line
OF the Union and Central Pacific rail-
ways, or neighboring state lines. One
of the principal exhibits which would
be sought to be made by the map would
he tho 23S000 schoolhouses In the United
States. In the spcech which he made
upon thu introduction Of his resolution
in the senate. Mr.. Cannon said that II
was quite practicable with the skill
now at the command Of landsca,e
gardeners thus to reproduce the coun-
try.
Scientific men have been greatly in
terested by Senator Cannon's PROPOSE
tion. Mr.. Cannon himself Is working
hard to assure governmental construc-
tion Of the map at Washington. If he
fails In that the map will be constructed
he says, by some Western
university.