St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1896-01-11

:. IAMMANY PARKS
EXACT SHAPE OF THE EARTH.
Selentis.s May Now D.tsfnsias It fron I III
New Governmeus surrey.
The scientific measurement by 1hl
United States coast and geodctic sur
vey of the distance from the Colder
Gate Of San Francisco, CAL, to the
mouth Of the Chesapeake, along the
thirty.ninth parallel. has been com
pletei. The news that the last line Oi
the last triangle had been taken in
this great work has been received by
Gen. Dufield, the superintendent Of
the survey, in a dispatch from Mr..
william Einbeck. who has been in
charge OF the undertaking since its in
ception in 1871 Every scientist in the
world has been waiting anxiously fol
this news. Its Importance may b
judged from the fact that upon this
east and west line depends the deter
mination of the precise shape OF the
earth and the accurate laying OF lines
of longitude, instead Of the approxi'
mate ones that are now in use. This
line will be the basis for . revision Of
all astronomical work in which &C
curacy is desired
Gen. Duffield said the other day ia
the World correspondent: Twelve
years ago q party of surveyors began
measuring triangles at the same time
at each sside Of the continent One
started from the mouth of the Chesa-
peake bay and worked westward; tho
other started at the Golden Gate, in
California. and came eastward They
met among the Colorado mountains, at
: designated spot, few days ago. and
the geodetic survey was concluded.
As soon ss tho party reached q tele-
graphic station they sent me The news.
which the International Geodetic asso-
citation, now in session in Europe, has
been awaiting SO anxiously.
1T will take you . year. in all prob
ability, to make the computations
from the survey and such verifications
of portions of the work as may be nee.
essary. The figures have TO be reduced
to the mean sea level. When this i.
done we will be able to determine the
distance between San Francisco and
the mouth Of Chesapeake bay within 4
few yards of absolute accuracy.
1.-THE work has cost something over
one, hundred and fifty thousand dol
lars One of the most practical ad-
vantages will be that it will enable
the determination Of distances between
cities and the heights above the soa
level of all points along the thirty
ninth parallel. In fact, this work Esy
be taken as the greatest contribution
ever made to science by . government
1.-The chief object of the work is to
determine the precise figure Of the
earth. 1t las already been determined
by north aud south lines. but this one
which we have completed is the only
one of any extent running east and
west There are two or three Of the
north and south lines. Russia has the
longest meridian line ever run, going
from the Black sea up to the northern
limits of her territory. There is one
in India, run by England, that is next
in length. while the third was run by
England and France in conjunction,
from the most northern point of Scot
land down to the Bslearic islands
From these limos the shape Of the
earth has boon determined north and
south, but it has been necessary. in
order to ascertain the exact shape, to
run q similar line east and west. The
United States is the only country
which has enough territory east and
west to accomplish this. which will be
the greatest geodetic' line ever meas
ured in the world.
'Mathematicians have figured out
what the shape Of the earth ought to
he. They have worked on the basis Of
the earth in q molten condition. Know.
ing the number of revolutions aud the
centrifugal force. they could calculate
about what the earth's figure should
be. But the earth cooled more quick.
ly at the poles than at the equator.
and did not take the shape that the
mathematicians had figured on. In
order to determine what its actual
shape was. therefore, q perfect trian.
gulated survey was necessary.
''While the present lines of longi.
tude are close enough for the ordi.
nary use Of sailors. they are not sutli.
ciently accurate for scientific work.
To determine any astronomical obser.
vation it is necessary to have vertical
line in order to obtain the zenith. That
verticlc line is a. right angles to the
tangent to the curve Of the earth at
that point. The plumb line does not
give true vertical line. 1t is affected
by outside influences; at the sea shore
by the fact that the lighter water is on
one side of it and the heavier land on
the other, and il the interior of the
country by the mountain masses on
the one side and the plains on the
other. The correction Of q plumb line
10 therefore one of the most difficult
tasks in physics. instead OF the sim
plest, as an ordinary observer might
think. With this transcontinental
geodetic work completed we will be
able to supply that vertical line, Sc
necessary to all exact Astronomical
work.
.'The whole scientific world will owe
debt of gratitude to the United States
government for the energy and skill
with which it has accomplished thia
great and important undertaking.-N'
Y. World.
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