Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1898-09-16
TRUE MERIDIANS
Are to Be Marked on ali of the
Fifty-hve Counties.

The State Geological Board Meets and
Fransaets Important Business The
/ True Meridians To BE Marked By
N0numentS-This Win DO Away
With Conflicting Surveys in West
/ Yirginia-How the Meridian is De-
termined The New State Map Near
iy Completed.
Wheeling Intelligencer.
The state geological commission
held a short session in this city yes
terday morning, at the law Office OF
Governor Atkinson. This commits
sion which consists Of the governor,
State Treasurer Kendall, the president
of the state university, DIR. Raymond;
the director Of the agricultural expert
ment station, Mr.. Stewart, and the
state board OF agriculture, Hon. S. W.
Atkinson, of Potomac, is required by
the act establishing the survey to
hold two meetings annually.
This is the first meeting for 1898,
and was called for the transaction OF
routine business that required only
quorum of the board, which was
present in the persons Of Governor
Atkinson, DIR. Raymond and Hon. S.
W. Atkinson. The state geologist,
DR.. |. q. White, of Morgantown, was
also here and made verbal report OF
the operations Of the survey during
the present year. Among other things
Of interest he reported that by the
authority Of the commissions given
at its meeting in December, 1897, he
had executed contract with the di-
rector of the United States geological
survey, under which the latter organ
ization had undertaken to locate and
mark with stone monuments and
metal tablets, the true meridians in
every one Of the fifty-five counties of
the state. The act establishing the
geological survey of West Virginia
required that these meridians should
be determined and properly marked
by first things to be done, since great
confusion has arisen in the land lines
run by the different county surveyors,
owing to the inability of each to de-
termine the true variation of the mag
netic compass in his own particular
region. Now these stone monuments
set up by the survey in or near each
county seat, will enable every county
surveyor to mark off the variation of
his compass at any time, simply by
setting up his instrument over one
monument and sighting it to the
other one, usually distant 300 to 600
feet.
These true meridians, or exact north
and south lines, can only be deter
mined by observations upon the pole
star, and hence require high order
of skill and most careful work in
planting and marking the stone mon
uments, and it would have nearly ex-
hausted the limited funds of the sur
vey) SO, 900 per annum for all purposes
including publication), had not DIR.
| White been able to enlist the good Of
| fees of the United States Geological
survey, which has agreed to complete
the entire work for the small sum of
$500. This work has already been
finished in about half of the counties
of the state, and will be completed in
all before the close of 1898.
The state geologist also reported
that the map Of the state in prepare
tion by the survey, is nearly ready for
the engraver, and will soon be pub
lished. Also that he has the data
well in hand for reports upon the coal
and petroleum fields of the state, and
that these will be published as soon
as funds are provided, if the present
appropriations are found insufficient.
The commission adjourned at 1890.
having completed its business, and
will probably hold its next meeting
in Charleston some time in December,
when its detailed report to the legis-
lature will be formulated. The sur
vey has been so cramped for funds
this year. that but little more than a
beginning could be made, but if the
legislature will give the necessary APP
propriations next year, full corps OF
engineers and biologists will be put
in the field and the work of studying
and mapping the states geological
formations, pushed to completion as
rapidly as is consistent with accuracy.