Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-07-25
BUCKLEY & GOODRICH,
STATE HOUSE
Work on the Typographical Survey
in Central Maine.
Commissioner Hichborn Says il Will Take
Many Years al Present Rate.


People are wondering what is being
done by the typographical commission APP
pointed by the governor, last April, TO
take charge of the Typographical survey
that is to be made Of the State OF Maine.
| or that part of the survey authorized BY
| the last Legislature. The commission is
at work all right though they have said
little about their work They have the
survey under way and in the meantime
they are laying back and watching is
progress for they get nothing out Of tn"
job for their own personal benefit. bur
the honor of being on the commission.
There was not an especially large ap-
preparation though it was enough %
start the survey in good shape. The
sum of s25o1 was appropriated for 1890 AMI
a like sum for 1900. With this is added a
like amount by the United States gov
eminent, $1,000 will be the sum that
is to he expended in the two years.
a Journal reporter called upon c. :.
Hichborn one Of the three commissions
ers, Monday and inquired what work
was in progress.
The surveyors are ut work" he re-
piled ana they have been for nearly three
months. They are at work over near
Bucksport'
who is in charge Of the work?'
THE United States geological survey
is directing the work was provided by
| the United States government and also
by the last Legislature"
why was that section of the State Sc
| lected as the place to enter upon the
work. asked the Journal.
THAT section had been triangulated be
| fore by the United States government ami
| it was thought advisable to begin where
| they left off and where the trianguations
| had already been made. They will com
plete this part Of the State and will then
| triangulate another section near there.
! this year The work Of the next year
| will be the surveying of the topographi :
| cal condition of that triangulation and
| the triangulating Of another section.
| There they will of a necessity have to
stop until the next Legislature provides
further means for its continuance and
completion.
THE work in Maine is under the charge
| of f.. W. Clark Of the L. S. geological
| survey. With him are associated j. w.
Edgerly. Robert Coe and j. NJ Madden.
How large tract of land will the tri l.
angulation spoken of embrace
ut is 432 square miles This will be
about all that the party can survey in the
time that the weather Of Maine allows.
And with the indoor work on the map
| will lust about expend the money appro
priated. We will. therefore, in the two
years, have surveyed about S6i square
miles Of the territory Of the State.
| "Will that not make a very long task
of the work and could 1t not be complet-
ed before"
That is just what we have been dis
cussing The coast survey Of Maine
| made by the United States government
has about 1000 square miles all surveyed
for us But you see with Names thirty
odd thousand square miles Of territory
the work at the rate of 49, square miles
n wear will take so years or more for
completion. There are of course sections
of the State where the work will be cas-
Ter as there will be places where there
will not be the innumerable number of
hills and dales and wooded country 10
bother the surveyors. On the other han'i
the wooded section of Maine will offer
great obstacles.
!. I'VE hope that When the people see tne
importance Of the work and when it has
been fairly established, they will appro-
pirate larger sums for the years work
and we may increase our surveying par
ties 50 that the number of years that 1t
will take to make a complete survey viii
be far less.
Not everybody knows what topo
graphic survey is and how it is made
. The reporter doesn't know much about II
but he is going to try to tell Journal
= readers that little as simply as possible.
Putting aside until later the question
of the utility of the maps made by tn,
! geological survey department. the worl
is authorized by Congress for states which
d hear half of the burden Of the cost. The
/, | Washington people send the men to dc
I, the labor. The country selected for thu
/. survey is measured with the nicely o
j science every road. stream. public build
ing, elevation depression, forest, fields
= pastures. barren and pond being indicat
- ed perfectly.
The country is worked over slowly b.
A Jewellers who measure as they go and jo
v and iot and march along over all sort
of country until they have made tn
round of a sort of triangular circuit an
have mapped out Is miles square of gooc
bad and Indifferent ground. Then the
go to Headquarters and the finished ma
III is made up by the topographer. Inc elf