The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-01-12
ENGINEERS BUSY DAY |
YESTERDAYS SESSIONS OF THE
CONVENTION DEVOTED TO I'M
PORTANT DISCUSSION
MORE MEMBERS ARE WANTED
Annual Address Are FnvOrabIy
Received, and 1t Is Determined
to Use Every EndeavOr to Carry
Them Out-At TOday's Sessions
Officers VIII BE Elected.

A busy day was put in by the sur
yeyors and electrical engineers at their
second days session of the annual con-
vention yesterday in the rooms Of the
Commercial club.
But little business was transacted,
as the session was given over almost
entirely to the reading Of papers by
members on purely technical subjects
of interest to experts.
Today's session will conclude the
convention. Officers will be elected
at this mornings session. and reports
will be made by several Of the commit
tees
The committee appointed Tuesday to
consider some Of the suggestions con-
tanned in the annual address of Presi-
dent w. r. HOag, made their report,
recommending that the society in the
future undertake. new work and a syS-
tematic canvass be made to swell the
sOcietys numbers. Good roads came
in for a portion Of the committees re-
port, which recommended on this sub
ject that the movements have the
moral and substantial support Of the
society. and the committee on legisla-
ton assist in every way possible the
Good Roads association In it's efforts to
secure the passage Of good roads leg
islation during the present session Of
the legislature.
President Hoag appointed as COM
mittee on entertainment, N. Y. Taylor,
o. ]. Anderson and William Danforth.
The general idea pursued in the con-
struction Of the Duluth water mains
and laterals was discussed by 7. F.
McGilray, followed by paper on
Highway Bridges" by Prof F. H.
Constant Of the state university.
The exhibition made by the Good
Roads association at the state fair last
fall was told Of in an interesting pa
per by W. G. Smith.
G.. w. Cooley, county surveyor OF
Hennepin county, read a paper on lily
biography of Lake Minnetonka."
The details Of another interesting
piece Of engineering was discussed in
paper by w. G. Fraser, Of Owatonna,
on 1.-THE Owatonno Rock Tunnel Sew
en-"
O. J. Anderson, county surveyor Of
Nicollet county, read an interesting pa
per on ''The Resurvey Of the County"
which is now going on. He said in
part:
''In Nicollet county, as in many 9TH
er counties in the state, the original
landmarks set by the government sur
veyors. are fast becoming lost and all
traces of the points where the original
become obliterated. This caused end
less disputes and litigation, and it was
finally determined to make resurvey
| Of the county and replace the old cor
ners with monuments that would be
permanent. The cost Of the work was
immense. but that was a matter Of
little moment when the great good that
Is resulting is taken in consideration.
The average cost Of the work, as far
as 1t has progressed, has been about
$35 per section in the timber and SIG
per section in the open. At times the
work has been slow and discouraging,
owing to the conditions that have had
to be met, but all obstacles have been
overcome. We found in our work that
It is a bad practice to rely. entirely on
the magnetic needle in determining
courses, but the errors resulting from
this are well known to all practical en-
gineers. The future benefits which will
be derived from a work Of this nature
are so apparent that discussion. on
that point is deemed useless. Although
only. about one-fifth of our work has
been accomplished, enough has been
completed to satisfy the people that
every dollar invested has been money
wisely expended"