The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-11-04
MEASURING THE EARTH.
Details of n Great Surveying Enter
prise.
London Mail.

London Mail.
A great work is in course of progress in
Africa, of which the public knows and
hears very little.
In scientific phraseology the work con-
sists in measuring an arc of meridian from
Cape Town TO Alexandria,; in more ia
miliar terms il will form the basis of an
accurate survey of the eastern side of the
African continent from Natal TO the Medit-
erranean, and the taking of geographical
measurements on which the computation
of the form and dimensions of the earth is
based
A Paris correspondent announced last
week that Sir David Hill, the astronomer
at the Cape had stated at the Geodesic
congress that English experts were en-
gagged III measuring an arc of meridian of
l04 degrees from the Cape to Alexandria,
through German East Africa, and that s
degrees had already been measured in
Natal and Rhodesia.
A Daily Mail representative saw Sir
David Gill. who smiled when he read the
report. and said that it hardly conveyed
correct idea of the statement he had
made.
Sir David Gill then proceeded to tell the
Daily Mail representative what really is
being done.
There is no immediate question" said
he, "of sending an expedition through the
continent. The principal triangulation of
Natal and Cape Colony has been COM
pleted under my direction, and similar
work in Rhodesia is in progress The com
pletion of the latter work will bring us.
thanks to the enlightened policy of the
Chartered Company, to the southern end
OF Lake Tanganyika, and this we hope to
accomplish in about two years
What we now want to do is to secure
the cooperation of the Belgian and Ger
man governments in carrying the triungu-
lation along Lake Tankanyika. which
forms part of the boundary between Ger
man East Africa and the Congo Free
State, and thence northwards to Egvpt.
and finally to induce the British govern
ment 10 extend 1T northwards through
Egypt. There will then remain only a
chain passing through the Transvaal TO be
meaSured-a work that is q necessary pre-
liminary to the accurate survey of that
country, and which for administrative plIr-
poses must very soon be carried out When
these operations have been completed we
shall have the accurate measurement of an
ara extending along the thirtieth meridian
of E. longitude from the Cape to Alley
andria (about 60 deg.) Finally, by a tri-
angulation round the Levant we may join
up with Sturve'S great merdional arc in
Russia, extending to the North Cape CNor-
way.)
This done, we shall have the measure
ment of an arc of 104 degrees work
not only of the greatest scientific impor-
lance, but one that is essential for the
accurate survey of the territories through
which the meridian passes.
Moreover, the question of the boundaries
between Rhodesia, the Congo State Ger
man East Africa and Egypt will be abso-
iutely settled, whereas they at present rest
mainly upon imaginary lines of latitude
and longitude, or of assumed natural fea-
lures which have never been SURVEYED.
when the Belgian, German and British
governments have been brought into line,
concluded Sir David Gill, 1.-The work will no
| rapidly carried out"