Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1901-11-02
CORRESPONDENTS.
Mason and Dixon Line Errors
MARYLAND GEOI OGIC\L SURVEY,
JOINS HnrKINs UNIVERSITY

BALTIMORE, Mp, October Ii, 1901.
To the MINING JOURNAL.
So much that is erroneous has appear
ed during the last few months in the
newspapers regarding the rc-,urvcv of
the Mason and Dixon line that | desire
to call your attention to the present con
dition of the work in order that the pco-
pie of the State may thoroughly under
stand the matter.
The Mason and Dixon line was origi-
nally surveyed during the year l163-6S,
stone monuments being placed at inter
walls of one mile from the Delaware line
as far west as Sidcling Hill Creek, the
present boundary line between Wash
ington and Allcgany counties; beyond
that point heaps of stone were thrown
up around wooden posts. Little has
been done during the intervening period
to preserve intact or repair the broken
and displaced monuments, while the
heaps of stone and wooden posts brvond
Sidclng Hill Creek have, for the most
part, long since disappeared.
The present rc-Survrv of the line pro
vidcd for by an act of the General AS
Sembly of 1900, to cooperate with the
State of Pennsylvania which had made
similar appropriation the previous
year, has i'll view the repair and re- loca-
ton of such of the old monuments us
may be found and the placing of new
monuments where none at prrsrnt oxjSt
Great care has hccu taken to determine
whether the old mpuUmeuts are in place
and, when sufficiently large port nls of
the original stone are fnund tn rn-sot
then i'll il solid cement base, In this
way the old landmarks will hn mo
served as fully AS Dossillr Where tho
old monuments cannot he found tbn II
:. Coast and Goodctic Survey which *
co-operatiur with the two Stn.es in th.
running of the line. has ms n rosult uf lis
past experience. advised fine nluciur nf
iron posts. This nsr of ir,n mnnumrut.
has been criticised Inv some hnt thn II
$. Coast and Gendeti,. Smvrv has had
large cxpericncp in such mnttrrs md
finds their use NOT only more economical
but more uermaueut
Much propresS has nlreodv bean m,d.
in the rr.sIlrycy uf the lin. As tnn
dircctiun of the work was immad;,t,J,, :,
plac.d in the hands nf the II = Co,tt
and Geodetic Survey. nm entirely di,ir.
terrsr.d oruaniX,tinn and tb.rnf,,o i,
every wuy nrcnntobln tn thn rn,,.oyo,,t.
tivrs of Mnrvl,nd and prmu.,i,.,mi' i
was found necessary to arrange thn
plous 81 rs to mort thcir rnnynnioucn
They were nnnble at oncn IN ,,I,,.. .,,
experienced engineer i'm chorra nf ,hn
survey. but during fine autumn nf Ionn
a prrliminary line WAS run from, tho
north. western corner of thr Stntn ,Inn,,
the northern border of G,orrrtt rnnnt,,
and locationS were made for th. nl,,.;n, :,
of tho mouumcuts AEttl. l.tar .in,;I,r
work WAS cnrrie,lu I'm inthc vicinity nf tLn
northeast corner of the Stat. and dnr
iuy fine simmer of thr nr.srnt vn,, tho
survey along fine northern hnr,In,. ~
Cecil comfy was cnmnIetnd thn .t,rnt
bpinp reset and the line neruonentI,,
marked from Monument n ~, ~
Delaware bordrr tn Monument No 12 IL,
the valley of the Susuurhamn Snnrn
the compietion of that m,rt of thn Ii,,n
north of Cecil comfy in Au,,n.t =,
thorouph examination has benn TaIn nf
the monuments along the uorthcrn hor.
ders of Hartford, Baltimore Carroll and