The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1904-07-09
FROM TEXAS
TOIBOUNDARY
COAST AND GHODETIC SURVEY
AT WORK IN NORTH DAKOTA
Queer Towers of Great Height Which
Mark the Landscape and Arouse
the >riosity or the People Exact
MA"a, rent Of Distances.

WahpehV Vs< ~, July o.For some
time local Gu "a has been aroused
by the erection ~ "a there through
out the country Q, .. ctical-looking
frames Of towers on eat height. One
Of these is standing one and half
miles southeast Of Wahpeton, another
near Hankinson, one near Mooreton, a
fourth near Childs and still another is
at Western postoffice. No one has
seemed to know what they could be
for, but the general gtess has been
that they were the work of the weather
bureau.
However, Assistant William I'll. Bur-
ger Of the United States coast and
geodetic survey is making observations
from the Wahpeton tower. looking to-
ward a final measurement to the great
est possible exactitude of the distance
from San Antonio, Tex, to Canada.
Similar work was done some years ago
between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans
resulting in a reduction of the probable
error, reduced to sea level. in the COM
puted distance across the United States
of about hundred feet.
The method adopted in measure
inents is that of triangulation, as fol-
lows; From towers which, in this level
locality, are sixty feet high, an observ-
er, with a theodolite, computes the
angle to neighboring towers, which
here are placed about twelve miles
apart. This is done at night, keepers
at outlying towers displaying lights of
about the strength of bicycle lamps.
The observer has to make sixteen
double sets Of calculations OF the exact
angle of which his instrument is the
vertex and the various tower lights
the other determining points.
When the operator has completed the
required calculations at one vertex, he
goes to the next tower, and proceeds
as before. The entire party consists;
first of all, of a building crew, who sc.
cure permission from land owners and
erect towers wherever desirable. At
the foundation OF each tower is placed
concrete stone, about four or FIVE feet
deep and flush with the surface of tfie
ground. This is to be landmark for
all time. The tower, after the observa-
tions are completed. is made gift to
the land owner. Other sections of the
Pui " haNSs. ~. ~ ntsSiin a. SeiiSi toWSi 2
to display lights. About twenty men
are employed in the group under the di-
rection OF Assistant Burger.
his work calls tor numerous base
lines, which are gagged with the greatst
accuracy. Such baseline would be,
Tor instance, the distance between two
towers. by trigonometry the distance
then to third tower can pc computed
with as much correctness as though
measured with rod, lhis was the
plan adopted Tor measuring the distance
20 the moon, the baseiine being the dis
tance DtWeen, point IN England and
the Sape q Good Hope and two OBJ
servers noting a particular feature ot
the moon at the same time, also noting
the angle SO formed knowing then
the miles apart which they were, the
distance TO the moon was found alter a
lew nours q nguring.
aking newly acquired lengths as
new baselines the survey goes On across
the United States, making enormous
triangies Wherever " goes. afterwards
allowances are made tor changes IN the
neignt OF land and AZ estimates are re-
duced TO sea level. hen we have the