New-York tribune., 1909-01-31
RUNNING LEVELS THROUGH THE SNOW

1t means great many sights to go all the var
from the Atlantic or the Pacific Ocean to Pfss.
Peak. and IT means that the men who have don,
the work have walked great many miles through
mud and dust and snow. During the Iast season
the scientists Of the Geological Survey made III,
final levels TO the famous mountain top and cur-
rected the formerly established attitudes which
were shown 10 be in BY more than a hun
dred feet. This does not mean that the surveyors
have run a line Of levels during single seas1a
all the way from the ocean 10 Pixies Peak hey
simply started from some established point and
carried the work Up 10 the summit OF the mouns
tain All Of the federal surveys constantly
establishing points OF exact elevation
The need Of establishing various points FOR aH.
tude, longitude and altitude is evident They b.
come starting points for any special surveys d.
sired. whether by the public BY private intsrss
In the topographic Surveys which the United States
Geological Survey is making OF the United States
each sheet Of the big atlas map. representing n
the majority Of cases, about two hundred and afg
square miles. contains from ten TO twenty perzs-
nent metal or concrete be lchmarks the eisTs-
tiOns Of which are stamped thereon These can %
used for all time authentic data for the bass
OF any additional work. and the value OF ther Ts.
manence was recognized in special act Ot Con.
gress requiring that the Geological Survey should,
in it's topographic mapping. establish permanE;
benchmarks. at least one 10 a township. WhheE
Is. Of course a nice thing 70 know The adtItss
OF important mountain peaks. the determination q
the more lOwly points OF pass and valley Is rs
feature Of real economic WORK
The elevation Of Pixies Peak was determined A7
Parry some time prior TO 1884. tarometEcaiy %
I4216 feet Later the elevation determined "
the signal service 1147 feet, and more rscsni-
ly the Coast Survey determination gave the ssTa-
ton "A 10S feet and the Gather Bureau IS lA-3
feet.
In 1907 a level party IN charge OF Charles Hay
man. OF the Geological Survey, started ron
survey benchmark IN ManitOu. near the foot OF 10
famous Pixies Peak cog road, and ran lsEel rs
to the summit and then across down 10 q pol-
on the railroad. The cOgs IN the centre OF tne n
road track furnished excellent turning points Al
the work progressed rapidly until the sumIaii va
neared, when bad weather very much dsiagel -
work and the surveyors suffered severely fran =
posure To handle a rod and IevelLng instr1ns-s
with the Thermometer down 10 zero ana =
wind flowing is no child's play. and the Ee--''
conditions are most uncertain IN these h-sI
tudes Before Mr.. Hartman had completes :,
line he was caught IN a snowstorrn. and hao !" - =
the last eight miles OF levels through STU"
eight 70 fourteen inches deep
To convey an idea OF the sudden weather chaas
which may occur in the mountains IN summer =
II may be interesting to describe the conai10s -,
the day. last September. when the taolsl - -
the exact elevation Of the summit ot FiAs -
which is 14IO9 feet. was set -
When the summit OF the Peak was reaeH't
said c. + Barnard. the seoSrspher N cl4-s.
the survey party. the day an Ideal oHs' -
a temperature OF about 81 degrees ard 10 -
Before the setting OF the tablet was nnisheO -
few hours later. the temperature lad fallen
degrees. il was showing hard. and a gaze u
blowing at the rate OF forty miles an H'U-