Arizona republican., 1910-09-23
SURVEY IF
 THE EARTH First GeodetiC Lines EStdb-
 Iished For Arizona MOUNTAIN PEAKS AS HOMES For Men Who Carry On the Work-The Hitting of High Places Is Literally Meant Long Distances for Giving and Receiving.
MOUNTAIN PEAKS AS HOMES

J. s. Bilby arrived in Mesa yester- day from the highest point on the Superstition Mountain where he has been locating a station where will be established a light keeper for the next two months who will signal to other light keepers on the White Tank Mountains west of Phoenix, Big -Baldy, Catilina, VekOl and MaricOpa Mountains. Bilby, with a force of twelve men is engaged in the Coast and Geodetic survey, which is un- der the supervision of the Depart ment of Labor and Commerce of the United States. The survey which is at present being made, does not con- template a change of any previous lines but it will establish points for future surveys; in reality it is a survey over all other surveys in that it establishes the points from which all local lines are run
 The established line extending from near Weatherford, Texas, to the Pa cific coast is accompanied by a sys- tenn of triangulatiOns which locate geographical positions on the 9Sth meridian. Not only does the line es- tablish geographical positions for top ography but also determines the fig ure of the earth.
 MT. Bilby has been with the Geo. detic survey for twenty-six years and during that time lines have been run from ocean to ocean and from the Gulf of Mexico to Canada. The plan of the Geodetic survey is practically a survey of the earth. establishing lines from which all detailed surveys are made.
 The manner in which the work is ac- complished. although somewhat tech nical is interesting. Yesterday MT Bil by wired one of his men who is at present keeping a light by night and a heliograph or heliOtrope by day on some high point in the vicinity of Deming. New Mexico. to come to this place when he will be sent to the Superstition Mountain where he will again take up his work. He will be provided with telescopes which will enable him to look across to noun tains in New Mexico and southern Arizona where he will recognize the signals of light keepers in some in stances 123 miles distant. The long, est distance between high points which MT Bilby was able to recall yesterday was in running the survey along the 39th parallel, which was one hundred and eighty-two miles The heliograph is an instrument pro- vided with a mirror which flashes the suns rays, while the lights used al night are the acetelyne after the fashion of the strongest automobile lamps. The survey in this vicinity is bearing to the north so that it may be near the boundary line of Ari- zena and California. The greatest distance between high points in the present survey will be Mount Powell in Arizona near Needles and San Jacinto on the western coast of Cal ifornia, a distance of 153 miles.
 The manner of making the survey as has been briefly outlined above is by traingulation. For instance, light keepers are stationed on the several highest mountain peaks above men, tioned in Arizona, California and New Mexico The distance is determined by measurement from one given point to another on a base line and then by the measurement of the an