Omaha daily bee., 1910-02-21
Some Things You Want to Know
The Art of Map Making.

The recent decision Of the Panama Canal
commission to present a big relief map Of
the Panam canal to congress, in order
that the national lawmakers may compre-
bend more fully the nature Of the work
at Panama, is now being carried into ef-
feet. Exact surveys have been made with
the best instruments which engineering
science possesses, the features Of the canal
itself have been charted by the best en-
gineers available, and now the maker Of
relief maps is engaged in completing the
work.
The map OF the canal zone is being made
in Washington, while that OF the Gatun
dam will be completed in Panama under
the direct superintendent Of Colonel
Cocktails. On the whole It will be the
most graphic representation OF the gigantic
waterway that can be imagined. One will
see the whole canal zone IN miniature, It's
peaks, its rivers, it's p~lateaus, It's valleys,
all drawn to scale in their dimensions. IL
will be recalled that there was a relief map
Of the canal at the jamestown exposition,
but this will be a far better example Of the
map sculptor's art.
Uncle Sam is one of the greatest Of the
map makers. He has a number OF agencies
1T YIN oAo II OAlC n b1 NdllGu "
important than another that one is the
big map of the United states being made
by the geological survey. 1t is made en-
tirely from new and patient surveys, and
gives about all the data concerning the
national domain that map sheets may con-
tain. This map is in sections. A certain
piece Of territory is surveyed, and from
these surveys, wrought with infinite
patience. the government map makers
make the sheets, This big map is being
prepared on a scale that makes one inch
on the map represent sixteen miles Of ter
ritory. About one-third of the country has
been surveyed, and the work is being car
ried forward at the rate Of about $1,000
square miles a year. 1t costs about $40 a
square mile to do the work. AS there are
more than 10000 square miles Of ter
ritory i'm the United States the ultimate
cost of this big map will be more than
$50, 900. 900.
While the big map Of the United States
is being carried to completion, an even
greater project is on foot. 1t is the maxi
ing Of a great map of the world, drawn
to the scale of one inch to one million. II
will, of course, be made in sections. each
section representing a plat of land one
degree long and one degree wide. II II
were possible to assemble all the sections
into one big map It would be about 1872 feet
square. About one-third OF the earth is
now included in the matured plans, and it
is believed that in the course of the next
decade all of the civilized nations will
unite In completing this big map of the
world. This ma would be large enough
to show every important feature of the
topography of the earth, the scale being
approximately sixteen miles to the inch.
Prussia and France have been the leading
nations in the beginning of this great work.
Someone has made the statement that
England has better maps OF the United
States than the United States itself DOS
sesses, maps showing all the post roads
and all topography favorable to military
strategy. While England and Germany both
excel the United States in the art of map
making, 1t is not believed that either of
them possesses accurate surveys of Ameri-
can territory as Uncle Sam holds. The
geological survey and the coast and
survey maps are thorough. so far
as they go. 1t must be remembered, too,
that the government possesses all of the
military maps of the civil war period, and
that They are perhaps as detailed in their
Of topographic features as milf
tary maps usually are.
1t is believed that the library Of congress
the best collection of maps in
the world. 1t has over 100, 900 of them.
While the British museum collection may
possess many Of the ancient maps that
are not found in Washington, every modern
and useful map in the world is to be found
there. Great care is taken OF the mans.
the filing cases being so arranged that
every sheet may be kept without damage.
is said hat the finest collection of maps
in private hands belongs to a German firm
of map makers, They never turn out a
map ION the strength Of surveys made by