Evening star., 1912-07-12
DISTRICT AND ENV|RONS
SUBJECT TO RESURvEY
Government Topographers Are
Bringing Map of Territory /
Up to Date.

In order that the topographers OF tho
geological survey may be kept engaged
until Congress passes the appropriation
bill which will enable them to resume
their regular field work, resurvey 10
being made of the District and sur
rounding country In Maryland and
Virginia.
The work consists chiefly in bringing
up to date a map of the same territory
which was originally made by the geo.
logical survey in iss5-se. and partially
revised in 1895 TO 1897. The new map
will measure AZ by a. inches and will
be practically twice the size OF thQbld
map. The resurvey is being done on
a scale Of 1900 feet to / inch. Tho
published map will be on a scale OF
1:3l.250. or about two inches to one
mile. The contour interval will be
ten feet instead of twenty feet
Area Covered.
latitude &c degrees 81 minutes 80 Sec
onds and IL degrees Is minutes and
longitudes 3S degrees 45 minutes and
80 degrees 5 minutes. In other words.
the area mapped will extend from
to line running through Rockville,
Md, and east and west to Forestville,
Nd, and Great Falls The old map
took in the country as far east as
Marlboro, Md. The most northern
point shown in the map was Sligo. Md.
Inasmuch as the development from
Sligo as far north as Rockville has
been more rapid than that between
Forestville and Marlboro 1T has been
deemed advisable to make the change.
IA wi he
about July ], 1919.
More than a dozen survey parties are
engaged on the work. The stadia method
is being used throughout. based on pre-
termined by the coast and geodetic sur
vey and the geological survey. The to-
Biography to be completed lies outside OF
the District, the map made In recent years
by the coast and geodetic survey beng
used for the District itself. In this por-
ton Of the map II will merely be neces-
sary to indicate the new streets that have
been cut since the old survey was made
and show the slight changes in the to,
Biography due to grading of the ground
for building purposes. Potomac Park and
other parks under the supervision of the
arm yengineers will not habe 10 be sur
veyed, as the new map can be compiled
from surveys which have already been
made for those territories. One of the
important revisions to be made in the old
map will be the location of railroad
tracks, many changes having been made
during the past ten years.
Work by Regulars.
When asked about the work today Dr.
rector George Otis Smith of the geo.
logical survey said the new map will be
unique in that it will be done entirely by
regular topographers instead of assistant
topographers. as is generally the case.
Messengers in the department are acting
as rodmen.
Because Of the failure of Congress to
pass the appropriation bill II was impossi-
BILE to send thetopographers to their field
stations Notwithstanding their office work
had been completed. The joint resolution
passed by Congress several days ago pro-
vided only enough money to pay running
expenses and made no provision for field
work. AS there has been a great demand
for an accurate map of the District for
many years 1t was accordingly decided to
detail a portion Of the topographers to
that work in order to keep them engaged
until they can resume their field work.
Attired in their regular khaki survey
uniforms the topographers are now at
work on portions OF the old map that
work Is a genuine pleasure but to the
messengers of the department who are
serving as rodmen it presents an entirely
different aspect. To them ii means sore
feet. sunburned faces and brier scratches.