The Belding banner-news., 1921-06-15
BENCH MARKS"
PERMANENT RECORD
Of OUR ELEVATIONS
BELDING AND VICINITY IS APP
FORTUNATELY 500 FIT. HIGH
Err THAN EAST SEA COST

! j.. NJ. Fawcett, engineer in charge
OF the survey work, ETC.. on the north
side sewer, has recently brought what
is known as "Sealevel Elevations" into
this city from point where they had
been established, at Wabasis hill and
has established a number of these
marks at various places in the city.
Mr.. Fawcett is an engineer of many
years experience and has been on big
jobs in many foreign lands. His find
ings show this city and community
to be just about 800 feet higher than
sea level.
Mr.. Fawcett has prepared an arti-
Gle dealing with his line of work and
local matters which is very interest
ing and which is as follows:
1t may be a matter of interest TO
many people whose attention has not
been called to it, that the datum plane
or plan of reference to which the
work of building our railroads, state
highways, river improvements, irri-
cation projects and other similar un-
dertakings is the level of the ocean
low tide at Sandy Hook, or New York
Harbor. F rom this elevation called
the zero elevation, or place of begin
ming. lines of levels are carried along
the lines Of railroad and highways
into the interior of the country un-
der the direction Of the U. S. Coast
and Geodetic survey by men trained
for the work, and who are equipped
with elaborate and costly instru-
ments; and the work done is known
as. "The Precise Levels. This work
consists in determining the height of
numerous easily accessible points
through the country, above the place
of beginning. That is to say, the
height of any point, for instance, the
floor of the Senate Chamber of the
capitol at Lansing, above mean low
tide at Sandy Hook Elevations thus
established are called "Bench Marks"
and their height is given in feet. or
in feet and decimals of feet above
Sandy Hook.
taken on the bridge seats or wingwall
of railroad or highway bridges. Also
on the door sill of the waiting room
or on the water table of a depot.
In the work of the u. S. Geological
survey these Bench MARKS serve as
the starting points for system of
levels that follow the public roads all
over the country, at road intersec-
tions, the tops of hills and bridges,
and other convenient places bench
marks are established temporarily
and their elevations are marked with
white paint on fence posts, gates,
fences, telephone poles and sides OF
bridges. 1t is from these local bench
marks that the contours showing the
surface of the country are worked
out.
lha contours are WORKED out show
ing differences in levels of the land
of ten feet. twenty feet, fifty feet, de-
pending on how broken or how smooth
m, ST.. -ace of the lani happens to be.
As the work of the survev proceeds
permanent bench marks are establish
ed every few miles. These are made
of a piece of iron pipe three inches
in diameter and about four or five
feet in length and are set deep
enough in the ground 50 that from
six to twelve inches are exposed. On
the top of the pipe a bronZs disk is
screwed, giving the height of the disk
above sea level.
From these bench marks county
road engineers, Drain commissioners,
in short, any one having levels TO run
can at all times know his elevation
above the sea level
The contour maps published by the
y. S. Geological survey are very
wonderful things. They not only
show the surface of the country which
they cover but show everything in
the way of roads. lanes, lakes, rail-
roads streams, towns, villages, chur-
ches, school houses, burial grounds,
farm bouldings, fair grounds, in fact
everything, the township lines and
names included.
The use of the Geological maps
are, or can be made, a most useful
aid in the teaching of Geography in
our public schools. 1t is primary in
Importance to teach boys and girls
the geography of their own county.
The names and location of the town
ships, towns, villagesand places Of
interest.
When the maps are completed they
can often be had by addressing a let
ter to the representative in Congress.
Or they can be purchased for ten
cents per sheet by addressing a let
ter to the Director, u. S. Geological
Survey, Washington, d. c.
In working out the survey for the
proposed trunk sewer to which the
city has addressed itself, it was
learned that the sea level elevations
had not been brought into Belding
Inquiry disclosed the presence of one
of the bench marks above referred to
between Belding and Greenville.
From this bench mark, levels have
been carried into Belding and the fol-
lowing points have had their eleva-
tions above the sea level determined
in feet and decimals:
Ellis school building, door sill of
south door, S04.73.
Continued on Page Five)