The star-progress. (Opelousas, La.) 1917-1921, 1921-11-02
A NEW ALASKA
BASE MAP COMPLETED

The U. s. Coast and GeOdetic sur
vey Of the department Of commerce
reports the completion Of a new out
line map Of Alaska on the Lambert
conformal comic projection, scale
1-5.OO0,OOO; deminsious 17x2s 10 IN,
price Is cents.
The map extends from the Attic
oceans in the north to the state of
Washington in the south, and includes
all Of the Aleutian Islands and part
Of Eastern Siberia. It is intended
merely as a base map ta which may
be added any kind OF special informa-
ton that may be desired. For this
reason, only national boundaries, the
adjacent Canadian provinces. and the
names Of a few OF the important
towns are given. The shoreline Is
complied from the most recent Coast
and Geodetic survey charts and in
respect to southeast Alaska and west
ward to Kodiak Island, the coastline
is better represented than heretofore
The accumulation Of the yearly sur
veys in the extensive and largely I'M
surveyed waters Of Alaska as here
embodied, presents a de1ineation Of
the coastline in a more really true
shape than heretofore and in this
respect the map is more reliable than
other existing maps OF similar scale.
In addition to tbs feature, the en-
ployment Of a more suitable system
of map projection adds to the general
accuracy. On account Of the FREEDOM
mating east and west extent Of Alas
ka, the Lambert conformaI comic pro
lection with two STANDARD parallels
offers advantages over other proiec-
lions formerly used in mapping this
region. This is the system which
came to prominent notice during the
world war and was employed by the
allied forces IN their military opera
rations in France
The parallels employed as stan.
dards are the ATTITUDES IS degrees and
t65 degrees. and along these parallels
the scale is true. Between these para
Ilels the scale becomes too small by
less than four tenths Of one per cent,
which amount is insignificant. At
Dixon entrance IN Southeast Alaska,
the former general chart Of Alaska on
a polyconic projection was in error
| by as. much as ten per cent, due to
i 4 system OF projection which was
1 unsuited to the shape OF the area in
volved. In the new base map, the pro
1 lection error in this locality is en-.
tirely eliminated. The maximum err
ron Of scale OF the Lambert proiec.
ton is only / "a per cent. This is
in the latitude Of Pt Barrow IN the
month where the scale is too large By
this amount. The same amount Of
error appears in latitude As but this
Is considerably south Of Alaska which
lis the subject OF the map. The poly
comic projection had the effect Of
exaggerating areas in the most i'm
portland, part Of Alaska whereas in the
Lambert projection the maximum
scale error is placed in the least I'm
portant part Of Alaska, and in amouni
is only one-sixth as lrge as IN the
pOIyconic projection.
For the measurement Of distances
and areas within the extent Of the
map, an accuracy is thus ootaineS
that IS wen within the limits OF th'
craftsmanship. paper distortion, AMI
our knowledge Of this region as
whole.
The selection Of a suitable prolec
ton with a conformal grid system o
one degree units, makes the new out
line map convenient base for tn
addition OF special and useful inform'
ton. The Enclusion Of the northwes
part Of the state Of Washington
serves as q connecting link with
similar Lambert conformaI base 9
the United States which has alread,
been published on the same scale.
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