Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1923-08-29

within small fraction of a Second-
is an, important consideration in fixing
meridian, and in the days before the
wide use of radio it was necessary TO
get Geographic wires to stations on
the line and to have time signals sent
from astronomical observatories In
the southern part of the line a differ
ence of half a second would have
meant the location of the boundary
more than 300 feet from it's true posi-
ton. 1t was necessary even to cor
rect the observations to compensate
for the tiny lag in the passage of the
electric current of the signals from it's
source to the surveyor.
Surveyed by Joint Commission.
Both the United States and Canada
were vitality interested in the proper
location of the Hist meridian. and the
work was therefore entrusted to
joint commission with members from
the two countries. Work could be per-
formed only during the open summer
seasons, and more than five years were
required to complete the job Wherever
there was timber, a vista 20 feet wide
was cut through it. Monuments, visi-
bic from the adjacent ones on each
side, were placed along the line not
more than four miles apart Finally
a detailed map was made of a strip
of country extending two miles on each
side of the boundary Five-foot
aluminum-bronze shafts set in a ton
of concrete were placed at prominent
river crossings and at travelled
points. At less important points three
foot cones of metal were set in a
lighter concrete base.
In the survey of the 141st meridian
probably greater obstacles had to be
overcome than in most other surveys
of recent times. The transportation
Of supplies and instruments was one Of
the major problems. The meridian is
crossed in only two places by possible
routes of water transpOrration-at the
Yukon river, navigable by large river
steamers, and at the POrcupine, on
which small craft may ply. For more
than 200 miles south of the Yukon,
food, feed for horses, camp outfit, In
struments and personnel had to be
carried for the most part on pack
horses whether the way led over
mountains, tundra, meadow or swamp.
Two miles an hour was as great speed
as could be counted on, and the horses
could not be worked for more than
siX-hOur day.
Among other things which the sur
veying parties did during their work
in the far north was to carry knowl-
edge of the white man and his world
into out-of-the-way places. They gave
the Indians their very first glimpse OF
horses and steamboats, in some cases.
Indians Were Alarmed.
When Indians at Rampant House
saw the party's little steamers, without
tow-line or sail and belching smoke and
steam, push their way up rapids in the
Porcupine, they had the most exciting
moments of their lives. When the
horses were unloaded, and in celebra-
ton of their freedom from cramped
quarters began running about and roll
ing on the ground. the Indians ran for
shelter with feelings in their breasts,
no doubt, such as those the Aztecs had
when Cortezs centaurs rode into their
midst. Even the dogs, who had never
seen such beasts before, took to the
hills. But novelty soon wears away;
before many days Indian children were
throwing stones at the queer horn
less caribou"
The American and Canadian parties
consisting of from 80 to so men each,
did not operate in one group. num-
Der of small groups were organized,
each going it's own way. These SUD-
parties consisted of six or seven men,
each in charge of a veteran surveyor.
In the determination of the princlpal'
points on the meridian, however, a
party made up of both American and
Canadian surveyors worked; ana their
individual observations had to cheek
before the points were fixed as ON
cially correct
Every day had to count in the rela-
lively short summer season, especially
along the northern portion of the line,
so that Sundays and the Fourth OF July
could not be observed as holidays. On
those DAYS the working period was
by several hours. however
as some concession to customs DacK
home. An interesting feature OF the
lob was working under the midnlght
sun So interested were the surveyors
of one party who happened to be On
the Arctic circle on June % one year,
thot fhey insisted on working all