New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1925-10-30
BOUNDARY lines
CHANGED GREATLY
Interstate Borders Not What
They Once Were

Washington. Oct. SO.--"Work re-
Gently begun to check UP the con-
dition OF monuments marking the
straight line boundary between New
York and Pennsylvania, and to find
how far the line varies from It's
proper position, brings to attention
only one OF the scores OF boundary
skeletons In the national closet"
says bulletin from the Washing
ton, D. c., headquarters OF the
National Geographic Society.
ut Is probably safe to say that
not one OF the forty-eight states Is
now administering exactly the ter.
ritory which supposedly belongs to
It," continues the bulletin. In
some cases the differences are only
matters of hundreds or thousands
of acres. but In others they must be
measured by hundreds of square
miles. These faulty boundaries are
for the most part accepted now,
especially In the states longest set
tied: but the agreements have not
all been reached quietly. There have
been scores OF disputes between
neighboring states and territories,
dozens OF law suits have been
brought before the supreme court,
and In one or two cases bitterness
has been SO great that civil war has
seemed on the verge Of breaking
out.
Difficult to Draw Straight Lines
The chief difficulty is In drawing
straight lines. Anyone can draw
straight line on a piece of paper.
He can construct a reasonably
straight edged flower-bed or drive
way. But try to lay out a straight
line some miles or hundreds OF miles
long on the face OF the earth, over
hill and dale, valley and mountain,
and you are faced by vastly more
difficult problem.
Many OF the supposedly east and
west lines between the colonies, lat
err inherited as boundaries by the
states. were laid out with on other
instrument than the magnetic COM
pass. The direction in which the
needle pointed varied as the sur
veyor advanced; but in some cases
no account was taken OF this, and
in others inaccurate corrections
were applied. The lines, instead OF
being straight and running in a true
cast and west direction, were traced
somewhat like rail fences between
their terminal points, or struck off
from the true direction at angle and
had to be broUght back at intervals
by offsets,
Plumb Lines Lead Surveyors Astray
Later when better instruments,
astronomical methods and higher
mathematics we're used the errors in
running boundary lines we're greatly
reduced. An absolutely accurate
line hundreds OF miles long through
rough country has never yet been
however. and probably never will
be- chiefly because surveying in
struments depend on plumb line or
spirit level to establish perpendicu-
lars and these indicators vary with
differences in density Of the rocks
from place 10 place. The closest
approach 10 accuracy has been
made by the triangulation system
which tho United States Coast and
Geodctic Survey has extended over
u great part Of the United States
Errors still crop up, but they are
almost negligible. II IL this TRAN.
gulation system which has disclosed
many OF the rather glaring mac
curaCies OF the earlier boundary
surveys.
"A number OF boundary difficult
ties have arisen because Of mistakes
in geography, Thus the first boun
Diary treaty E"twccn Great Britain
and tho lni;rI states in 1882 pro
Nided thai tl" northern boundary o
he United states should run from
the Lake Of the Woods on a du,
west course to the river Mississippi
"A physical impossihilty. This er
ror had to he adjusted later hu
The tiny projection OF United State
territory into Canada at the 95t'
meridian like the sight on a riff
barrel is monument TO the mis-
take.
= Misplaced Lake
another error that led 10 troubl
was the belief that an east-wes
line through the southern extremit
Of Lake Michigan would cut LAX
Erie At or north Of the latter's west
crn end. Tho extension Of Indian
nnd Ohio several miles north OF thi
old east-West line testihes TO IN
correction that had 10 be made Tn
shifting of the Ohio line north. incl
dPntally, was one Of the boundar
matters that came near causiu
civil war Militia from both Obi
and Michigan wcrc modified nca
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