Milford chronicle., 1927-11-18
BOUNDARY MARKERS
BETWEEN STATES LOST
rCortinred from 40 taqel


all il was necessary to establish be-
yond any doubt, the division line be-
tween WicOmico and Sussex counties
so that the road could be built down
the dividing line. Week after week
elapsed, and each day Engineers
Clark and Hill were anticipating the
location of the markers placed when
the Mason Dixon line was surveyed.
They went from the extreme west
ern section of Sussex county to the
eastern part. The missing link was
on the route where they proposed
to build the road, and this stretch
of six miles was to be of temporary
dirt construction.
They had no alternative but to
abandon the idea until such time as
they could firmly fix the line on the
six mile stretch. In the meantime,
engineers located here and employed
by the State Highway Department
became interested and gave what as
sistance they could. Engineer Hill
sent to Texas and procured some
high powered rockets so that an air
line might be established and the
direction obtained in this manner.
While Engineer Clark stationed
himself somewhere in the vicinity,
of the Line Church, near Whitesville
Engineer Hill took a trip down the
du Pont Highway as far as the
Maryland line where one of the old
Mason and Dixson line markers is to
be found. Rockets were sent up and
for D. distance of more than ten
miles they were plainly seen and in
this way they were able to discover
in the great Cypress Swamp some
of the old markers. Aged men of
the section were impressed into ser
vice-men who were acquainted
with almost every foot of land in
their locality. They could do no
more than carry the engineers near
the spots where they stated they
had seen the markers. Thus the six
miles of boundary line still remains
to be determined.
In making a search for the boun-
dry line it was ascertained that in
stead of being straight as many sup
posed it varied, especially east of
the du Pont Boulevard to Fenwick's
Island.
The engineers will continue their
search until such time as they can
determine the old Mason and Dixon
line.
The missing stretch recalls the
dispute that took place about the
year of 1879, when Mason and Dixon
were authorized to make a survey,
thus establishing the bOundry line
between Pennsylvania and Delaware
and between Delaware and Mary
land. Lord Hardwicke issued de-
cree authorizing a commission to
carry out the work and fulfill an
agreement made at that time. The
commission had authority to super
wise the running of trans-penin-
sular line from Cape Henlopen'
((Fenwick's Island) in the extreme
southeastern section of Sussex coun-
ty to the Chesapeake Bay and from
the middle point of the same to run
a meridian line northward as a try
line to determine the relations be-
tween the middle point and the cen
ter of New Castle, in this state, They
were also authorized to run due
east and west line fifteen miles
south of Philadelphia. The commits
sion met at New Castle, Delaware,
and organized. A dispute arose over
the measurements of the arc on the
northern part of Delaware.
A question arose as to the surveys
of the boundary lines as to whether
the miles should be measured hori-
zontally or specifically. Care had
been taken by Lord Hardwicke to
specify that the miles should be
English statute miles, but the COM
mission wrangled for many days
over the question as to measure
ments. Finally at Cape Henlopen
and mark the beginning of the