Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1929-04-07
CONTOUR Map
OF COUNTY TO
PROVE AN Aid
Cameron Third County
In u. S. to Secure
Map Showing One
Foot Contours

have a topographic survey show
ing one-foot contours, according to
Colonel c. H. Birdseye, chief OF
the topographic engineers of the
u. S. geological survey, who spent
Wednesday and Thursday in the
county inspecting the work being
done by the government crews
now in the field.
Colonel BirdSeye was accompan-
led by w. H. Griffin of Austin,
chief of the Texas division, who is
in direct charge of the survey in
Cameron county. The party was
accompanied by E. o. Messter of
Dresden, Germany, engineer and
head of a firm manufacturing a
recently patented machine which
prints topographic maps direct
from aerial photographs by means
Of stereoptican control, a machine
which was pronounced by Colonel
BirdSeye as almost uncanny" in It's
operation.
Work on the survey which start
ed last fall is expected to be COM
pleted in thirty days. Aerial pho
tographs covering the $40 square
miles of Cameron county were
completed three weeks ago, and
the county map, which will show
all improvements and cultivated
and planted areas. will be made
direct from the photographs and
will be perfectly accurate in every
detail. The contour lines, showing
every change of elevation exceed
ing me foot are being prepared by
the surveying crews and will be
ready to apply to the aerial map
at an early date. 1t is probable the
completed map will be ready with
in a few months.
Map to Aid Development
The topographic map will be of
great value to irrigation and drain
age districts as well as to the
county engineers in connection
with highway construction and
flood control. The contours will
show distinctly the proper location
for drainage Of all kinds, irriga-
ton canals and where flood pro-
tective works will prove most eff
cient. 1t will cover all of Cam
eron county with one-foot contour
lines with the exception of Padre
island.
An added use for the aerial map
was brought out by E. o. MesSter'
German engineer, who demon
strated that under the stereoptican
the improvements OF the various
farms could be brought out with
amazing accuracy and even their
size and height measured. The
aerial map is expected to prove a
valuable adjunct to the office OF
the county tax assessor, providing
what MeSster termed a visual rec
ord Of all Improvements in the
county. The assessors office Is
now using the soil survey map
made by the department of agri-
culture, as a basis for farm valua-
tons, and this in conjunction with
the aerial map will provide a per-
feet record.
In negotiating with the u. S
geological survey, Cameron county
engineers pointed out that due tt
the fact the terrain is practically
level, any map not showing al
least one foot contours would
prove of questionable value in con-
nection with irrigation, drainage
and highway work. The depart
ment has mapped hundreds o.
counties on three to ten foot con-
tours, but previous to this the only
maps showing one foot contour.
are Galveston county, Texas, and g
county in the flat area of Louis.
lana. In both counties the drain
age problem is very similar to thai
in Cameron county, Colonel Birds.
eye stated.
Lauds Valley Section
This is my first trip to the
Lower Rio Grande Valley, and
have been impressed with the won.
derful possibilities of this section,
Colonel Birdseye said. "The sol
is extreml y fertile, the climate de-
lightful, Ind I am confident that !
is destined to become one of TIT
greatest producing areas in thu
world. The map now being pre-
pared should prove of great valu'
in connection with future develop
ment Of the county'S resources"
Colonel Birdseye commendet
with considerable enthusiasm thu
work of the Southwest Aerial Sur
veys of Austin, which made tn
photographs for the aerial map
The work was done by John Mile
and Robert Coltharp, who used tn
Brownsville airport as their base
taking over a thousand photo
graphs. Their flights were mad
only during clear weather, with tn
result that all photographs are re
markedly distinct, and were pro
nounced by Colonel Birdseye as tn
best his department ever secured.
A number of Valley engineers ar
advocating similar maps for Hi
dalgo and Willacy counties, point
ing out that if these r secures
the entire irrigable area can b
joined in one map showing one
foot contours, which would prov
Of great value in connection witt
irrigation extensions, highway con
Struction, drainage or other i'm
provements. Also. they state, thes
maps would be absolutely accurat
in every detail.
In Cameron county the partie
of government engineers handlin
the ground surveys started thei
work at the Willacy county lin
and have secured the contours O
practically all Of the county wit
the exception of the lower sectio
and part Of the coastal areas.