The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1958-12-19
SURVEY TO COVER
$500 SQUARE MILES
IN NORTH CAROLINA

A triangulation survey, which
will cover an area of slightly more
than 5000 square miles in eastern
North Carolina, is now being made
by 30-man field party of the
Coast and Geodetic Survey. Chief
of party, LCDR William E. Ran
dali, estimated that the survey,
covering 40-mile wide strip be-
tween Seaboard, N. c., near the
Virginia state line, and Morehead
City, should be completed in or
4 months.
The survey, which consists of
determining and marking the geo.
graphic positions of selected points,
will be used primarily by the Geo.
logical Survey for future mapping
These points, marked with small
bronze discs, will be scattered
throughout the area and spaced at
A. to 5-mile intervals along the
main roads.
The party of 80 (including wives
and children arrived at their trailer
park, southeast of Ahoskie, N. c.,
on November 81. It's equipment in
cludes 81 trucks, two office trail
ers, one supply trailer, and 81 pri-
vately-own mobile homes.
Someday you may suddenly no.
tice a slender steel tower silhouet.
ted against the skyline, or at night
the blinking of lights in Morse code
may catch your eye. These strange
sights coupled with the busy move.
ment of men and trucks may cause
some of the local residents to stor
land think. But don't worry, these
sights, though unfamiliar to the
area, are actually part of one o.
the oldest operations carried on b!
the Federal Government. That is t
survey accurately all of the lant
area within our borders. The tow
ers you see are not used in drilling
for oil and the strange lights an,
not some mysterious secret code.
The activities are merely thu
work of Coast and Geodetic Sur
vey field party. This is one of sew
eral similar parties that methodic
ALLY roam the country, in a nomadi
way of life, from the Great Lake
to the Gulf and from the Atlanta
to the Pacific. Their summe
schedule finds them working tn
northern states and they gradual!
move south with the sun. Thu
these men perform the geodeti,
work of the Survey.
The geodetic work of the Coas
and Geodetic Survey, a Bureau o
the U. S. Department of Com
merce, consists of several types o
surveying operations, which re
quire the highest degree of accu
racy. The resulting information i
used as the basis or framework TO
maps, charts, local surveys, an,
flor various engineering projects
both public and private. This is tn
kind of surveying that takes int.
consideration the size and shape o
the earth, with the calculation
checked by the fixed stars. The 10
cal surveyor, who deals in straigh
lines has to have a place or a def
mite point to start from. Thes
points for which he will hav'
"plane coordinates" are fixed b.
the Coast and Geodetic Survey
Every residents back fence de
ponds upon the Bureaus work fol
its accurate location.
Normally, engineers and aid!
comprising the field party, includ
ing wives and children, may sta!
in one place six or eight weeks, blu
often it is no more than one month
This type of life is more a matter
of choice than necessity, because
if you love your work, what else
matters? Although this sort of life
may not appeal to many home
owners, the inhabitants of this mo.
torized village usually lead a well
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