Gradienter
date: label: date made
content: 1854
name: label: maker
content: Würdemann, William
notes: label: Description
content: This unusual instrument is probably best described as a precise level with a graduated horizontal circle. The telescope is provided with a long and graduated level vial, and an ingenious clamp and tangent screw moving against the silvered vertical arc controls its elevation. This arc extends 20 degrees either way, and is graduated to 10 minutes and read by vernier to 20 seconds. The horizontal circle is silvered, graduated to 15 minutes, and read by opposite verniers with reflecting glasses and magnifiers to 30 seconds. A trough compass and a circular level are mounted above the horizontal circle. The signature reads "Wm. Würdemann, Washington, D.C. 565."
label: Description
content: The U. S. War Department transferred this instrument to the Smithsonian in 1931, in a pine box marked "Capt. M. C. Meigs, Washington Aqueduct -Wurdemann--Grading Transit--1854." Montgomery C. Meigs was the captain in the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers who was tasked with surveying the course of a new Washington Aqueduct in 1853. Since William Würdemann was the leading mathematical instrument maker in Washington at that time, it is reasonable that he was asked to make instruments for this important task.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: District of Columbia, Washington
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Physical Sciences
label: See more items in
content: Surveying and Geodesy
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content: Measuring & Mapping
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: War Department
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: PH.310299
label: accession number
content: 115960
label: catalog number
content: 310299
objectType: label: Object Name
content: Gradienter
label: Object Name
content: level
physicalDescription: label: Measurements
content: overall: 8 1/2 in; 21.59 cm
label: Measurements
content: horizontal circle: 5 1/2 in; 13.97 cm
label: Measurements
content: needle: 4 1/4 in; 10.795 cm
label: Measurements
content: telescope: 11 1/4 in; 28.575 cm
label: Measurements
content: level: 5 1/2 in; 13.97 cm
label: Measurements
content: overall: 8 7/8 in x 12 1/2 in x 6 1/2 in; 22.5425 cm x 31.75 cm x 16.51 cm