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Click Here for Handout 1 10/26/2017 VERPLANCK COLVIN ’ S ADIRONDACK SURVEY ~ its beginning at Lake Champlain, 1872 - 1878 ~ NYSAPLS 59TH ANNUAL SURVEYORS CONFRENCE JAN. 2018 ALBANY CAPITAL CENTER ALBANY, N. Y. Presented by: James W. Schaller 6324 Hawes Road, Altamont, N.Y. 12009 (518) 861‐7452 [email protected] Relief map showing the Crown Point Adirondack, and Green Mountains Lighthouse flanking Lake Champlain Dedication of the new Dudley Observatory Albany, New York August 28, 1856 Professor Edward Everett “ ON THE USES OF ASTRONOMY ” The Dudley Observatory Academy Park Albany, New York Benjamin Gould “ The Scientific Council ” 1 10/26/2017 The newly appointed Superintendent of the ADIRONDACK SURVEY VERPLANCK COLVIN - 1872 Verplanck Colvin from Colvin’s Report to the N. Y. S. Legislature for 1872 TRIANGULATION & ELEVATIONS BY BAROMETRIC READINGS SPECULATOR MTN. Burnt Mountain Holmes Hill Rift Hill SPECULATOR MTN. TRIANGULATION detail from a 1872 Colvin Field Map “…and connect it with the angles already measured ” ( Colvin, 1872 ) 1872 RIFT HILL SPECULATOR MT ( from Colvin’s 1872 Report to the N. Y. State Legislature ) 2 10/26/2017 and - Lake Champlain was the PLACE ! 1872 the ADIRONDACK MOUNTAINS -from LAKE CHAMPLAIN LAKE 1609 CHAMPLAIN From the North came Samuel De Champlain July , 1609 Lake Champlain Woodcut c. 1830 BATTLE AT LAKE CHAMPLAIN CHAMPLAIN STATUE JULY 30, 1609 PLATTSBURGH, N. Y. CHAMPLAIN STATUE ISLE LA MOTTE, VT. 3 10/26/2017 THE FRENCH & INDIAN WAR The “Black Watch ” at the siege of Fort Carillon ( Fort Ticonderoga ) 1758 THE WAR OF 1812 Battle of Plattsburgh Bay 1814 THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION Ethan Allen & the Green Mountain Boys the COLONIAL WARS in the capture Fort Ticonderoga CHAMPLAIN VALLEY 1775 LAND GRANT MAP ‐ made for New York Provincial Governor William Tryon ‐ 1779 Early Maps of Lake Champlain 1762 Map of Lake Champlain - for British Major General Jeffery Amherst CHAMPLAIN CANAL 1823 connecting the Hudson River to Lake Champlain Commerce on Lake Champlain, mid -1800 ’s 4 10/26/2017 LAKE CHAMPLAIN LIGHTHOUSES 1825 “ The Lighthouse Establishment ” - U.S. Treasury Department 1852 “ The Lighthouse Board ” - U. S. Army Corps of Engineers CROWN POINT LIGHT HOUSE SPLIT ROCK MTN. LIGHTHOUSE 1870 U. S. COAST SURVEY of LAKE CHAMPLAIN August – October, “For the purpose 1870 of starting the Survey of Lake Champlain…” ( portion of 1844 Tourist Map of Lake Champlain ) 5 10/26/2017 “ …The reconnaissance was commenced on the 24th of August , and after a careful examination of the Lake shores …” From Colvin Triangulation Diagram 1870 U.S. COAST SURVEY – Plattsburgh North & South Base Stations U.S.C.S. Sketch: Plattsburgh South Base (from Adirondack Survey Field Book) PROFESSOR BENJAMIN PEIRCE Supt. U.S. Coast Survey, 1867-1874 U. S. C. S. Baseline 1870 Cumberland Head & Plattsburgh Bay New York U. S. COAST SURVEY MAPS 1873 Burlington, Vermont U. S. COAST SURVEY LAKE CHAMPLAIN LAKE CHART 1874 6 10/26/2017 ADIRONDACK SURVEY PRIMARY TRIANGLE NO. 1 1872 – 1873 ; 1876 “It was proposed to make Theodolite Stations on the summits of two of the prominent mountains on the west shore of Lake Champlain …” - V. Colvin , 1872 BARBERS POINT 1872 LIGHT HOUSE CROWN POINT “About 8 Miles apart LIGHT HOUSE in distance” DETAIL - 1800’s map of Town of Crown Point Essex County , N.Y. 7 10/26/2017 The first Mountain selected was the “ BALD MOUNTAIN of MORIAH ” Bald Peak Sta. No. 5 Crown Point BALD MOUNTAIN Lighthouse from the East (Google Map 2‐D View) 1872 Bullwagga Mt. ( from: Colvin 1874 Bald Mountain of Moriah , Triangulation Map) or Blueberry Hill 1872 BALD PEAK Sta. No. 5 c. 1900 Topographic Map Bald Mountain of Moriah CROWN aka - POINT Bald Peak & LIGHTHOUSE Blueberry Hill “Ascended Bald Peak –axe men cleared any obstructing trees on the BALD PEAK sight lines…” (VC) Signal Station No. 5 BALD PEAK “ STATION ON BALD PEAK ” ‐ from Colvin’s 1st Report , 1872 “ That Mountain proved more suitable for the first Primary Triangle ” 8 10/26/2017 BALD PEAK View east ‐ toward Lake Champlain View west from summit ‐ of distant Adirondack High Peaks Drill Hole in Summit bedrock ( Remnant of Signal Station ‐ Bolt No. 5 ) ( Scenes from photos ‐ 1988 ) (Drill Hole: 1998 –Colvin Crew Recovery ) BALD PEAK ‐ today Bald Peak ‐ over ruins of Fort St. Fredrick Bald Peak ‐ showing the new Bridge over Lake Champlain, and the Champlain Memorial – ensconcing the original Bald Peak from Vermont shore, Crown Point Lighthouse in line with Barbers Point Lighthouse “ HOSPITAL POINT ” SURVEY BASELINE LINE – of - SIGHT Impediment Reconnaissance observations taken from Lighthouse walkway “But – word came that the Barbers Point Lighthouse was not visible directly from the Crown Point Lighthouse…” (VC) ( Colvin Sketch & Map ) 9 10/26/2017 New Sub‐Stations (“eccentric” points) set; U.S.C.S. points tied into… CROWN CROWN POINT POINT Lighthouse Lighthouse Sub –Stations ( A ) a & a’ BARBER’S POINT Lighthouse ( B ) & Sub ‐ Station b U.S. COAST SURVEY “CROWN POINT ” Colvin Sketch 1872 NORTH & SOUTH BASE STATIONS U. S. C. S. Station “CHEEVER ” U. S. C. S. Station “ SNAKE HILL ” . BALD MTN. “ SNAKE MT. ” ( Snake Hill ) ( Colvin’s 1874 Triangulation Map ) ( U. S. C. S. Sketch ) U. S. COAST SURVEY CROWN POINT NORTH BASE U. S. C. S. Crown Point NORTH BASE ( U.S.C.S. sketch ) 1872 - 1873 U.S.C.S. Crown Point NORTH BASE & SOUTH BASE BASELINE ( Colvin sketch ) CROWN POINT NORTH BASE (Bolt in top center ‐ chiseled stone monument) Inscribed: “ U.S.C.S. 1872 ” ( Colvin Crew recovery – April, 1998 ) 10 10/26/2017 U. S. COAST SURVEY CROWN POINT SOUTH BASE SOUTH BASE MONUMENT ( Adirondack Survey U.S.C.S. CROWN POINT sketches ) SOUTH BASE STATION ( U. S. Coast Survey sketches ) 1872 – 1873 Colvin’s Sketch: ADIRONDACK SURVEY -1873 Bald Peak Primary Triangle ( Primary Triangle No. 1 ) “ A Signal was built, and placed over the Bald Peak Station…” (Bolt No.5) (VC ) ADIRONDACK SURVEY SIGNAL TOWER & STAN HELIO BALD PEAK and Lake Champlain (Colvin sketches) ( Google Map 2‐D view ) “ Some malicious person had nearly destroyed the fine, large ‘ Stan -Helio ’ ” ‐ VC 11 10/26/2017 “ Perspective and sectional plan” Primary Triangle No. 1 - 1872 BALD PEAK BARBERS POINT - CROWN POINT 1872 - 1873 BARBERS POINT LIGHT HOUSE U. S. C. S . BALD PEAK ADK SURVEY CROWN POINT Primary Triangle No. 1* LIGHT HOUSE U. S. C. S. * Sub –Stations ( “Eccentric Points” ) also used at Lighthouse locations DETAILS from Verplanck Colvin’s Adirondack Survey Field Maps 1872 - 1873 Primary Triangle No. 1 Triangulation from Bald Peak 12 10/26/2017 Colvin sketch BALD PEAK BALD MT. Triangulation west – from Bald Peak Station No. 5 1872 – 1873 ( Colvin Triangulation Map Adirondack Wilderness - west of Bald Peak 1874 ) BARBERS POINT LIGHT HOUSE 1876 Line of Sight impediment through forest “HOSPITAL POINT ” 8 ‐ Mile Crown Point Lighthouse Projected to ( views ‐ as seen today ) Line ‐ of ‐ Sight Barbers Point Lighthouse Line of Sight “Prepared for timber removal along Line –of –Sight…” (VC) 13 10/26/2017 “Axe‐men commenced to cut line…” (VC) ( from Colvin sketch of men clearing a Line ‐ of –Sight ) Intervening, and “Error due to Curvature of the Earth, obstructing Point of and Refraction of Light” Land, from North “It immediately occurred to me, that in the considerable distance between our Stations …” (VC) “It is rare, that a better example is obtained …” (VC) Refraction Correction… 14 10/26/2017 U.S.C.S. Coordinated “Apex”, or “Centre” Barber’s Point Lighthouse “ B ” Triangulated Baseline Lighthouse “B” to Angles turned from Crown Point Sub Station “b” Sub – Stations “ a ” , or “a ’ ” BARBER’S POINT Angles turned to Crown Pt. Lighthouse “A” Sub –Station “ b ” and / or Sub ‐ Stations “a” , or “a’ ” Sketch showing “Sub‐Stations” or , “Eccentric Points” used at Lighthouse locations ADIRONDACK SURVEY PRIMARY TRIANGLE NO. 2 1872 -1873 ; 1876 Lake Champlain the Adirondack Mountains from Lake Champlain Lake transportation by Guide boat ( from a Colvin sketch ) 15 10/26/2017 JUNIPER ISLAND 1872 LIGHT HOUSE PRIMARY TRIANGLE No. 2 “ 11 Miles apart in distance ” SPLIT ROCK MOUNTAIN LIGHT HOUSE JUNIPER ISLAND LIGHTHOUSE 1872 SPLIT ROCK MTN. MT. DISCOVERY LIGHTHOUSE RAVEN HILL COBBLE HILL 175 COBBLE HILL SIGNAL TOWER STA. No. 175 ( from Colvin Report , 1873 ) 16 10/26/2017 7 RAVEN HILL SIGNAL STA. No. 7 DIAGRAM from Colvin’s Field Notes Raven Hill Signal Station 1873 MOUNT DISCOVERY SIGNAL STATION No. 6 1873 “ but ‐ none of these three Mount Discovery from the East Mountains proved acceptable…” -V C 6 JUNIPER ISLAND LIGHT HOUSE HURRICANE SPLIT ROCK MTN. MOUNTAIN LIGHT HOUSE 17 10/26/2017 HURRICANE MOUNTAIN 3694 ’ Survey Station Bolt No. 8 “ Hurricane Mountain was 1873 climbed, it was perfect weather…” (VC ) ADIRONDACK HIGH PEAKS west ‐ from Hurricane Mountain LAKE CHAMPLAIN east ‐ from Hurricane Mountain “ WE HAD FOUND THE STATION ! ” - V. Colvin from Hurricane Mountain - 1873 ( Colvin Sketches ) HURRICANE MTN. 3694 ‘ HURRICANE MOUNTAIN as Survey Station Bolt No. 8 WOULD HAVE APPEARED 8 Remnants of Survey Station Bolt No. 8 ( today ) 18 10/26/2017 Mount Marcy –or – Mt. Algonquin -and - Tahawus ( “The Cloud Splitter” ) the McIntyre Range COLVIN’S ( DETAIL ) PANORAMIC SKETCH ( from 1883 Report ) ADIRONDACKS FROM TOP OF MT. HURRICANE Colvin’s Sketch: ADIRONDACK SURVEY 1873 “ Primary Triangle of MOUNT HURRICANE ” ( Primary Triangle # 2 ) “ PERSPECTIVE and SECTIONAL PLAN ” LIGHTHOUSE DETAIL – Primary Triangle No. 2 19 10/26/2017 JUNIPER ISLAND LIGHT HOUSE U. S. C. S. HURRICANE MT. SPLIT ROCK MT. - JUNIPER ISLAND SPLIT ROCK MTN. LIGHT HOUSE HURRICANE MTN. U. S. C. S. ADK SURVEY Primary Triangle No. 2 * * Sub –Stations ( “Eccentric” Points ) 1872 - 1873 also used at Lighthouse locations Survey Party – Note large wooden Summit of Mt. Hurricane Theodolite carrying case ‐ doubling as 1876 “ Tripod ” ‐ from photographs in Colvin Reports “Survey Party Leaving Summit of Mt.
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