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C&GS Surveyor Lt. Charles Pierce: the California Coast 1932–33

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C&GS Surveyor Lt. Charles Pierce: the California Coast 1932–33 A prison camp. Convicts from Folsom Prison were used to build Highway 1 on the Lt. Charles Pierce on left Big Sur coastline. The camps were fenced in and under guard. There was a north and Jack Bachtel setting up and south camp. Pierce’s survey party had their camps inside the enclosures. signal on offshore rock. Charles Pierce and William Tucker at Station Pico Blanco. SOME NOTES FROM LIEUTENANT CHARLES PIERCE PART 1: The California Coast 1932–1933 uring the 1930’s there was a huge geodetic survey- reports. From jumping mules to offshore rocks covered with ”the ing effort as thousands of men were hired on excreta of generations of seabirds to remind us of their departed”, various federal projects meant to help mitigate the Pierce and his crews saw much of the American West when it was high unemployment of the Depression Era. Charles still in a relatively wild condition. Excerpts from some of his reports Pierce (not to be confused with the great Coast follow, giving an inkling into his experiences as a surveyor in near Survey scientist and philosopher Charles Sanders Peirce), destined frontier territory. to become a Coast and Geodetic Survey Rear Admiral, was chief of a triangulation party on one of these projects working in some of Surveying Big Sur the most rugged and deserted areas of the western United States. April 1932-March 1933 Fortunately, Pierce was as handy with the pen as he was with a “… The country in this locality is about as wild and rugged as any theodolite and recorded his experiences in some classic project that remains along the entire California coast. Rattlesnakes are AUTHOR NAME » ALBERT» “SKIP” THEBERGE Displayed with permission • The American Surveyor • September 2016 • Copyright 2016 Cheves Media • www.Amerisurv.com plentiful, and many were killed by our party. Mountain lions are numerous and were seen by members of the reconnaissance party, from which Station Lion takes its names. Timber is scattering and the brush heavy and offered considerable difficulty in transportation off the few traveled trails. Water was at hand in most of the larger canyons during the dry months. “The coast highway known as the Dining on the saddle below triangulation station Pico Blanco. L to R Silk Hat Harry, Lieutenant Monterey-San Simeon link of the future Charles Pierce, Cowboy Roy, and Lieutenant William Tucker. coast highway, was being built northward from San Simeon and southward from Slates Hot Springs and had reached for footing was installed in the truck bed loading places along the highway were few Kirk Creek on the southern end where a and the sides were built up to a safe height and far between. The horses never could be California State convict labor gang was for hauling these animals. The two mules loaded with the ease that the mules could, headquartered…. were trained to jump from the ground into and at times the camp resembled a small “When the party started operating along the truck and also to jump directly from time rodeo when it was necessary to load the new Coast road south of Kirk Creek, truck bed to the ground. This obviated the horses aboard the truck. In general, the large 2 ½ ton Reo truck on the party the necessity for loading platforms, a very for packing, loading into trucks, general was extremely valuable in hauling two important consideration when such suitable pack animals over the road to such points on the highway as were used for packing to and from the various interior stations. “ Mountain lions A hard wood flooring with cleats across are numerous and were seen by Right: Lieutenant Charles Pierce recording on a guano covered rock off the Big Sur coastline. members of the The netting covering his head is to keep off the flies that covered the rock. Bottom: In southern reconnaissance California there were many stations on offshore rocks. An observing party is leaving a station with Lieutenant Charles Pierce in the boat and Ensign party, from which William Tucker waiting to jump on board. Station Lion takes its names.” stamina, ease in handling, the mules were far more valuable to us than the horses and the four horses were returned to their owner shortly after making camp at Kirk Creek….” “The station Plaskett Rock was located on the summit of a huge square shaped rock lying about ¼ mile offshore. Fortunately a fisherman chanced to be working in this locality with a small skiff and landings on the rock were made from Plaskett Cove; landings on the cove and on the rock were extremely dangerous during this period late in October, with a high swell running Displayed with permission • The American Surveyor • September 2016 • Copyright 2016 Cheves Media • www.Amerisurv.com continuously. The rock was difficult to party under Capt. Forney in the vicin- eye, but had always proved sure footed if a scale and lines from its top were used to ity of Cayucos, when the original coastal trifle slow. The mule slipped on some rocks haul building and instrumental equipment triangulation was placed up the coast. He on the trail and fell back on his haunches, to the top. The instruments were lowered cheered us up with the information that we with the lead man holding to the halter line. from the top where the rock dropped sheer had it comparatively easy as the original The pack struck the rock wall on the inside to the ocean, into a small boat directly party had a tremendous amount of brush of the trail, throwing the animal off his below to eliminate possible casualties in to fight, and trails to clear; which since that balance, and not being able to see to his left, descending. This station was the most time have been burned over in places or he simply rolled off the trail, and down the miserable for occupation of the entire trails cut through…. steep slope. The man holding the lead line project, with swarms of small flies, and A “ Fennel theodolite was subjected to a was forced to let go to save himself from the the excreta of generations of sea birds fall in the vicinity of Soda Mt. that merits same fate. The mule rolled over and over to remind us of their departed. Several recording. It was packed in its wooden box, down the slope, striking on the instrument attempts were made before a landing was and carried inside of a cow hide bag which box as he rolled, which projected some successfully made for occupation, ascend- was slung on one side of a pack mule, and distance from his flanks, and dropped ing from the southeast corner…. the whole pack well tied on the pack saddle. conservatively 75 feet down, striking on “While working through here we met The mule was trudging up a steep rocky the instrument and pack several times in an old man operating the Los Burros mine trail at the time, with practically a straight his descent. At the proper time in his roll who had worked for the Coast Survey drop on his left side. He was blind in the left he shot his legs out from under his body Below: California Coast Highway 1 under construction. This is one of the great construction projects accomplished during the Depression years. Right: Cowboy Roy, the wrangler, holding an umbrella to shade the instrument for Lieutenant Charles Pierce at Station Pico Blanco. Pierce observing, Tucker recording angle observations. Above Left: Mule jumping on truck. After the first mule had jumped on the truck, the second mule followed with a little tug on the bridle. Pierce’s crew had two mules and a number of horses from the Castro Ranch, one of the pioneer families in the Big Sur area. After reaching San Simeon the horses were returned but the party kept the mules a little longer. Above Right: Eccentric target (used for sighting on by theodolite) at Station Heath. Point Sur is visible below and to the right. Lieutenant William Tucker on left, Lieutenant Charles Pierce on right. Displayed with permission • The American Surveyor • September 2016 • Copyright 2016 Cheves Media • www.Amerisurv.com Left: A triangulation station was located on the top of El Cortez Hotel, a familiar San Diego landmark that was built in 1927. Charles Pierce, Chief of Party. Above: The Big Sur coastline. Rocky beaches and mountains coming straight down to the ocean. San Clemente Island no vegetation other than cactus, and all of June 1933 the deep ravines and canyons were dry….” As part of their southern Peirce and party completed the triangula- California work, it was tion scheme to the Mexican border while necessary to establish survey working through San Diego. Both the control on San Clemente Island. famous El Cortez Hotel and the Point Loma As both the Coast Guard and Lighthouse hosted triangulation markers Navy were unable to guarantee during this phase of the project. After a return trip from the island, completing work on the California coast where they had been curled and simply Pierce had to hire a fishing boat to pick up and San Clemente Island, Pierce moved landed square up on a flat bench about him and his crew when finished on San his triangulation party into the California 75 feet below where he took off. From the Clemente. The trip out was made on a Navy desert and thence on to the high Sierra and tinkle of the glass, the distance of the drop, tug USS KOKA. The fishing boat charged Colorado Plateau. The story of his work and and the number of times the pack took the $50.00 for the 120 mile trip—60 out and experiences will continue in Part 2 of this impact of the falling mule down the slope, 60 back.
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