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Outline of the Method of Conducting a Trigonometrical Survey, for The OUTLINE THE M ETHOD OF CONDUCTING A T RIGONOMETRICAL SURVEY, FORHE T FORMATION OF MILITARY R ECONNAISSANCE, LEVELLING, ETC.; HEWITH T MOST USEFUL PROBLEMS IN GEODESYND A PKACTICAL ASTKONOMY, AND F ORMULA AND TABLES FOR FACILITATING THEIR CALCULATION. By L IEUT.-GEN. FROME, Royal Engineers, F.R.A.S. a nd Assoc. Inst. C.E. FORMERLY S URVEYOR-GENERAL OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA AND MAURITIUS, . LATE INSPECTOR-GENERAL OF FORTIFICATIONS. FOURTH E DITION REVISED AND ENLARGED By C APTAIN CHARLES WA F.G.S. a nd Assoc. Inst. C. LONDON : LOCKWOOD A ND CO., 7 STATIONERS1 LUDGATE H ILL. 1873. LONDON : BRADBURY, A GNEW, & CO., PRINTERS, WHITETRIARS. PREFACE TOHE T FIRST EDITION. The f ollowing pages were drawn up for the use of the junior officers of the Royal Engineers, and those of the Honourable East India Company's Service, in then course of instruction in Trigonometrical Surveying and Practical Astronomy at this establishment, of which branch of their studies I have for some time had the superintendence. My o riginal intention was to have had them lithographed for distribution among the officers ; but I have been since led to the resolution of publishing them in their present form, from their having swelled to a size beyond what I at first contemplated ; and also from the total want experi enced, during the period occupied in compiling them, of any practical English work on Geodesical Operations, extending beyond the mere elementary steps of Land Surveying. Of this class there are several very useful publications, contain ing instruction in all the necessary detail, to some of which references are made for information respecting the prelimi nary knowledge of the construction and use of the instru ments most generally employed, as well as to the French authors on Geodesy, whose works I have consulted. iv P REFACE. Of t he extensive and scientific Geodesical Operations de scribed in these latter works, the present Treatise professes to give nothing beyond a brief outline, as their detailed account would be far too voluminous'to be condensed in so small a compass. The c adets at Woolwich and Addiscombe are taught the use of the Chain and Theodolite, and to calculate the contents of the different portions into which the ground is divided by natural and artificial boundaries ; they are also rendered conversant with Plane Trigonometry and Mensu ration, and with sufficient Spherical Trigonometry for the solution of the ordinary cases of Spherical Triangles. Such preliminary knowledge is consequently assumed as being already acquired. It is, however, in the power of any indi vidual to make himself master of the necessary theoretical part of this knowledge, by the study of one or other of the numerous excellent works on Trigonometry and Mensura tion ; and the practice of Land Surveying can be acquired in a few weeks in the Field, under any competent Instructor, or even without this assistance, by the careful study of some elementary work on the subject. Royal E ngineer Establishment, Chatham, 1839. PEEFACE TOHE T FOURTH EDITION. A f ourth edition of this work having been suggested (the former one being out of print), Captain Charles Warren, R.E., has kindly undertaken to revise it; and to make such additions as appear necessary to bring every portion of the contents up to the present date. ED. F ROME. GUERNSEY, 1 873. TABLEF O CONTENTS. CHAPTER I . General O utline of the System of Carrying on a Trigonometrical Survey, 1 . CHAPTER I I. MEASUREMENTS O F A BASE-LINE. Basef o Verification, 5. — Length of a base, 5. — Degree of accuracy, 6. — Units of mea surement, 6 . — Description of measurements of base-line on Ordnance Surrey, 7. — At t he Cape, 7. — Lough Foyle Base, 8. — Compensation bars, 9. — Reduction to the levelf o the sea, 11. — Selection of site, 12. — Prolongation by Triangulation, 12. — Standard m easure, 14. CHAPTER I II. TRIANGULATION. Selection o f Stations, 16. — Distant Stations rendered visible, 17. — By sun's ra}-s, argand b urners, and Drummond's Light, 17. — Increasing lengths of sides of first triangles d irectly from measured base, 18. — Secondary and tertiary or minor tri angles, 1 9. — Lengths of sides of minor triangles, 20. — Assumed base, 21. — Instru ments u sed for observing angles, 21. — Reduction to the Horizon, 22. — Spherical excess, 2 3. — Reduction to the Centre, 25. — Adjustments of a Theodolite, Vernier and M icrometer Microscope, 28. — Method of discovering lost Stations, 31.— Lati tude a nd Longitude, 34.— Observing, 35. — Fixation of a Point from Observations at i tself, 36. — Position found by Latitude and Azimuth angles, 37. CHAPTER I V. INTERIOR F ILLING IN OF A SURVEY, EITHER ENTIRELY OR PARTIALLY BY M EASUREMENT. Minor T riangles, 38. — The Chain and its use, 40. — Measuring tape, 41. — Chaining down s lopes, 42.— Table for reducing measurements to the horizon, 43. — Field Le velling B ook, Angles of elevation and depression, 45. — Field Book and Method of Surveying i n a Triangle, 46. — Average Progress, 48. — Examining, 48. — Travers ing, 4 9. — Computing contents of Parishes, 51. — Sketching, 59. — Box Sextant, 60. — P rismatic Compass, 61. — Protracting Bearings, 63. — Plane Table, 64. — Ob staclesn i chaining, 65. — Determining inaccessible heights and distances, 70. — Conventional S igns, 72. viii T ABLE OF CONTENTS. CHAPTER V . LEVELLING A ND CONTOURING. Correction f or Curvature of the Earth, 74. — for Refraction, 75. — Average Amount of these c orrections, 77.— Reciprocal Angles of Elevation and Depression for deter mining t he amount of Refraction at any particular period, 79. — Four methods of Levelling, 8 0. — Sections by Angles of Elevation and Depression, 80. — Cross and Trial S ections and Check Levels, 82. — Spirit and Y Levels and their adjustments, 83. — I mproved Dumpy Y Level, 83. — French water Level, 85. — Reflecting Levels, 88. — M ason's Level and Boning Rods, 89. — Levelling Staff, 90. — Bench Marks, 92. — L evelling, 93. — Form for levelling, 97. — Sections for Railways, 98. — Con touring, 1 02. — As practised on the Ordnance Survey, 104. — Data afforded by Con tour P lans for determining the most available directions for Roads, Railways, fLines o drainage, 105. — Problems determined by Contoured Plans, 107. CHAPTER V I. LEVELLING B Y BAROMETER AND THERMOMETRY HYPSOMETER. Mountain B arometer, 109. — Methods of ascertaining altitudes by Barometers, 110. — Aneroid, 1 19. — Other Barometers, 121. — Thermometric Hypsometers, 122. — Un satisfactory r esults, 124. • CHAPTER V II. PLOTTING, P ENNING IN, COPZING AND ENGRAVING TOPOGRAPHICAL PLANS. Drawing p aper, 128. — Sheetlines and plotting, 129. — Protracting Triangulation, 132. — R educing Plans, 132. — Hill Sketching and Engraving, 134. — -Photozincography, 135.— S cale of Shade, 135.— Disposition of Light, 136.— Engraving, 137.— Cop perplates, 1 38. CHAPTER V III. MODELLING. Object, 1 40.— Model of Gibraltar, 145.— Plaster of Paris, 143. CHAPTER I X. MILITARY R ECONNAISSANCE AND HINTS ON SKETCHING GROUND. COLONIAL S URVEYING. Four c lasses of Reconnaissance, 144. — Reconnaissance in Force, 145. — Information required u nder various circumstances, 145. — Degree of accuracy, 148. — Instru ments r equired, 148. — Scale of Shade, 148 — 153. — Scott's scale,153. — Vertical and Horizontal S ystems, 150. — Geological Features,155. — Inclinometers for measuring anglesf o slopes, 155. — Outline sketches, 156. — Telemeters, 156. — Reconnoitr ing t he outline of a work, 159. — Balloon Reconnaissance, 162. — Conventional Signs, 1 65. CHAPTER X . COLONIAL S URVEYING. Difference b etween the Objects in view in the Survey of a Cultivated and that of a new Unsettled Country, 166.— First Operations, 166. — Preliminary Exploration, TABLKF O CONTENTS. ix 167. — O bjects to be principally considered, 168. — Sites of Townships, 168. — Main Linesf o Communication, 168. — Guides for marking on the Ground the Divisions of P roperties, 169. — Size of these Divisions, 169. — Precautions to be observed to secureo t the Public Rights of Road, Ac, 170. — Necessity for Extensive Surveys on t he First Settlement of a New Colony, 170. — Deviations from General Eules in laying o ut Sections, 171. — Frontages on, and Access to Rivers and Main Roads, 171. — S ectional Roads, 171. — Monopoly of Water to be guarded against, 172. — Sections l aid out in Broken Irregular Ground, 172. — Statistical and other Infor mationo t be fully afforded to Settlers, 172. — Marking Boundaries of Sections and Roads, 1 72. — Reservation of Rights of Road, 173. — Natural Features of Ground, 173. — G eological and Mineralogical Specimens, and Meteorological Register, Ae., 174. — U sual Method of marking Regular Figures upon the Ground, 175. — Neces sity f or a Triangnlation to conduct these Operations with any degree of accuracy when u pon on extended Scale, 176. — Advantage of Carrying it on rather in ad vancef o the Sectional Surveys, 177. — Other Uses of the Triangulation, 177. — Distriot S urveyors, 178. — Surveying by Contract, 178. — Rate of Progress and Cost per A cre of the Sectional Survey and Marking out Roads, 179. — Cost of the Tri angulation, 1 79. — Method of Survey pursued in the Canterbury Settlement, New Zealand, 1 80. — Temporary Division of Land for pastoral Purposes, 180. — Territo rial D ivision of Counties, Hundreds, Ac, 181. — Remarks on Exploring Expedi tions, 1 82. — Method of Proceeding, 183. — Objects in View, and collateral Infor mationo t be obtained,. 183. LCHAPTER X GEODESICAL O PERATIONS CONNECTED WITH A TRIGONOMETRICAL SURVEY. Figuref o the Earth, 186. — Measurement of an Arc of the Meridian and of a Paral lel, 1 89. — French Standard of weights and measures obtained from the measure mentf o an Arc of the Meridian between Dunkirk and Barcelona, 189. — Popular Account o f the method of conducting these Measurements, 190 — Measurement of an A rc of a Parallel, 195.
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