1st Session.

War Dept.

CAPT. TALCOTT'S OBSERVATIONS-NORTHERN BOUNDARY OF OHIO, &c.

LETTER

FROM

THE SECRETARY OF WAR,

TRANSMITTING

A report from the Engineer Office, together with a report of Captain Talcott, in relation to the "latitudes and longitudes of several places in the vicinity of the northern boundary of the States of Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois.

JUNE 20, 1834.
Read, and laid upon the table.

WAR DEPARTMENT, June 18, 1834.

SIR: I have the honor to transmit, herewith, a report from the Engineer Office, together with a report of Captain Talcott, in relation to the "latitudes and longitudes of several places in the vicinity of the northern boundary of the States of Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois," called for by a resolution of the House of Representatives of the 11th instant.

Very respectfully,

Your most obedient servant,

Hon. JOHN BELL,

LEW. CASS.

Speaker of the Ho. of Reps.

ENGINEER Department,
Washington, June 17, 1834.

SIR In compliance with the resolution of the House of Representatives of the 11th instant, I have the honor to submit, herewith, a copy of Captain Talcott's report on the result of the observations made by him during the past season, for the purpose of ascertaining the latitude and longitude of several places in the vicinity of the northern boundary of the State of Ohio.

With great respect,

I have the honor to be,
Sir, your obedient servant,

WM. H. C. BARTLETT,
Lieut. of Engs. & Ass't to Chief Eng.

Hon. LEWIS CASS, Secretary of War.

(Gales & Seaton, print.]

To Gen. C. GRATIOT, Chief Engineer:

SIR: I have now the honor to communicate to you the result of the observations made last summer, under the law of July, 1832, requiring that astronomical observations be made at certain points therein designated, with a view to the adjustment of the northern boundary of the State of Ohio.

It has been before stated that this was intended only as a preliminary examination of the several points, with a view to preparing for the use of larger instruments, and for ascertaining what surveys would be necessary, in connexion with the observations, to execute fully the law above referred to and it would not be out of place to state here, that the result of these observations is communicated, as giving only a tolerably near approximation to the relative position of several of the points designated; but not as furnishing that exact information which the law and the importance of the subject require, and which can only be obtained by using larger instruments, and by making with them numerous observations.

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These observations were made at five stations, at or near to four of the points specified in the law. The first station was at Bay point," or at the most northern cape of Maumee bay ;" this station was on the extremity of the cape, and is considered to be as near as possible to the point specified in the law. The result of the observations made here, gives for the latitude of the station 41° 44' 02.4" north, and for the longitude 85° 18' 55.5" west from Greenwich. This position was found, from its low and wet condition, very unfavorable for observations: I, therefore, removed the instruments to Turtle island, a small island near the mouth of Maumee bay, and bearing from the station on the cape N. 46° 05' E. by an azimuth of the sun. The observations made here give for the latitude of the station on Turtle island 41° 45′ 08.8" north; and for its longitude 83° 17′ 22.5" west of Greenwich, or 1' 06.4" north, and 1′ 33′′ east of Bay point. This station was on the southwest extremity of Turtle island, and it is intended to connect it trigonometrically with Bay point; and it is also proposed to extend the triangulation up the Maumee, bay and river, to the same parallel of latitude as "the south bend of Lake Michigan," or to where a due east line from the most southern bend of Lake Michigan will intersect the Maumee bay or river," which will be very near the parallel of latitude, passing through the most southern bend of the lake, but a little north of it, and a quantity dependent on the difference of altitude of the two lakes. This difference will be equal to the cosine of the latitude of the south bend of Lake Michigan, multiplied into its elevation above Lake Erie. The same triangulation will also be made to include that point on the Maumee bay or river, where a line from the most southern bend of Lake Michigan, to the most southern point of the boundary of the United States, in Lake Erie, will intersect the shore of the bay or river; and, as will hereafter be shown, it will be something more than a mile north of the due cast line" from the south bend of Lake Michigan.

The third station was on " Gull island." This is a small island in Lake Erie, south of "Middle island," and distant from it, by estimate, 14 miles it is about 100 yards long and 25 broad, and in the form of a crescent. The station was on the east end of the island. The boundary of the United States lies north of this island, and between it and Middle island. This station was selected as the nearest position that could be taken to the most southern point in the boundary of the United States in

Lake Erie. The observations made here place it in latitude 41° 39' 30.5" north, and in longitude 82° 33′ 54′′ west from Greenwich.

The fourth station was at the most "southern bend of Lake Michigan," on the beach of the lake, at high water mark, and about the middle of a reach of the lake which lies east and west, and is about two miles in extent. The observations at this place were more numerous than at any of the other stations, and give for its latitude 41° 37' 07.9" north, and longitude 87° 09' 06" west from Greenwich.

The fifth station was on the east bank of the Mississippi river, about two hundred yards from the water, and near the dwelling of a Mr. Hubbard ; it was opposite an island in the river, said to be the first above the rapids. This station, from the observations made at it, is found to be in latitude 41° 38' 10.5" north, and in longitude 90° 13' 45" west, and, by observations made at the fort on Rock island, appears to be 7' 00.8", or 8 miles 115 yards north, and 13' 30", or 11 miles 1,141 yards east of that place. A due west line, therefore, from the south bend of Lake Michigan, will intersect the Mississippi river 1' 02.6" south of this station, or about seven miles north of the fort on Rock island.

I shall now proceed, by the aid of such information as I have been able to collect from the foregoing observations, and from the most authentic maps, to examine the relative position of a "due east line from the most southern bend of Lake Michigan," and "the most southern point in the boundary line of the United States in Lake Erie."

The commissioners for settling this part of the boundary of the United States have decided that, from the eastern extremity of the lake, it runs "thence southerly and westerly along the middle of Lake Erie, in a direction to enter the passage immediately south of Middle island." This passage, by the map accompanying their report, is considerably south of the middle of the lake; and to ascertain if the most southern point in the boundary will be found in that passage, it is necessary to determine if any part of the line along the middle of the lake" makes south of that passage, before it arrives at that part of the lake where it must leave the middle" to take a direction to enter that passage. By the map of the commissioners above referred to, “Point Pelé" appears to be laid down from actual survey. From a mere inspection of a map of Lake Erie, it will appear evident that the line "along the middle of the lake" will make its greatest southing directly south of "Point Pelé." To obtain an approximation to the latitude and longitude of that point, I measured upon the map of the commissioners its distance, north and east, from Gull island, and thereby find "Point Pelé" in latitude 41° 51' 42.6" north, and longitude 82° 23' 34" west from Greenwich. The same map does not embrace that part of the southern shore of Lake Erie immediately south of Point Pelé; I, therefore, had recourse to Tanner's map of Ohio, as furnishing the most correct data for determining the latitude of that point on the shore of the lake, which lies directly south of Point Pelé. To take the difference of the latitude of this point of the lake shore, and the "north cape of Maumee bay," it was believed would be the most accurate way of determining its latitude, because the land surveys are supposed to give the shore of the lake with considerable accuracy. By this process, I find that the meridian which passes through Point Pelé will intersect the south shore of the lake in latitude 41° 25′ 35.9" north, and it appears that this intersection is very near the most southern bend of Lake Erie. This meridian, therefore, is very nearly

perpendicular to each shore of the lake. Having determined the meridian on which will be found that point of the boundary line which lies furthest south, there remains to be determined in what latitude the line along the "middle of the lake" intersects that meridian. It is evident many lines may be drawn dividing the lake so as to leave as much of its surface north as south of these lines, but it is conceived that a line along the "middle," means a line that divides into two equal parts a series of parallel elements of the surface of the lake. It would seem that the most natural as well as the most simple process would be to bisect the elements formed by meridian circles; and as no principle occurs to me which should give any other system of elements a preference, I shall take for the series of elements to be divided into two equal parts, those formed by meridian circles of the sphere. The problem, therefore, is reduced to dividing into two equal parts an element of a spherical surface, between the parallels of latitude of 41° 25' 35.9" and 41° 51' 42.6" north. Now, the arc to be divided being very small, the sine of the latitude of the point required is equal to half the sum of the sines of the latitude of the two extremities. This point is, by this calculation, found to be in latitude 41° 38′ 38′′, and, as has been before stated, its longitude is 82° 23' 34". This may be considered as a near approximation to the latitude and longitude of the most southern point of the boundary of the United States in Lake Erie." It appears very probable, from the foregoing statement of the result of observations made at "Gull island," and at the south bend of Lake Michigan,” that a" due east line" from the most southern bend of that lake will not intersect the boundary line of the United States in Lake Erie, but will pass south of the most southern point in that line 1' 30.1", or about 1 mile 1,440 yards; but this near approximation shows the necessity of a survey to include each shore of the lake, and an accurate determination of the latitude of those points between which the most southern point of the boundary of the United States is supposed to lie. Assuming as correct the foregoing determination of the latitude and longitude of the most southern bend of Lake Michigan, and the most southern point of the boundary of the United States in Lake Erie, then a great circle of the sphere passing through these two points will intersect the meridian through the north cape of Maumee bay," in latitude 41° 39′ 16.6", or 5 miles 841 yards south of that point. This will enable any person to determine, upon a map of Ohio, very nearly the position of that intersection. I have before stated that the location of this point would be fixed by the same survey that it will be advisable to make to locate the point where a "due east line" from Lake Michigan will intersect the river or bay. By Tanner's map of Ohio, it appears that the point where it intersects the Maumee river is 4' 45.8" south of Bay point, and 7' 15" west of it, or that this point is in latitude 41° 39' 23.4" north, and longitude 83° 26' 10.5" west from Greenwich. It also appears from the map of the commissioners, (which is always used when it embraces the required points,) that this line, after crossing the Maumee river, will intersect the shore of Lake Erie in latitude 41° 39' 15" north, and in longitude 83° 11' 35" west from Greenwich.

Accompanying this are two tables: No. 1, showing, in a tabular form, the latitude and longitude of the several points designated in the law, or of the stations at which the observations were made. No. 2 exhibits the latitude and longitude of several places in the United States where observations were made during the summer; and, though entirely disconnected with the