Pisineers Keport. 
To the Commissioners of Shell Fisheries of the State of Connecticut: 
GENTLEMEN :—The effort of the year in the Engineer Department 
has been to determine reference points in such number and of such 
character as to make it possible to survey and map with exactness any 
desired point in your jurisdiction, situated west of the Connecticut 
river. ‘To accomplish this a thorough system of triangulation work 
was undertaken and is completed. Your attention is called to the 
sketch of this triangulation work which accompanies this report. 
The survey of points on the Sound is effected under the Commis- 
sioners by two observers measuring with sextants at the same moment 
of time and at the desired point the two angles included between the 
lines radiating from the point to three objects, the middle object being 
in all cases the left hand object of the first angle and the right hand 
object of the second angle. ‘To map points at which such observa- 
tions are taken it is necessary that the precise latitude and longitude 
of the objects obsetrved on, should be known. Lighthouse towers, 
beacons, church spires, factory chimneys, and parts of buildings 
which are pointed and prominent, compose the greater part of the 
objects used for sextant work. It was, however, found necessary to 
build thirty-five signals. It is desirable that a lease of a plotof ground, 
say fifty feet square, should be obtained at such of these signals as are 
needed permanently. 
Before negotiating for such lease it would be well to prepare plans 
of the signals which you desire to permanently erect. These signals 
are few in number and can be built at a moderate cost. The actual 
damage arising from the erection of such signals would be small, for 
where property has great value there are enough structures of such 
character as to furnish all the permanent signals needed. 
