The Lost Boundary of Texas 



43 



CLARK'S SURVEY 



About eight years later provision was 

 made for running and marking this 

 boundary by commissioners on the part 

 of Texas and the United States. Mr. 

 John H. Clark, who had had previous 

 experience as an astronomer and sur- 

 veyor in the ' ' Far West ' ' of antebellum 

 days, was chosen early in July, 1859, as 

 commissioner and surveyor on the part 

 of the United States, and Mr. William 

 R. Scurry on the part of Texas. 



It was agreed that the survey should 

 begin at the intersection of the 32d par- 

 allel with the Rio Grande near El Paso 

 (D of Fig. i), proceed east on that par- 

 allel to the 103d meridian (C), thence 

 north on the 103d meridian to the north- 

 west corner of the panhandle (B), and 

 thence east on the parallel of 36° 30' to 

 the 1 00th meridian (A). With some 

 modifications, due to lack of water and 

 diihculty of travel, this plan was carried 

 out in the years 1859 and i860. 



The station Frontera, of the Mexican 

 boundary survey near El Paso, was ac- 

 cepted as the starting point for longi- 

 tude, and its longitude transferred, by 

 chaining and triangulation, about a 

 dozen miles northward to the 32d par- 

 allel. The party then chained eastward 

 along the 32d parallel for 211 miles, the 

 calculated distance to the 103d merid- 



ian, and there set a monument (C). 

 Its longitude was not then nor has it 

 been since checked by astronomical 

 observations. Having set this corner 

 monument, the party started northward, 

 but, owing to the total absence of water, 

 were compelled, after proceeding about 

 20 miles and setting two monuments, to 

 leave the line and go in search of water. 

 Clark thereupon decided to ascend the 

 Pecos River and measure offsets to the 

 boundary ; but the distance proved so 

 great that he gave this up and proceeded 

 to the northwest corner (B) and set 

 about carefully determining this impor- 

 tant corner. An astronomical camp was 

 established in its vicinity, on Rabbit Ear 

 Creek, and while engaged in observing 

 with zenith telescope for latitude and 

 moon culminations for longitude a sur- 

 veying party was sent north about 35 

 miles to the 37th parallel to transfer the 

 longitude found by Clark, in 1857, on 

 that parallel southward to the parallel 

 of 36° 30'. This was done, and the 

 northwest corner post of Texas (B) es- 

 tablished as to its longitude by transfer 

 from the 37th parallel, and as to latitude 

 by independent astronomical observa- 

 tions. Of the astronomical observations 

 made by Clark to check this transfer no 

 use has ever been made. This done, 

 Clark ran southward for 156 miles, 

 chaining the distance, checking by sex- 

 tant observations, and building mounds 

 or monuments to the number of 23. He 

 then closed work for the season. The 

 result of this season's work of 1859, so 

 far as concerns the 103d meridian, was 

 as follows : Monument set at the south 

 end,' fixed in longitude by chaining 

 about 225 miles from Frontera, on the 

 Rio Grande, without astronomical check; 

 monument set at north end, its longi- 

 tude being derived by transfer 35 miles 

 from the 37th parallel, the longitude on 

 that parallel being based on moon cul- 

 minations observed in 1857 ; the run- 

 ning of the line northward from the 

 south end 24 miles and erection of two 



