158 M. Baker—Surveys and Maps, District of Columbia. 
Survey. A subsequent claim for the difference between $8,500 
and $20,000, the price asked, was presented to Congress, which 
decided that the acceptance of the $8,500 settled the claim, and 
no more has ever been allowed. 
United States Geological Survey Map—In 1885-’86 the United 
States Geological Survey made a contour topographic map of 
the District and surrounding country in Maryland and Virginia. 
This map is a part of the general topographic map of the United 
States which that survey hasin hand. The hill forms are shown 
by means of contours with intervals of twenty feet. The scale is 
one mile, approximately, to oneinch. Existing maps were used 
in its preparation so far as they were available, and for the rest 
the work was done in the field. The method followed was 
largely that of traversing, the traverse lines being controlled by 
triangulation. 
United States Coast and Geodetic Survey Map.—A very elaborate 
and detailed topographic survey of the District of Columbia was 
instituted in 1881. In the District of Columbia appropriation 
bill for the fiscal year 1880-’81 there was inserted an item appro- 
priating $5,000 “for surveys of the District of Columbia, with 
reference to the future extension of various avenues to the Dis- 
trict line.” Under the authority thus given, topographers from 
the Coast Survey were detailed to execute the work. It was 
arranged that the map should be on ascale of 1:4800, or 400 feet 
to an inch. This is a scale of about 15 inches to the mile. The 
work was planned to be most accurate and detailed, and the 
relief was to be expressed in contours, with a five-foot interval. 
The survey thus planned and begun is now completed, and 
covers the entire District outside the original limits of Washing- 
ton and Georgetown—that is, it covers an area of 48.2 square 
miles. Work was in progress during the ten years, 1881-1891, 
in which there was specifically appropriated for it $65,600. The 
resulting map sheets are not yet published. Some photolitho- 
graphic sheets have been issued from time to time, but they do 
not cover the entire area. The work is being engraved upon 
copper and printed in four colors—black for culture, blue for 
water, brown for hill forms, and green for woodland. A few such 
sheets have been issued, each sheet covering about one square 
mile. It will be seen that this survey is one of the most de- 
tailed, elaborate, and careful pieces of topography that has been 
executed in this country up to date, and its publication is 
