U. S. ENGINEER OFFICE, GEOGRAPHICAL AND GEOLOGICAL 



EXPLORATIONS AND SURVEYS WEST or IOOTH MERIDIAN, 



Washington, D. C., January i, 1874. 



SIR: There is presented herewith a report upon the astronomical observations 

 taken by myself, and the party under my charge, at Colorado Springs, Colorado 

 Territory, during the field-season of 1873. 



GEOGRAPHICAL POSITION OF STATION. 



Longitude = 104 49' 15". 10. 

 Latitude 38 49' 4i".67. 



Colorado Springs is a town in El Paso County, Colorado Territory. It has been 

 built up within five years, and has nearly fifteen hundred inhabitants, and the place 

 promises to become one of considerable importance. During the summer-months the 

 hotels (of which there are quite a large number) are filled with invalids, who flock 

 here on account of the beautiful scenery and the salubrity of the climate. The track 

 of the Denver and Rio Grande Railway passes around the town at a distance from 

 the town-limits of about four thousand feet. 



The astronomical point is situated between the town and the railroad, about six 

 hundred and fifty feet distant from the latter, on a slight eminence near the freight- 

 depot of the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad. The observations were conducted on 

 a pier built of bricks, which was replaced two months later by a solid sandstone 

 monument, furnished by Mr. S. G. Ward, of Pueblo. 



PHYSICAL-GEOGRAPHY DETAILS. 



This part of Colorado is not well watered, but the land where irrigated yields 

 almost in every instance splendid harvests. 



From the astronomical point there is a clear outlook to the north, south, and east. 

 Looking west, prominent peaks and foot-hills of the Rocky Mountain range are seen 

 running north and south ; Pike's Peak, immediately west, being the highest, and Chey- 

 enne Mountain the highest in the south-southwest. At the foot of Cheyenne Mount- 

 ain there is a creek, the waters of which are brought, by means of ditches, to 

 Colorado Springs. From the station the plains rise a little to the east, at the horizon 

 say one hundred and fifty feet. In the southeast there is a hill about four hundred 

 feet high, called Washington Mountain. 



Colorado Springs is laid out regularly, the streets running east and west and 

 north and south ; the greatest extension is from north to south. 



Generally speaking, it is inadvisable to have the astronomical station near the 

 railroad-track; but in this case the trains ran only during the day, and the observations 

 were never affected by the vibrations of the ground. 

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