374 
PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY OP WASHINGTON. 
Mr. A. L. Baldwin read a paper on The measurement of nine 
primary bases in 1900. These were to control the triangulation 
now being carried northward and southward from the great 
transcontinental belt in latitude 39°, which will ultimately give 
an arc of 23° on the 98th meridian. Both rapidity and accuracy 
were sought. Five sets of base apparatus, viz., the Eimbeck du¬ 
plex bars and four tapes, were used on each base, about one-fifth 
of the measurement being made with each. These were stand¬ 
ardized under field conditions, using the iced bar formerly em¬ 
ployed on the Holton base. The greatest difference between 
measures of the same base was 20 mm to the kilometer. The nine 
bases were measured by a party of ten in little more than 6 
months. About 30 lantern slides showed the apparatus in actual 
use in the field. [Published in full in TJ. S. Coast and Geodetic 
Survey Report for 1901, Appendix 3.] 
A general discussion followed. 
536th Meeting. May 11, 1901. 
Vice-President Rathbun in the chair. 
Twenty-six persons present. 
The Chairman stated the business of the meeting was to con¬ 
sider the question of incorporating the Society in pursuance of a 
resolution of the General Committee, a copy of which had been 
sent to each member in the regular call for the meeting. He 
called on Mr. Baker, chairman of the special committee which 
had drawn up the resolution, to present the matter. 
Mr. M. Baker stated the reasons for the proposed action, and 
introduced the following: 
“Resolved, That the Philosophical Society adopt the recom¬ 
mendation of the General Committee to incorporate the Philo¬ 
sophical Society of Washington.” 
After discussion by Messrs. Adler, Bigelow, Hall, DeCain- 
dry, Marvin, See, Sternberg, and Winston, the resolution 
was adopted by a rising vote of 25 affirmative to no negative 
votes. 
The following resolutions were also passed: 
