Hypsometry: Precise Leveling From Brigham, Utah, to San Francisco, California (Classic Reprint) - Hardcover

William Bowie

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0484726285 ISBN 13: 9780484726283

Publisher: Forgotten Books, 2018

Synopsis

A landmark early 20th‑century survey of elevation across the American West.

Learn how workers mapped heights from Brigham, Utah, to San Francisco with remarkable precision.

This Special Publication documents a long, continuous line of precise leveling along the Southern Pacific Railway, carried out in 1911–1912. It reveals who led the effort, the scale of the work, and the practical methods used to determine fixed elevations across a vast region.

The report highlights notable features, including a single observer conducting the entire line, the first use of a motor‑driven velocipede car in this field, and the careful handling of standard elevations and local changes. It also explains how orthometric corrections and mean sea level references underpin the elevation data used for engineering and surveying.

• A rare, long single‑observer precise leveling run spanning 891 miles with 315 bench marks.
• First use of a motor‑driven velocipede car in a United States Coast and Geodetic Survey leveling party.
• Practical discussion of standard elevations, adjustments, and orthometric corrections.
• Context on mean sea level references and tidal bench marks tied to the Presidio station.

Ideal for readers interested in the history of geodesy, surveying practice, and early 20th‑century scientific field work.

Edition details

• Publisher: Forgotten Books
• Publication date: 2018
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0484726285
• ISBN 13: 9780484726283
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 75