James's Account of S. H. Long's Expedition, 1819-1820, part 4James, Edwin
History
James's Account of S. H. Long's Expedition, 1819-1820, part 4
James, Edwin
Indians of North America; Rocky Mountains; United States -- Discovery and exploration; West (U.S.) -- Description and travel
July 8, 1820. |Meridian double altitude of Antares | 49° 17´ 30˝
| +-----------------
|Index error --3´ 45˝. Latitude }| 39 23 52 N.
| deduced }|
+------------------------------------+-----------------
July 9, 1820. |Meridian double altitude of Antares | 49 18 15
| +-----------------
|Index error -3´ 45˝. Latitude }| 39 23 29 N.
| deduced }|
+------------------------------------+-----------------
|Mean latitude of the camp | 39 23 40 N.
--------------+------------------------------------+-----------------
At our camp on Boiling-spring Creek, at the distance of about 25 miles
from James's Peak, (the same designated by Pike as the highest peak,)
trigonometrical observations were made for determining the height of
the peak above the level of the adjacent country. A base of 1048½
feet was accurately measured, and angles taken at its extremities, to
ascertain another side of the triangle, to serve as a base to determine
the height of the mountain. The angles at the extremities of the
primary base, corrected for the index error of sextant, were 104° 32´
15˝ and 65° 28´ 45˝--and the extent of the secondary base as found by
calculation, 133372.5 feet. The angles taken at the extremities of the
secondary base, included between that line and the lines of vision, to
an object distinctly visible at the summit of the peak, were 96° 21´
15˝ and 81° 17´ 45˝, corrected as above. The angle of elevation of the
top of the peak, observed at the extremity {xxxviii} of the secondary
base, most remote from the peak, was 3° 41´ 15˝, corrected also for
index error of sextant. The final result of these observations, gives
for the height of the peak above the plain in which the observations
were made, 8507½ feet.
In order to ascertain with precision, the angle of elevation of the
summit of the peak, an artificial horizon of water was employed, and
the double angle of elevation observed. The angle of elevation as it
stands corrected for refraction, is 3° 39´ 26˝. The estimate as above
gives the height of the peak above the true level of the place of
observation, no correction having been made for the spherical figure of
the earth.
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