the royal engineer department. The course followed is very complete,
omitting no detail with which a sapper should be acquainted, and
embraces the teaching of a system of pontooning with every variety
of means and appliance, also bridgemaking, photography, telegraphy,
and the recently-introduced system of rifle science and judging
distances. Now that permanent teachers are appointed to the
establishment to afford tuition in the elementary principles of
fortification, and in plan-drawing and surveying, there is every
reason for anticipating that the corps will much improve in the
theoretical as well as practical knowledge of its peculiar duties,
and be better fitted—when thrown by accident away from their
officers into circumstances of difficulty and danger—to apply the
resources of their acquirements and experience to master the one and
conquer the other.
The four survey companies are engaged in completing the secondary
and minor triangulation of Great Britain; the detail survey and
contouring of Scotland and the four northern counties of England,
and the revision and contouring of the northern counties of Ireland.
Occasionally they carry on special surveys for the Government;
execute similar work for sanitary purposes for local boards of
health, and make surveys of particular towns, parishes, and manorial
estates—for municipal service or proprietary record and reference—at
the expense of local corporations or of private noblemen and
gentlemen. Small parties have at times been employed in making tidal
observations for investigating the theory of the tides and for other
scientific uses, and also in gleaning much subsidiary information,
to be embodied in the Ordnance Memoir of the Survey, should it at a
future day be published. In Ireland, the companies did excellent
service in collecting various statistical details, and gathering
minerals, fossils, and objects of natural history, to assist in
developing the investigations of those interesting subjects. In
conducting the survey of Great Britain, however, that branch of the
duty has been abandoned.
The survey department comprises nine divisions, the headquarters of
which are at Newcastle-on-Tyne, Darlington, Carlisle, Glasgow,
Edinburgh, Kelso, Ayr, Dumfries, and the Harris isles, a group in
the Hebrides. Southampton is the chief station. Special divisions
also include detachments employed in the triangulation,
perambulation of boundaries, in the duty of levelling and
contouring, and hill-sketching, while a strong force is employed in
Ireland, with its principal offices at Dublin, Belfast, and
Enniskillen. No idea, however, can be formed from this detail of the
actual distribution of the survey companies, for the men are
dispersed, singly or in small numbers, throughout the United
Kingdom. The duty of levelling alone at one time engaged no less
than thirty-six detached parties.
The survey is organized and conducted on military principles, “and
though the assistance of civilians is largely made available, it is
simply to serve as the muscles for the military skeleton. No branch
of the duty,” except the engraving, “is performed exclusively by
civilians.” The officers of royal engineers have the chief
direction. “Their number, however, is by no means constant, but is
regulated by the extent of ground under survey, and by the degree of
proficiency of the non-commissioned officers.”[213]
Until 1843 one or more officers always remained with each great
instrument, “but now the non-commissioned officers are so well
instructed, that they can observe as correctly as their
superiors, and the constant presence of an officer is no longer
necessary.”[214]
The non-commissioned officers who have, as observers, had charge of
the different great instruments are as follows:—
_Ordnance 3-feet Theodolite by Ramsden._
Sergeant James Donelan from December, 1841, to April, 1842, and
again from January, 1843, to September, 1849. He also held the
charge for some months in 1849 and 1850 of the Royal Society’s
instrument, which he set up at near stations to his own.
Corporal William Jenkins, from September, 1849, to October, 1852,
when it was returned into store at Southampton.
_Royal Society’s 3-feet Theodolite by Ramsden._
Corporal James Mulligan, January to March, 1843, when he quitted for
the boundary survey of America.
Second-corporal Thomas Cosgrove, November, 1843, from Lieutenant
Luyken, R.E.
Second-corporal James Stewart, August, 1844.
Corporal James Steel, June, 1845.
Corporal Robert Forsyth, August, 1845.
Corporal John Winzer, January, 1846.
Sergeant James Donelan, March, 1849.
Corporal Walter Grose, November, 1850.
Colour-sergeant James Donelan and corporal Walter Grose, August to
December, 1852, at Goat Fell, relieving each other constantly.
Corporal Walter Grose, December, 1852, to March, 1855, when the use
of the theodolite was discontinued.
This is the instrument that was used by General Roy, and
subsequently by Captain Kater, in making the trigonometrical
observations for determining the difference of longitude between the
observatories at Greenwich and Paris.
The greatest distance ever observed by sergeant Donelan was to an
object 106 miles from his station. His next two greatest were to
points between 104 and 105 miles off. Corporal Jenkins even gained
upon his instructor, and observed distances of 106 and 107½ miles.
Corporals Forsyth and Stewart were more successful still. One
distance obtained was 106 miles, another 108 exactly, and both
observed an object upwards of 111 miles away. This achievement
records a measurement which exceeds in distance any observation
heretofore made on the Ordnance Survey.
_The 2-feet Theodolite_ was used by—
Corporal Andrew Bay, from March, 1843, to May, 1847.
Sergeant James Beaton, from May, 1850, to March, 1855.
Mr. late sergeant James Donelan, from April to September, 1855.
Sergeant James Finch, March, 1856, and still retains it.
_The 18-inch Theodolite_ has been employed by—
Corporal James Steel, from August, 1841. Corporal James Beaton had
charge of it for about three months when corporal Steel was at
Southampton, in the summer of 1844.
Corporal John Winzer, June, 1845.
Sergeant James Steel, February, 1848, for the London survey.
Corporal William Jenkins and second-corporal John Wotherspoon
assisted sergeant Steel in the London triangulation.
Second-corporal John Wotherspoon, November, 1848.
Mr. James Donelan, January, 1853, to May, 1855.
Private William McConomy, June, 1856, and still retains it.
At one period there were forty-five officers on the survey; at
another nine only; now there are nineteen including the
superintendent. Although the number of officers is very small,
considering the extent of the total force employed, yet, by a simple
arrangement, the numerous detachments are effectually commanded by
the officers. The strength of the different parties is not
proportioned to the ranks of the officers, but to the exigencies of
the service on which they are employed.[215]
Except at Southampton and Dublin nearly all the offices of
importance and trust on the survey are filled by sappers, “no
civilian,” except in a few instances, “being responsible for more
than his individual labour.” Each section in the field, however
small, “is under the charge of either a non-commissioned officer or
private, who is responsible that the work is carried on according to
orders, and that every precaution to prevent negligence or deception
is taken. In the office likewise, a non-commissioned officer
superintends each department of the work and reports either
directly, or through a senior non-commissioned officer, to the
officer of engineers in charge. Every division having commonly
several small detachments in the field, the payment of each
detachment is necessarily made through the non-commissioned officer
in charge of it.”[216]
The actual strength of the corps on the survey on the 14th June,
1849, taken from a return presented to the Committee of the House of
Commons on Army and Ordnance Expenditure,[217] is subjoined:—
ENGLAND.
Sergeants. Bugl. Rank and
File.
Head-quarter office-general work and computing 0 2 38
Principal triangulation 2 0 28
Inserting improvements, &c., in the 1-inch map. 0 0 1
Secondary and minor triangulation 0 0 1
Levelling and contouring 1 0 9
Six-inch survey and plan drawing of Yorkshire and 8 1 110
Lancashire
Survey of London for sanitary purposes 5 0 20
Survey of Devonport for military purposes 1 0 11
——— ——— ———
Total 17 3 218
_Head-quarter Stations._—Southampton, Wakefield, York, and Doncaster.
SCOTLAND.
Secondary and minor triangulation 0 0 6
Six-inch survey and plan drawing of Kirkcudbright, }
Dumfries-shire, and the Isle of Lewis } 3 0 63
——— ——— ———
Total 3 0 69
_Head-quarter Stations._—Dumfries, Stornoway.
IRELAND.
Plan drawing, printing, workshops 1 1 5
Contouring Donegal 0 0 3
Revising Donegal and Londonderry 3 0 15
——— ——— ———
Total 4 1 23
——— ——— ———
General Total 24 4 310[218]
_Head-quarter Stations._—Dublin and Londonderry.
The survey strength and distribution on the 17th October, 1856, the
date of changing the designation of the corps, were as follows:—
ENGLAND.
Quarter- Staff- Rank and
master. sergeants. Sergeants. Bugl. File.
Head-quarter Office, { Drawing, computing, }
tracing,
Southampton. { printing, &c. } 1 2 2 4 32
Ditto. Detached, levelling, 0 0 0 0 4
and contouring
Ditto, secondary and
Ditto. { minor } 0 0 2 0 14
triangulation
{
Carlisle { Detail surveying and 0 0 2 0 22
drawing plans
{ Levelling and 0 0 2 0 13
contouring
Newcastle Detail surveying and 0 0 2 0 27
drawing plans
Darlington Ditto ditto ditto 0 0 2 1 28
── ──── ──── ──── ─────
Total 1 2 12 5 140
── ──── ──── ──── ─────
SCOTLAND.
Quarter- Staff- Rank and
master. sergeants. Sergeants. Bugl. File.
Edinburgh { Levelling and 0 0 2 0 13
contouring
{ Detail surveying 0 0 1 0 33
and drawing plans
Glasgow Ditto ditto ditto 0 0 2 0 28
Dumfries Ditto ditto ditto 0 0 1 0 31
Ayr Ditto ditto ditto 0 0 2 0 36
Kelso Ditto ditto ditto 0 0 1 0 32
Harris Isles Ditto ditto ditto 0 0 0 0 4
——— ——— ——— ——— ———
Total 0 0 9 0 177
——— ——— ——— ——— ———
IRELAND.
Dublin {Drawing, tracing, } 0 0 2 1 20
printing,
{ and contouring }
Enniskillen Revision survey } 0 0 3 0 30
Belfast Ditto and } 0 0 3 0 41
contouring
——— ——— ——— ——— ———
Total 0 0 8 1 91
——— ——— ——— ——— ———
General Total—Great Britain and 1 2 29 6 408
Ireland.
——— ——— ——— ——— ———
There was also a civil force, working with the survey companies, of
upwards of 1,700 persons, more than 600 of whom were labourers. The
remainder, for the most part, were engravers, surveyors,
draughtsmen, computers, and clerks.
For the last thirteen years the strength of the corps on the
duty has been disposed of as follows: The totals calculated from
the monthly records are the annual averages. Of this force a
strong detachment has always been employed in the work of the
triangulation, at one time amounting to fifty-four men, who
alike visited the mountains of Scotland and England. Such also
was the case with the contouring detachment, which in the early
part of 1853 and down to October, 1856, numbered about forty men
of all ranks. Both parties are included in the averages for
England, as their location, from being constantly on the move,
has not been determined in the general monthly returns of the
corps:—
North America.
——————
England. Scotland. Ireland. Bound. Explor. Paris. Erzeroum Total.
Surv. Surv. & Danube.
1844 199 6 26 20 0 0 0 251
1845 209 14 25 10 0 0 0 258
1846 198 28 23 7 13 0 0 269
1847 206 30 29 0 11 0 0 276
1848 216 43 28 0 10 0 0 297
1849 233 71 28 0 0 0 0 332
1850 202 79 28 0 0 0 0 309
1851 203 61 28 0 0 0 0 292
1852 190 57 26 0 0 0 0 273
1853 169 84 35 0 0 0 0 288
1854 182 89 75 0 0 0 0 346
1855 180 123 85 0 0 3 0 391
1856 173 147 88 0 0 0 2 410
The greatest strength of the sappers employed on the survey duty,
was, in October, 1856, 446 of all ranks.
The division of labour is perfect in detail, and as comprehensive as
its delicate minutiæ will permit. To each department of duty a
proportion of sappers is attached with reference to their
acquirements and experience, and the wants of the service. In the
principal triangulation recently finished, the sappers always took
an important part. Young soldiers newly posted to the companies, who
displayed no particular aptitude for finer work, were usually sent
upon it. The duty was arduous and severe, and the men invariably
slept in tents or portable huts, on mountain slopes at high
altitudes. A sketch of a survey hill encampment may be seen in the
Aide Memoire, which graphically illustrates the rugged character of
the site, and by inference, the difficult and trying nature of the
duty.[219]
In the great triangulation, the 3-feet, 2-feet, and 18-inch
theodolites are used to make the required observations. At the
several stations selected for the work, each instrument is fixed in
a “crow’s nest” on some mountain peak or crag, or perched upon the
turret or narrow towering steeple of some country church or city
cathedral, or stayed by guy-ropes among the battlements of some
deserted old castle.[220] For the last thirteen years,
non-commissioned officers with strong camp parties under them have
fulfilled this duty, and have visited, in every vicissitude of
weather, nearly all the leading trigonometrical stations in Great
Britain. “It is, perhaps, right,” says Captain Yolland, “to mention,
that whereas formerly, it was deemed necessary to employ general
officers of the army and scientific individuals to make the required
observations with the theodolite to carry forward the principal
triangulation, the whole is now done by non-commissioned officers of
sappers, the only difference being, that in the one case the general
officer worked out his own results, and in the other the
non-commissioned officer simply forwards his observations to
Southampton for computation. That” continues the captain, “is a very
important economical result of employing sappers and miners.”[221]
“In justice to the highly meritorious body of non-commissioned
officers of the corps of royal sappers and miners,” writes Colonel
James, “I should state, that whilst in the early part of the survey
the most important and delicate observations were entrusted solely
to the commissioned officers, these duties have of late years been
performed by the non-commissioned officers with the greatest skill
and accuracy.”[222]
Several parties are also employed in conducting the secondary and
minor triangulations. In prosecuting the former, theodolites of 12
and 10 inches diameter are used, in the latter 9 and 7 inches. The
use of the smaller instruments was commenced about 1826 by the
sappers, who carried on the observations in connection with the
chain survey. Next year a few sergeants were entrusted with 12-inch
instruments. In 1833 some expert men were attached to the mountain
party of Captain Portlock, who thoroughly trained them as observers.
About 1838 a selection of some forward and enterprising sappers was
sent to Lieutenant Downes, to replace the civilians in charge of the
observing parties. From this time is dated the general employment of
sappers in the use of the secondary class of instruments. “The
system of employing trained sappers” in the work of the
triangulation, and in the use of the zenith sector was “introduced
by General Colby, and attained during his time its fullest
development.”[223] Here it should be noted, however, that the
sappers in the field are confined to the practical duty of observing
only, and consequently take no part in the responsibility of the
calculations, which are entirely carried out under the direction of
the officers of royal engineers. As mere observers the
non-commissioned officers have succeeded eminently, and their
observations will bear the strictest comparison with any previously
made either with the great instruments or the zenith sector.
The other duties of the companies comprise the computation of
distances, areas, altitudes, latitudes and longitudes, the detail
survey of the kingdom, and the drawing and colouring of the
necessary plans for engraving and publication. Several men have the
important duty to discharge of examining the work on the ground,
before the plans are fairly finished; and a number are constantly
employed in contour levelling. The great bulk, however, of the
companies is dispersed on the detail survey and in plan-drawing.
A few non-commissioned officers are also engaged in the
perambulation and notation of public boundaries—a branch of duty
demanding from those selected to carry it out a good understanding,
a habit of sifting and weighing evidence of a confused and
contradictory character, and mental vigour sufficient to bear up
against the hard and depressing study of wearying and uninteresting
details and registries. Long-standing litigations between parishes
and townships respecting the demarcation of certain lands have often
been investigated by the non-commissioned officers, and upon the
accuracy of the reports drawn up by them depended the decisions of
the superintending officer. In elucidating the features of
particular territorial disputes, dry legal enactments and charters,
corporate and manorial records and histories, have not unfrequently
to be consulted. Some important cases, shrouded in difficulty and
complexity, have called for a more lengthened inquiry and
application; and the plodding perambulators, to make themselves
masters of the points at issue, have even extended their researches
to the study of old and abstruse authorities, such as Pope Nicholas’
Taxation, the Valor Ecclesiasticus of Henry VIII., and the MSS. of
Torre and Archbishop Sharpe. Some of the reports display a more than
average amount of talent, argumentative skill, and antiquarian
information.[224]
The following detail shows the regimental and survey rate of pay
received by the sappers on the 14th June, 1849, at the time the
committee was sitting on army and ordnance expenditure:—[225]
Regimental Survey Pay.
Pay.
_s._ _d._ _s._ _d._ _s._ _d._
1 sergeant-major 4 7½ 4 0
3 colour-sergeants 3 3½ 2 9 to 4 0
20 sergeants 2 9½ 2 1 ” 3 0
25 corporals 2 3½ 1 4 ” 2 10
26 second corporals 1 11¾ 1 4 ” 2 6
2 privates 1 3½ 2 0 ” 2 6
170 privates 1 3½ 1 0 ” 2 0
91 privates 1 3½ under 1 0
——
338 Total.
——
The majority of the lowest class were men who had but recently
joined the survey, and whose attainments and usefulness had not been
sufficiently known to warrant their being advanced to the higher
classes. The working pay is fixed by the superintendent at a rate
for each “according to his acquirements and industry; and for the
satisfactory performance of duties requiring management and
ingenuity, such, for instance, as reflecting with the heliostat,
piling hills with judgment,” accuracy and expertness in taking
astronomical observations, &c., “it is customary to allow special
rewards.”[226]
A few of the non-commissioned officers and men not already mentioned
in these records, who have been conspicuous on the duty, and have
gained special attention for their abilities and advantageous
services in very responsible situations, are here given as examples,
to encourage others in the corps to seek and cultivate still higher
attainments, and to emulate their usefulness and zeal.
_Second-corporal William Lowrie._ Enlisted in July, 1833.
Application and industry soon made his services of value to the
survey. His maps of the city of Limerick and town of Liverpool have
ranked him among the first class of draughtsmen. In January, 1845,
he purchased his discharge, and obtained profitable employment in
the Assessionable Manors’ Commission. He is now surveyor and
draughtsman at a high salary to the harbour department of the
Admiralty.
_Sergeant James Sinnett._ A non-commissioned officer of
indefatigable energy and intelligence; was one of the best
draughtsmen in the corps, and excelled in landscape drawing; was
also an efficient superintendent, and after a service of more than
eighteen years, died at Liverpool in August, 1844.
_Sergeant William Jenkins._ Has been principally employed in the
triangulation, and has observed with the 3-feet theodolite from some
of the most important trigonometrical stations in the kingdom.
Through a long catalogue of great instrument observers—from the
eminent General Mudge to the non-commissioned officers of the corps
who had completed the grand triangulation, sergeant Jenkins stands
unrivalled. His reputation in this department of duty depends not on
opinion but on a fact which has become a feature in the history of
the operation; for his observations, computed comparatively with
those of other observers, have, in their value, proved to be the
best. During the London survey in 1848 he assisted sergeant Steel in
taking observations from the station above the ball and cross of St.
Paul’s. He also distinguished himself in the use of the zenith
sector at Southampton, and subsequently was second in charge of the
re-measurement of the base on Salisbury Plain. In 1855 he was
selected to exhibit at the Paris Exposition the scientific
contributions from the ordnance survey, during which, he had the
rare distinction of offering explanations concerning the maps and
instruments in his charge, to the Emperor; and also of being the
bearer to Colonel James, as head of the national survey of the
United Kingdom, a gold medal of honour and a first class silver
medal, in testimony of the high appreciation with which the survey
specimens of art, had been received in the French metropolis. At
present he has charge under Captain Clarke of the persons employed
at Southampton on the computations of the secondary and minor
triangulations and of the correspondence with the parties engaged on
that duty in the field.
_Sergeant William Scott_, after a service of twenty years, left the
corps in November, 1845. He joined it a lad from the Hibernian
School. His acquirements were varied and above the average of
intelligent men. Whether as a surveyor, draughtsman, examiner, or
superintendent, his work was always executed with quickness and
accuracy, and he was frequently encouraged in his duty by preferment
and eulogy. In 1839 he had the charge of the detail survey of the
city of Limerick, and the preparation of the plans on the 5-feet
scale. The survey was executed entirely by chain triangulation, in a
manner so superior as to elicit the marked approbation of his
officers. On retiring from the corps he commenced life anew as a
civil engineer, and obtained good employment in the profession in
England. His success, however, did not keep pace with his wishes and
exertions, but sailing for the West, he was not long unknown in
Canada. Under his superintendence the western division of the Great
Western Railway was executed. On its completion in 1854, and when
his connection with the undertaking had ceased, he was presented by
the employés of the company at a public dinner, with a gold watch of
the value of 500 dollars, as a token of high respect for his
professional knowledge, and for his zeal and amiable firmness in
directing the works. He now holds, through his own unassisted
efforts, an honourable position in society, is esteemed for his
attainments in science and engineering, and his prosperity has
placed him in circumstances of moderate wealth.
_Corporal William M‘Lintock_ was a very clever artizan. An ingenious
machine was invented by him for ruling the lines of even shades on
the copper, superseding its execution by hand engraving; and another
for producing a finer, smoother, and more uniform impression of the
characteristics of the maps. They are still in use at Southampton.
The first, by a simple and beautiful process of mechanism is, when
arranged, set in motion, and performs its delicate operations
unaided, until the particular service assigned to it is
accomplished. The other produces its advantages by an effective
adaptation of the hydraulic principle and steam. Both inventions
possess many excellences over the former modes of executing these
fine and scrupulous details, and not only save much time and labour,
but the chance of inaccuracy and irregularity in the performance.