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Details for Benchmark: PD0690

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N 44° 48.858 W 066° 57.771 (NAD 83)

Altitude: 0

Coordinates may not be exact. Altitude is UNKNOWN and location is ADJUSTED. (more info)

Location:
In WASHINGTON county, ME View Original Datasheet
Designation:
QUODDY
Marker Type:
bolt
Setting:
in rock outcrop
Stability:

Reference Points

Nearest

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Found it 9/20/2007 Papa-Bear-NYC found PD0690 (NGS Benchmark)   Visit Log
My wife and I took a 10 day vacation to Down East Maine and to the Bay of Fundy. With the myriad of stations in that area I had to be selective in what I went to look for (after all this was a vacation, not a benchmarking trip). I decided to go after two sorts of marks: boundary markers of various sorts, and triangulation stations which where part of the survey for the Eastern Oblique Arc, done in this area in the 1850s. A surprising number of these marks have survived in this area.

This mark is very near the Coast Guard lookout tower (PD0721) on West Quoddy Head, but is seldom visited. To reach the station, climb the gated road to the tower. When you reach the point where the road to the tower turns left, go straight into the woods and bushwhack to the high point. It is not tough going, but there is one rock ledge you must scramble over. A GPS would help. When you reach the clearing at the high point, the station will be found in the center of a small ring of rocks (see photo). This is fortunate, since the area is covered by a thick layer of moss and lichen and a good bit of digging would be needed to find the station if it were not so marked.

The copper bolt is in good condition, with a large punch hole in its center. The two reference marks (set in 1913 and 1960) were also found in good condition.

This station was not in the primary scheme for the Eastern Oblique Arc, but was one of the many secondary stations set in the 1850s and 1860s. As luck would have it, we parked at the old Coast Guard Station (now a lodging) and in the office, an old chart showing the Coast Survey triangulation of the area was sitting on the wall. The owner is a history buff! What a coincidence.


[This entry was edited by Papa-Bear-NYC on Friday, March 07, 2008 at 7:32:13 PM.]

Photos:
photoPD0690 - QUODDY, Lubec ME
The ring of stones surrounding the station. Note the mass of moss and lichens covering the area.
photoPD0690 - QUODDY, Lubec ME
The station is uncovered by moving a few rocks.
photoPD0690 - QUODDY, Lubec ME
Closeup of the copper bolt.
photoPD0690 - QUODDY RM1, Lubec ME
The rock on which RM1 is mounted.
photoPD0690 - QUODDY RM1, Lubec ME
Closeup of RM1. Set in 1913, this is a very early flat type disk. See the diagram below from the 1918 CGS Special Publication No. 46.
photoPD0690 - QUODDY RM2, Lubec ME
The rock where RM2 is mounted.
photoPD0690 - QUODDY RM2, Lubec ME
Closeup of RM2.
photoPD0690 Vintage Triangulation chart
This figure, from CGS Special Publication No. 46 "Triangulation of Maine" (1918) shows Trescott Rock, Quoddy station and many nearby stations.
photoReference Mark circa 1913
Picture of standard Reference mark from CGS special publication #46 (Triangulation of Maine 1918)
photoPD0690 Quoddy vintage description (1918)
Quoddy station description from CGS Special Publication #46 (Triangulation of Maine, 1918)
photoPD0690 Quoddy description (NGS 1860, 1913)
Descriptions of the mark dated 1860 and 1913 from the NGS datasheet. Compare with that from the 1918 publication.
photoPD0690 RM1 01
photoPD0690 RM1 02

Documented History (by the NGS)

1/1/1860 by CGS (MONUMENTED)
DESCRIBED BY COAST AND GEODETIC SURVEY 1860 (COB) ON THE S ONE OF THE TWO SUMMITS OF THE HILL NEAR THE CENTER OF THE PENINSULA OF WEST QUODDY HEAD, ABOUT 5/8 MILE W OF THE LIGHTHOUSE, AND 200 METERS S OF THE ROAD. THE LOOKOUT OF THE UNITED STATES COAST GUARD IS ON THE OTHER SUMMIT ABOUT 100 METERS TO THE NNW. THE STATION IS ON A FAIRLY FLAT PART OF A BARE LEDGE, ABOUT 2-1/2 METERS W OF THE HIGHEST POINT. STATION PARTLY SURROUNDED BY SMALL TREES. STATION MARK IS A COPPER BOLT WEDGE IN A DRILL HOLE IN THE ROCK, AND SURROUNDED BY A 1.3 FOOT TRIANGLE CUT IN THE ROCK. REFERENCE MARK IS A STANDARD REFERENCE DISK SET IN A DRILL HOLE IN THE HIGHEST POINT OF THE LEDGE, 2.67 METERS DISTANT WITH ARROW POINTING TO THE STATION. THREE EYEBOLTS SET IN DRILL HOLES IN THE ROCK FORM A TRIANGLE AROUND THE STATION, ONE W, 2.69 METERS, ONE SSE 2.38 METERS, AND ONE NE, 2.41 METERS. THE NE BOLT IS 0.9 METER NW OF THE REFERENCE MARK. TO REACH THE STATION FOLLOW THE TRAIL TO THE LOOKOUT TOWER, THEN S ABOUT 100 METERS TO THE SUMMIT AND STATION.
1/1/1913 by CGS (GOOD)
RECOVERY NOTE BY COAST AND GEODETIC SURVEY 1913 (JEM) STATION IS ON THE SOUTHERNMOST OF THE TWO SUMMITS OF THE HILL NEAR THE CENTER OF THE PENINSULA OF WEST QUODDY HEAD, ABOUT 5/8 MILE W OF THE LIGHTHOUSE AND 200 METERS S OF THE ROAD. THE LOOKOUT OF THE UNITED STATES COAST GUARD IS ON THE OTHER SUMMIT ABOUT 100 METERS TO THE NNW. THE STATION IS ON A FAIRLY FLAT PART OF A BARE LEDGE ABOUT 2-1/2 METERS W OF THE HIGHEST POINT. THE STATION IS MARKED WITH A COPPER BOLT SET IN A DRILL HOLE IN A BOULDER AND ENCLOSED WITHIN A TRIANGLE CUT IN THE ROCK. REFERENCE MARK IS A STANDARD DISK SET IN A DRILL HOLE IN A BOULDER WITH THE ARROW POINTING TO THE STATION AND IS 2.66 METERS DISTANT.
1/1/1932 by MEGS (MARK NOT FOUND)
RECOVERY NOTE BY MAINE GEODETIC SURVEY 1932 THE APPROACH TO THE STATION IS AS STATED IN PREVIOUS DESCRIPTION EXCEPT THAT THE TRAIL LEADING TO THE STATION HAS DISAPPEARED. THE SITE OF THE STATION CAN EASILY BE REACHED, HOWEVER, AS IT IS ONLY ABOUT 300 FEET S OF THE COAST GUARD WATCH TOWER. I VISITED THE PLACE IN JUNE AND JULY, 1932, AND FOUND THE DISK REFERENCE MARK, WHICH SEEMED TO BE FIRMLY IN PLACE IN THE SOLID LEDGE, ALTHOUGH PROJECTING ABOVE THE SURFACE AND THEREFORE MORE LIKELY TO BE DISTURBED THAN IF IT HAD BEEN COUNTERSUNK. I FAILED TO FIND THE STATION MARK, ALTHOUGH I MADE A CAREFUL SEARCH OF THE VICINITY. AT THE POINT WHERE THE TABLET SHOULD HAVE BEEN, 2.66 METERS FROM THE REFERENCE MARK, IN THE DIRECTION OF THE ARROW (SOMEWHAT S OF W) THERE WAS A LONG V-SHAPED DEPRESSION IN THE LEDGE, SEVERAL INCHES DEEP AND FILLED WITH MOSS AND DIRT. I DUG THIS OUT BUT FOUND NO TRACE OF THE STATION MARK, AND IT SEEMED PROBABLE THAT A PORTION OF THE LEDGE HAD DISAPPEARED. I FOUND THREE EYE-BOLTS IN THE LEDGE, WHICH HAD DOUBTLESS SERVED AS GUY ANCHORS. THE VIEW IS CONSIDERABLY OBSTRUCTED BY SMALL TREES.
1/1/1935 by MEGS (MARK NOT FOUND)
RECOVERY NOTE BY MAINE GEODETIC SURVEY 1935 SUMMIT OF HILL APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET S OF LOOKOUT. LOCATED REFERENCE DISK AND THREE BOLTS IN ROCK. USED FOR GUY WIRES. NO SIGN OF STATION DISK. CREVICE IN ROCK WHERE DISK WOULD HAVE BEEN.
1/1/1960 by CGS (GOOD)
RECOVERY NOTE BY COAST AND GEODETIC SURVEY 1960 (HRL) STATION AND REFERENCE MARK NO. 1 WERE RECOVERED AND FOUND IN GOOD CONDITION. REFERENCE MARK NO. 2 WAS ESTABLISHED. A COMPLETE NEW DESCRIPTION FOLLOWS-- STATION IS LOCATED ON THE SOUTH ONE OF TWO SUMMITS OF THE ROCK HILL OF QUODDY HEAD ABOUT 3-1/2 MILES SOUTHEAST OF LUBEC, ABOUT 5-1/2 MILES EAST OF WEST LUBEC AND ABOUT 1-1/2 MILES SOUTHEAST OF LUBEC CHANNEL LIGHTHOUSE. STATION, A COPPER BOLT CEMENTED FLUSH IN A DRILLHOLE IN ROCK IS 12 FEET SOUTH OF A 6 INCH SPRUCE TREE, 13-1/2 FEET SOUTHEAST OF A 5 INCH SPRUCE TREE AND 8-1/2 FEET NORTH OF A 4 INCH SPRUCE TREE. TO REACH FROM THE INTERSECTION OF GOVERNMENT STREET AND MAIN STREET IN THE SOUTHWEST EDGE OF LUBEC, GO SOUTHWEST ON STATE HIGHWAY NO. 189 FOR 0.8 MILE TO A SIDE ROAD LEFT. TURN LEFT AND GO SOUTHEASTERLY ON SURFACED ROAD FOR 2.8 MILES TO FORK. TAKE LEFT FORK AND GO EASTERLY ON GRAVEL ROAD FOR 1.25 MILES TO SIDE ROAD RIGHT. TURN RIGHT AND GO EAST ON WOODS ROAD FOR 0.1 MILE TO END OF TRUCK TRAVEL. PACK NORTH AND EASTERLY UP ROCK HILL FOR ABOUT 0.15 MILE TO FORK AT MOUND. BEAR RIGHT TO LARGE FIR TREE WITH TRIANGLE BLAZE. CONTINUE NORTH AND EAST FOR ABOUT 200 YARDS TO HIGHEST PART OF HILL AND STATION AS DESCRIBED. REFERENCE MARK NO. 1, A STANDARD DISK CEMENTED FLUSH IN A DRILLHOLE AND STAMPED QUODDY NO 1 1860 1935 IS 5 FEET SOUTH OF A 5 INCH SPRUCE TREE, 9.7 FEET EAST OF A 6 INCH SPRUCE TREE AND 3 FEET EAST OF AN EYE BOLT WHICH IS EMBEDDED IN ROCK. REFERENCE MARK NO. 2, A STANDARD DISK CEMENTED FLUSH IN A DRILLHOLE AND STAMPED QUODDY NO 2 1860 1935 IS 3 FEET NORTH OF A ROCK LEDGE, 10 FEET NORTHEAST OF A 4 INCH SPRUCE TREE AND 9 FEET WEST OF A 4 INCH SPRUCE TREE. HEIGHT OF LIGHT ABOVE STATION MARK 15 METERS.
1/1/1972 by IBC (GOOD)
RECOVERY NOTE BY INTERNATIONAL BOUNDARY COMMISSION 1972 (FXP) STATION WAS RECOVERED APPROXIMATELY AS DESCRIBED. THERE ARE TWO REFERENCE MARKS. REFERENCE MARK ONE IS STAMPED ---QUODDY NO 1 1860-1935---. REFERENCE MARK TWO IS STAMPED---QUODDY NO 2 1860-1935---.

Control Text

  • The horizontal coordinates were established by classical geodetic methods and adjusted by the National Geodetic Survey in March 1998.
  • The Laplace correction was computed from DEFLEC99 derived deflections.
  • The geoid height was determined by GEOID99.

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