Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 24, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 February 1918 — TOPOGRAPHIC MAPS AND WAR [ARTICLE]

TOPOGRAPHIC MAPS AND WAR

Drawings Give Leaders a Comprehensive View of the Important Geographic Relations. It has been said that many of the battles of the Civil war would never have been fqpght had there been topographic maps, for those in command could have studied a map of the country about them' and they would never have subjected their men to such marches as were made and then have expected their men'to fight, states a student of military engineering. But topography in its general sense and as it is shown today on the maps of the geological survey was little known in tiie sixties. The engineer corps of the army was highly efficient, even at that time, but the topographic engineer did not appear in the American army until August 6, 1861, when an act of congress authorized the enlistment of one company of topographic engineers. This company was afterward merged luto the corps of engineers. Today within the wide boundaries of our country, which embraces more than 3,000,000 square miles, there are a hundred million people. They live oh farms, in villages and in towns and cities. Their dwelling places may be separated by broad rivers and rugged mountains, but the use of the topographic map is gradually knitting them systematically together, and at any time that this widespread population may be required to move in concerted fiction for a common cause the topographic map will give the leaders a comprehensive view of the geographic relations, so that the problem of moving can be solved more quickly and- with better judgment The topographic map, it is pointed out by experts of the survey, like the telephone and the typewriter, has become a necessity, and we wonder now how we have ever done without it.

The “man in the street” may have thought little of the value of the work of the topographic engineer, and to him and others who have not considered the Importance of that work some 11Thstrations of Its value might be interesting. A well-known author, soldier and topographic engineer found the topographic maps of the survey indispensable in every branch of his work. By studying a country before going Into it he became so familiar with the details of many Interesting features of which the natives had never heard that his stories acquired a realism that could, not have been infused into them had he dwelt in the country a lifetime. Again, 15 cepts spent by a reclamation engineer in connection with a private engineering project saved his company $3,000 and established a project which would never have seemed possible had not the three topographic maps he purchased, given him a comprehensive view of several hundred square miles of country, where the drainage problems are most intricate and delicate. Many such examples are cited by officials of the survey.