General Information

Serial #

N/A

Part Number

1

Total Parts

5

AKA

N/A

Patents

N/A

General Description

BRASS CONSTRUCTION; STERLING SILVER ARCS & GRADUATIONS OF LIMB; GLASS TUBE LEVEL VIALS, AND COVERS ON VERNIERS & TROUGH COMPASS. PT. WOODEN CASE FITTED WITH BRASS HINGES & CLOSURES; COVERED IN LEATHER.

Dimensions

Note: These reflect the general size for storage and are not necessarily representative of the object's true dimensions.

Length

33.0 cm

Width

23.0 cm

Height

33.0 cm

Thickness

N/A

Weight

N/A

Diameter

N/A

Volume

N/A

Lexicon

Group

Exploration and Survey

Category

Measurement-angles

Sub-Category

N/A

Manufacturer

AKA

Gurley

Country

United States of America

State/Province

New York

City

Troy

Context

Country

Canada

State/Province

Unknown

Period

THIS TYPE OF INSTRUMENT USED BETWEEN C.1836-1940S, AND PROBABLY LATER. THIS INSTRUMENT USEDC.1860S-C.1930S

Canada

THIS INSTRUMENT KNOWN TO HAVE BELONGED TO LINDSAY RUSSELL, SURVEYOR GENERAL OF DOMINION LANDS 1878-1884. LATER (PRESUMABLY) IT WAS USED BY G.C. RAINBOTH, OF ASTRONOMICAL SECTION OF DOMINION LANDS BR. ALONG WITH DR. W.F. KING, OTTO KLOTZ, J.J. MCARTHUR & WM. OGILVIE, RAINBOTH WORKED TO EST. CONTROL POINTS FOR LONGITUDE REQUIRED FOR SURVEYS IN WESTERN CANADA, TO OPEN PRAIRIES FOR SETTLEMENT.

Function

TO DETERMINE THE TRUE MERIDIAN; LOCAL MAGNETIC VARIATION; AND FOR GENERAL SURVEYING

Technical

TRANSIT INST. INVENTED BY WILLIAM AUSTIN BURT OF MICHIGAN, OHIO; PAT'D IN 1836. THE FIRST INSTRUMENTS WERE MFD. BY W.J. YOUNG & SONS, PHILADELPHIA, PA: GURLEY BEGAN MFG. THEIR'S C.1860. SOLAR COMPASS PLAYED A MAJOR ROLE IN PUBLIC LAND SURVEYS IN US FOR 100 YRS+, AS PRINCIPAL LINES WERE RUN WITH REFERENCE TO TRUE MERIDIAN.

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

.1 'W. & L.E. Gurley Troy, N.Y.' INCISED ON FACE OF TROUGH COMPASS; COMPASS ARC DIVIDED +15-0-15+ AT 30-SECOND INTERVALS. MOVING COMPASS CIRCLE ON VERNIER PLATE GRADUATED 0-90-0-90- ON BEVELLED EDGE. VERNIERS ON LIMB (UNDERPLATE) GRADUATED TO HALF-DEGREES, IN 2 ROWS 0-360 AND 0-90 EACH WAY; READ BY TWO VERNIERS TO SINGLE MINUTES. POLAR AXIS ARC (AT RIGHT ANGLE TO VERNIER PLATE) MARKED 40-70 DEGREES, WITH VERNIER GRADUATED 15- 15+. DECLINATION ARM MARKED 0-20+ WITH VERNIER GRADUATED 0-15; '2' STAMPED INTO ARM. HOUR ARC MARKED +III TO IX, OVER SECOND SCALE +40-90-40+/ TANGENT SCALE 0-20+, GRADUATED BY HALF-DEGREE INCREMENTS ON .3/ PT case: "Instrument No. 32 6" Gurley Solar Compass Good Condition P.A. Carson 25/04/07" handwritten on leather cover on case top./ "G.C. Rainboth (D).L.S. Ottawa Ont." handwritten in ink on leather cover on case front./ "Lindsay Russell" printed in ink by hand on inside of box top./ Elaborate mfr's label glued inside box top includes extensive list of survey instruments and equipment and text: "W. & L.E. GURLEY,/ MANUFACTURERS OF/ Civil Engineering & Surveyors' Instruments,/ TROY, N.Y."; "32" applied as decal over upper area of Gurley label.

Missing

NONE

Finish

OXIDIZED BRASS FINISH AND BRACKET PTS. SOME BRIGHT LACQUERED FITTINGS & ADJUSTMENT KNOBS. KNOB & CAPS PTS. RED-BROWN LEATHER COVERING ON WOODEN CASE

Decoration

N/A