Show IN I NTH INTHE THE E BEGINNING BEG INN I N G lY A f Cecil CecilA 7 CITY LOCATED WITH SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS The Mormon r pioneers may have come to Utah with most of their belongings tied up in bandana handkerchiefs and with appetites for camas and sego bulbs but nevertheless they had provided themselves with all the scientific instruments and equipment necessary to orient and establish themselves properly and to lay layout layout layout out their cities and public works in an accurate accurate accurate rate and permanent manner Moreover the man Orson Pratt had no su superior superior superior su- su in the realm of higher mathematics and the general sciences It is with no little satisfaction satisfaction satisfaction sat sat- that we record for the tourist the hiker the explorer and the student of today the list of instruments brought to Utah in the beginning There is only one reason why Pratt did not bring with him a camera the one and only device carried by the average explorer to to- to day Pratts Pratt's instruments selected on instructions from Brigham Young were practically all of English make and consisted of a circle of re reflection reflection reflection re- re two sextants one quadrant and two artificial horizons for determining latitude and longitude and other astronomical work With these instruments that early carly scientist located the night encampments and measured his daily mileage as do mariners at sea Pratt Likewise Practical There was one l large rge refracting telescope and several smaller telescopes for astronomical ob observations observations observations ob- ob as well as sight work on the surface surface surface sur sur- face of the earth such as land surveying trig trig- measurements of direction and al altitude altitude altitude al- al and ordinary farseeing with ith accuracy There were two barometers several thermometers surveyors' surveyors chains and other instruments for every conceivable use in a well-established well community Pratt was not only well versed in book learning connected with the use of these in instruments instruments instruments in- in but enjoyed the practical application application application tion of the principles to his daily progress He lie knew for instance how to expose a thermometer thermometer thermometer ther ther- to gain correct readings how to use two barometers against each other one in camp for noting weather changes and corrections corrections corrections to be applied to the one carried on the surveying or exploring trip Pioneer Speedometer William Clayton was also an ingenious in inventor inventor inventor in- in and gave to the pioneer party the road- road ometer which served more accurately to indicate indicate indi indi- cate the total mileage traveled by the windings windings windings wind wind- ings of the roadway as compared with the actual changes in geographical position determined determined determined deter deter- mined by Pratt by his astronomical ments Between the two men aided materially by Claytons Clayton's faithful and extended notes and descriptions in his journal the foundation was laid for The Latter-day Latter Saints' Saints Emigrant Guide From Council Bluffs to the Valley of the Great Salt Lake which Clayton published in St. St Louis in March 1848 This This' contained every needful fact about the route and was thus a Godsend to emigrants that followed the pioneers who from its perusal knew where they were every day and what to expect on the morrow and subsequent travel days and could estimate more accurately the date and time of their arrival at key places and especially at the good and the bad watering watering watering water water- ing places v Technological Advance Clayton had assigned to himself the tedious task of counting the revolutions of a wagon wheel the circumference of which he had measured measured measured meas meas- so as to have more accurately the distance dis dis- tance traveled as it was always being overestimated overestimated overestimated over over- estimated and but for Pratts Pratt's astronomical calculations calculations calculations cal cal- the pioneers would have be ben been n pretty badly off in their calculations many times Clayton tied a rag target on a spoke and counted the times it came up A jack of all trades and anda a lover of none but fishing Clayton nevertheless less could think of more things to be done and could take more punishment in getting them done even if he had to do them himself Ithan than any other man in the party He stood by his self-appointed self task so faithfully his fertile fertile fer fer- tile mind gave birth to the which instrument was actuated by a nail in the hub coming up at each revolution instead of a rag coming up The nail turned a cog or notch in ina a wooden cogwheel which did not require nearly so much counting and watching Amidst all his countless and interminable duties after reaching the Salt Lake valley and prior to his return with the leaders in late August he found time to improve his road road- ometer and with th the carpentry aid of William H. H King succeeded in making a new one with several wood cogs engaging each other It was wasso wasso wasso so arranged as to have a capacity of one thousand thousand thousand thou thou- sand miles the round numbers distance from Salt Lake City to Council Bluffs Since as he determined the nigh rear wheel of Heber C. C Kimballs Kimball's wagon had a circumference length that was exactly one three hundred and sixtieth sixtieth sixtieth eth of a mile it was a simple matter to make the recording device accordingly Salt Lake City Surveyed Orson Pratt and Henry G. G Sherwood began the survey of the Salt Lake City plat on August August August Au Au- gust 6 but deferred it a few days to obtain a pole from the canyon which they standardized and with which they tested the surveying chain carefully in all its parts That may account for the fact that the heart of the city has all its lines today as Pratt laid them out that first week in August 1847 The week before Pratt and Clayton assisted at times by others had found time to make altitude determinations of several places the Temple block being feet above sea level and 65 feet above Jordan river A point a mile into City creek was feet above Jordan river Numerous astronomical observations were made by the sun in the daytime and the moon and stars at night by means of which a true north and south line was established From this the mean of several tests showed the magnetic magnetic magnetic mag mag- variation to be 15 degrees 47 minutes and 23 seconds The latitude of the northern boundary of the Temple block was found to be 40 degrees 45 minutes and 44 seconds and the longitude determined from lunar distances or apparent diameter was Ill degrees 26 minutes and 34 seconds or 7 hours 25 minutes and 46 seconds west of Greenwich It is interesting to note that modern determinations determinations determinations deter deter- by the government give the altitude as the longitude as is s degrees 53 minutes minutes min mm- utes 47 seconds or 7 hours 27 minutes and 35 seconds west vest of Greenwich and latitude 40 de degre degre degrees de- de gre grees s 46 minutes and 4 4 seconds Observers today will make almost as much differ difference nce ce ex excepting excepting excepting ex- ex in the longitude which ch Pratt by some slight misreading of an an observation or of calculating a result |