Prior
to the age of electronic surveying, accuracies of
1 part in a million were achieved on numerous surveys while the most
accurate baseline ever measured by the Coast and Geodetic Survey with
classical techniques had a final accuracy of better than 1 part in
5.5 million. To put that in perspective, that is a measurement error
of less than one inch in 90 statute miles. Such accuracies led to
surveyors coining a saying that in its various forms stated: "Good
enough for Government work". Loosely translated, that saying refers
to a very accurate survey and has its roots in the science of geodesy
as developed by the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey, an organization
that became legendary for the accuracy and precision of its results.
Such accuracies were not achieved in sterile laboratory settings.
The
surveyors and engineers of the Coast and Geodetic Survey surveyed
the mountains, plains, deserts, and shores of the United States and
its territories -- a difficult task that required not only technical
ability but also fortitude, perseverance, physical strength, and quiet
courage. Their spirit served the Nation well. The geodetic surveys
accomplished by the field personnel of the Coast and Geodetic Survey
have: been a major factor in the world-wide effort to develop more
accurate values of the size and shape of the Earth; helped determine
the placement and design of many of the great civil works of the United
States; served as the control surveys for the national mapping efforts
of the United States Geological Survey; helped with many of the technical
aspects of our Nation's defense; determined many state boundaries
within our United States as well as the boundaries of many of the
nations of the Americas; and helped determine property lines throughout
much of our Nation.
