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Survey Equipment
- Description
- a: A brass and steel telescope used for surveying. It has a bubble level underneath the telescope tube and a rotating stand. The telescope is 43cm in length. A crude inscription is found below the bubble level on one side: "Bovill & Hann".
b: White wooden case with a leather strap that holds the li…
- Title
- 18 Inch Dumpy Level with tripod, case, target and sun shade
- Category
- TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT FOR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
- Sub-Category
- SURVEYING AND NAVIGATIONAL TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT
- Description
- a: A brass and steel telescope used for surveying. It has a bubble level underneath the telescope tube and a rotating stand. The telescope is 43cm in length. A crude inscription is found below the bubble level on one side: "Bovill & Hann".
b: White wooden case with a leather strap that holds the lid down. The dimensions of the case are W: 47.5cm, H: 23cm, and L: 15.5cm. Inside the case, there are two wood insets that hold the telescope. On the inside of the roof of the case is the inscription, in handwritten pencil, "Bovill & Hann". Contains four paper inserts with information on how to operate the item.
c: Metal disk with four quarters divided into two red and two white pie pieces. An off-center rectangular hole is inside this circular face, on the other side of the face, the colour scheme is black. Attached to the disk itself is four legs holding an adjustable screw. H: 5cm, D (outside): 11.5cm.
d: Sun shade. A thin metal cylinder, with three thin notches. H: 6cm, D: 4cm.
e: A foldable set of measuring sticks - three in total. When unfolded 12 feet in total length, according to sticks themselves. Can detach individual sticks by undoing wingnuts.
f: Large white-painted tripod with red detailing. Folded up H: 148cm.
- History Of Use
- Modified from written description by donor on donation agreement: Used to establish elevations in surveys, particularly in the construction of buildings, roads etc. Originally came to Smithers in the possession of [Arnold could not remember first name] Dimick, who was a surveyor for the Hanson Lumber Co. Later he was appointed the first clerk for the Village of Smithers when it was incorporated. Dimick later gave the instrument to Jim Bovill, who was a partner of Ernest Hann in the construction company of Bovill and Hann. The instrument would have been utilized in the erection of the Civic Center Ice Arena.
In 1968-69 Jim Bovill gave the level to lArnold DeEllion, who at the time was the Director of Engineering for the Town of SMithers and a former surveyor with the B.C. Department of Highways. The instrument was no longer in usage but does have a definite connection to Smithers and many of the buildings erected by Bovill and Hann, including the Totem Cafe in New Hazelton, The Inlander Hotel/Store, and The Royal Bank in Hazelton Village.
- Inscriptions
- Two inscriptions contained in the case are difficult to get a clear picture of so they are reproduced here:In between two wooden insets, titled "The Telescope":To insure *clear sighting* through a telescope of very high power it is important that every surface of the lenses comrising the eye piece and object glass should be kept free from grit and films.
Therefore whenever the telescope appears to be foggy , its lenses need inspection and most careful cleaning. The cleaning should be done by wiping gently with a piece of old and soft linen, barely moistened with alcohol, then wiping dry [illegible] [illegible - possibly 'clean'] part of the linen for every surface of [multiple illegible words] this point read carefully the articles [illegible words] 13, 14 and 15 of our handbook and catalog[illegible]
To remove the [illegible words] German silver screw at the eye-end of [illegible] scope. After cleaning every lense must be put back [illegible] tube precisely as marked; and the outer bearings of the eye piece in the main tube should be [illegible from this point on]..."
On inside of end wall, titled "Notice":
"WHEN SHOULDERING AN INSTRUMENT ON THE TRIPOD, TO PREVENT WEAR AND TO RETAIN THE TRUE FORM AND CONCENTRICITY OF CENTERS in Levels and Transits, slightly clamp the [illegible] and telescope of the Transit or[/or] the bar in a Level, as freedom of plates, telescope, cross-bar to dnagle around, will not only wear out the centers but will tend to make them oval in form, thus incapacitating the instruments for good work.
The telescope axis and plates in a transit and centers [illegible] Wye Level...[illegible from this point on]..."See description for more inscriptions.
- Dimension Notes
- See description.
- Number Of Parts
- 6
- Accession No.
- 2016.28.1 a-f
- Type of Record
- Museum Artifact
Less detail