Verplanck Colvin and the ADK Survey at Debar Mountain - October 1877

Colvin had been working in the Saranacs and St. Regis lakes area, now he turned north:

October 27th, I started on a reconnaissance for mountain stations, by which I hoped to extend the triangulation possibly to the shores of the great river St. Lawrence, to join upon the triangulation of that river just completed by the engineer officers of the U.S. army. At night we reached Duane, Franklin county, thirty miles distant.

An examination of the ground along the route had shown few high peaks suitable for triangulation stations, all but one of the minor summits being densely forest-covered. Some valuable map sketches were secured, showing the location of lakes and mountains.

October 28th. A reconnaissance of the vicinity of Duane developed some new interesting and important topographical features of this section; mountains and passes visible which were not shown upon any map, the gap leading southward towards the Saranacs being especially interesting. Inquiry as to the best route by which to reach a mountain near Branch pond, from which it was said that the St. Lawrence could be seen, failed to furnish any information, and leaving Ames' we proceeded northward toward Malone. When within about eleven miles of that place we reached the verge of the irregular hills which look northward upon Canada and were shown the distant plains of the dominion, dim in a smoky atmosphere.

Turning westward, we slowly traced our way toward Branch pond, through a partly settled country. The lake was at length reached; a dark sheet, its waters discolored by the humus from dead forest, and marshes upon its shores, which had been drowned by a dam upon the outlet. The mountain proved unavailable, being a broad massive ridge heavily timber-covered , and even if cleared not affording the sights desired. Turned wearily back and reached Ames' again the same night.

I now resolved to ascend the highest peak to the southward in the town of Duane, in the hope that it might afford at least an outlook over the country. The best route for the ascent was from Meacham lake, to which place we made our way on the 29th inst. Here I learned of a singular phenomenon which remarkably illustrates the clearness of the reflection from the surface of these lakes when calm. Some excitement had been occasioned at Meacham Lake during the summer, by the assertion of a guide that he had seen a bright light shining upward from the bottom of the lake at its deepest part. Others also saw it, and were surprised to find that it receded from them and finally disappeared when they approached. A more careful observer discovered the cause, in the signal on St. Regis mountain, some ten or twelve miles distant, being reflected in the water as from a polished mirror.

Before daylight on the 30th, we had started for the summit of De Bar mountain, distant less than half a dozen miles through the forest, and by earnest marching reached the summit in two and third hours. The rock beneath the peak contained grains of hornblend, uncommon in the gneisses of the northern section of the region. The summit was peculiar in a steep cliff facing the west, over which the axemen soon commenced to fell the trees obstructing the view. Hanging for a moment on the verge, they would bend slowly over, to plunge with a sudden spring downward, and woe to any thing that should be caught by the splintered butt, as it flew upward with a sudden resistless spring before the plunge. This front was quickly cleared, and while the axemen worked lanes eastward and northward through the timber of the more level portion of the summit, the theodolite was placed, and the reconnaissance measurements commenced.

But telescope was needless to show the grand features of the scene below. Glittering lakes,set in a forest of emerald evergreen, or margined with tamaracks, still clad in the golden foliage of fall, shone far and near. Wild mountain masses rose in dark tumultuous billows eastward, where Whiteface, capped with snow, gleamed in Alpine grandeur. Still further northward the flattened crest and clustering lower peaks of Lyon mountain (densely forest covered from foot to crown) stretched across the horizon, an obstacle to vision; then the rocky front of Owl's Head, in Bellmont, showed itself, and the brows of the hills above Malone. North-westward stretched the vast plains of Canada, and clearly defined between a breath of dark blue water, like a great band from west to east, showed the St. Lawrence, the father of the northern waters.

Thrilled by this sight, the first glimpse of this great river which had ever been obtained from an eastern triangulation station, I turned the telescope of the Theodolite toward the corner where it left the United States to pour its whole volume into Canada; and islands, villages, and cities showed themselves. In another instant I found a church spire near St. Regis, which was located by the United States Army Engineers of the Great Lakes, and using this as signal, I turned off the first angles, connecting by direct triangulation the surveys of the distant coast of the Atlantic with the great interior fresh water seas of the continent.

It was late when the measurements were finished and the instruments repacked, but while the signal men hurried with their work, I made the more important topographical sketches which the field of view at this time opened by the chopping permitted and at dark descended, resolving to make this a future primary station, and to have the whole summit so cleared next season that nothing might obstruct the view.

The night descent of De Bar was interesting from the fact that the present guides were novices at this kind of marching. Nevertheless, we got along admirably, and reached Meacham lake before 9 P.M.

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