The 18-inch Theodolite has been employed by—
Corporal James Steel, from August, 1841. Corporal James Beaton had charge of it for about three months when corporal Steel was at Southampton, in the summer of 1844.
Corporal John Winzer, June, 1845.
Sergeant James Steel, February, 1848, for the London survey.
Corporal William Jenkins and second-corporal John Wotherspoon assisted sergeant Steel in the London triangulation.
Second-corporal John Wotherspoon, November, 1848.
Mr. James Donelan, January, 1853, to May, 1855.
Private William McConomy, June, 1856, and still retains it.
At one period there were forty-five officers on the survey; at another nine only; now there are nineteen including the superintendent. Although the number of officers is very small, considering the extent of the total force employed, yet, by a simple arrangement, the numerous detachments are effectually commanded by the officers. The strength of the different parties is not proportioned to the ranks of the officers, but to the exigencies of the service on which they are employed.[[215]]
Except at Southampton and Dublin nearly all the offices of importance and trust on the survey are filled by sappers, “no civilian,” except in a few instances, “being responsible for more than his individual labour.” Each section in the field, however small, “is under the charge of either a non-commissioned officer or private, who is responsible that the work is carried on according to orders, and that every precaution to prevent negligence or deception is taken. In the office likewise, a non-commissioned officer superintends each department of the work and reports either directly, or through a senior non-commissioned officer, to the officer of engineers in charge. Every division having commonly several small detachments in the field, the payment of each detachment is necessarily made through the non-commissioned officer in charge of it.”[[216]]