DEGREE MEASUREMENT EXPEDITION:
The measuring instruments
The measurements
The measurement sites
base line
Tornio
Kaakamavaara
Nivavaara
Huitaperi
Aavasaksa
Horilankero
Pullinki
Niemivaara
Kittisvaara

The belfry of the Tornio Church

The belfry of the Tornio Church was the first measuring point. The tops of Nivavaara and Kaakamavaara fells could be seen from there. The expedition set out for these fells by boats on the 6th July in 1736. The party comprised of the eight expedition members from France, five servants, Mayor Pipping and Anders Hellant who worked as the interpreter during the whole expedition time.

The belfry of the Tornio Church - 2nd September 1736
Sunday,the second of September, there was clear weather very fit for our taking the angles;
We thought of nothing else. In order to get rid of troublesome company, and to make our
observations at ease, M. Celsius, who went to church, as soon as it was over, went up the belfry
and shut himself in. M. de Maupertuis and myself pretended to take a walk, and when by ourselves
we ascended to the tower of the belfry, where M. Celsius, as we had concerted, was waiting for us, and where we had shut up our quadrant some days before. Before evening service we had sufficient time to complete our observations. ( Outhier, Journal of a voyage to the north 1736-1737, p. 293)

Tornio Church
(drawing by Outhier)

Tornio Church