Thomas George Montgomerie

Colonel Thomas George Montgomerie ( born April 23 1830 in Ayrshire, † January 31, 1878 in Bath ) was a British surveyor and officer who participated in the Great Trigonometric Survey of India in the 1850s. He became known as the head of the native explorers ( local researchers ), which provided the basis for the mapping of Tibet in particular and were later called Pundits.

Life and work

After training at the East India Company Military Seminary at Addiscombe, and at the British pioneer school, the Royal School of Military Engineering in Chatham (Kent), he was sent to India in 1851. There he served a year in Roorkee at the Bengal Sappers, a respected pioneer regiment. Then he was on his wish to the Great Trigonometrical Survey ( Great Trigonometric Survey ) under Colonel Andrew Scott Waugh seconded. He participated in the creation of baselines at Attock and Karachi. In 1855 both the geodetic and topographic surveying of a Maharaja ruled princely state of Kashmir and Jammu was conferred on him, one the British largely unknown territory, the rise of Jammu at a height of about 350 meters up to the eight-thousanders of the Karakoram. The task consisted of not only the arduous surveying work in well over 5000 m above sea level stations, but also with the Maharaja and his son to maintain friendly relations, which earned him all-round recognition. He also managed to bring his surveying troops safely through the Indian Rebellion of 1857. Montgomerie completed in winter 1858/59 at the headquarters of the service in Dehradun a map of Kashmir that got everybody highest praise and was exhibited at a meeting of the Royal Geographical Society in December 1859. Montgomerie completed the survey of Kashmir in 1863, but then had to return home to England for health reasons.

The measurement of the K- mountains in the Karakoram

In the Karakoram he numbered by the major peaks from the west and provided them with the prefix K ( for " Karakorum "). The second highest mountain on Earth, K2, still bears this provisional name as the only peaks above 8000 m. Although Montgomerie surveys with relatively simple means and partly from a considerable distance were performed agree its height information relative exactly with the accepted today. The amount of the K2 he appointed just three feet higher than the 1986 given by Ardito Desio and Alessandro Caporali altitude of 8616 meters and eight meters higher than today's commonly specified height of 8611 m with 8619 m.

Measurement beyond the limits of British India

The country beyond the limits of British influence area along the mountain ranges of the Himalayas, the Karakoram and the Hindu Kush were virtually unknown - and for Brits as well as generally closed to Europeans as traders and pilgrims from the Himalayas and adjacent mountain ranges the limits largely unhindered could cross. In 1860 therefore came Montgomerie on the idea to train locals in simple surveying techniques and equip accordingly so that due to their heinmlich observations made upon their return to Dehradun appropriate card could be made. Abdul Hamid undertook in 1863 the first trip to Yarkant whose position he determined for the first time exactly. He came on the way back to just before Leh, but the material created by him could be saved. Montgomerie sent more local researchers to travel to the closed areas, including Nain Singh, who became famous under his pseudonym Pundit, Pundit so that designates all the native explorers was.

After his return to India in 1867 Montgomerie was appointed head of the Himalayas in Uttarakhand Survey and appointed as an officer in charge trans - Himalayan exploring parties to head the training and further travels of the Pundits. Montgomerie continued this program until he had to return in 1873 for health reasons finally to England.

He retired in 1876 with the rank of Colonel out of the military service.

Honors

Montgomerie was a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. 1865 Founder's Medal of the Royal Geographical Society awarded him. In 1872 he became a Fellow of the Royal Society, he was an honorary member of the Italian and other geographical societies. In 1875, he participated as a representative of Great Britain and India, and the Royal Geographical Society to the Geographical Congress in Paris.

K- mountains

Under the direction of Montgomerie was in the Karakoram total of 32 snow-capped peaks numbered (K1 - K32 ) and measured. The surveying equipment based on, among other things, on an approximately 4875 meter west summit ( station Peak) of Mount Haramukh: situated in the north-western Himalayas; ( coordinates 34 ° 24 ' 13 " N 74 ° 54 ' 7 " O34.40361111111174.901944444444 ) from here saw Montgomerie was the first to K2. The numbering follows with some exceptions where there resulting panorama from left to right.

F1 map with all coordinates: OSM, Google and Bing

The problem is that subsequent researchers have not kept to Montgomerie's system. The Great Trigonometric Survey has in its lists the mountains of the Karakoram as Karakuram (sic) No. "N" out. However, the figures used for this purpose do not meet Montgomerie's original numbering, the K2 carries for example, the number Karakuram No. 13, the Gasherbrum I, the number Karakuram No. 9, the Chogolisa the number Karakuram No. 8 Presumably, the name of the mountain K6 goes back to this number.