The Style Book of The Detroit News Part 10

320 rods make 1 mile.

5,280 feet make 1 mile.

10 square chains make 1 acre.

160 square rods make 1 acre.

640 acres make 1 square mile.

43,560 square feet make 1 acre.

69 geographical miles make 1 degree of lat.i.tude.

1,728 cubic inches make 1 cubic foot.

27 cubic feet make 1 cubic yard.

Gunter's chain, 22 yards of 100 links.

A section is 640 acres.

A towns.h.i.+p is 36 sections, each 1 square mile.

A span is 9 inches.

A hand--horse measurement--is 4 inches.

A knot--nautical--is 6,086 feet.

A fathom--nautical--is 6 feet.

A stone is 14 pounds.

A square acre is 208 7-10 feet on each side.

The metric system is the system of measurement of which the meter is the fundamental unit. It was first adopted in France and is now in general use in most civilized countries except the English-speaking countries.

The system is now used throughout the world for scientific measurements.

Its use was legalized in the United States in 1866.

The meter, the unit of length, was intended to be one ten-millionth part of the earth's meridian quadrant and is nearly so. Its length is 39.370 inches. The unit of surface is the are, which is 100 square meters. The theoretical unit of volume is the stere, which is a cubic meter. The unit of volume for the purposes of the market is the liter, which is the volume of one kilogram of distilled water at its maximum density and is intended to be one cubic decimeter. For 10 times, 100 times, 1,000 times and 10,000 times one of these units, the prefixes, deca-, hecto-, kilo- and myria- are used. For 1-10, 1-100 and 1-1,000 of the units, the prefixes deci-, centi- and milli- are used.

In this table the equivalents are measures common in the United States and are not to be confused with British measures, which in some cases vary slightly.

1 myriameter 5.4 nautical miles or 6.21 statute miles.

1 kilometer 0.621 statute mile or nearly 5/8 mile.

1 hectometer 109.4 yards.

1 decameter 1.988 rods.

1 meter 39.37 inches or about 1 yard 3 inches.

1 decimeter 3.937 inches.

1 centimeter 0.3937 inch.

1 millimeter 0.03937 inch.

1 hectare 2.471 acres.

1 are 119.6 square yards.

1 centiare (square meter) 10.764 square feet.

1 decastere 13 cubic yards or about 2 cords.

1 stere (cubic meter) 1.308 cubic yards or 35.3 cubic feet.

1 decistere 3 cubic feet.

1 hectoliter 26.4 gallons.

1 decaliter Little more than 2 gallons 5 pints.

1 liter 1 quart gill.

1 deciliter 0.845 gill.

1 millier 2,204.6 pounds avoirdupois.

1 kilogram Little more than 2 pounds 3 ounces.

1 hectogram Little more than 3 ounces 8 drams.

1 decagram 154.32 grains troy.

1 gram 15.43234 grains.

1 decigram 1.543234 grains.

1 centigram 0.154323 grains.

1 milligram 0.015432 grains.

+-----------------------------------------+ ... CHRONICLER OF FACTS ... SIFTER OF RUMORS AND OPINIONS ... MINISTER OF THE TRUTH THAT MAKES MEN FREE. +-----------------------------------------+

ABBREVIATION

This is the style of The News on abbreviating the names of states and territories:

Ala.

Alaska Ariz.

Ark.

Calif.

Colo.

Conn.

D. C.

Ga.

Fla.

Ida.

Ill.

Ind.

Ia.

Kan.

Ky.

La.

Me.

Ma.s.s.

Md.