▁wide . ▁ ▁The ▁length ▁of ▁a ▁cr icket ▁pitch ▁is ▁one ▁chain ▁( 2 2 ▁yards ). ▁ ▁Similar ▁meas uring ▁ch ains ▁A ▁similar ▁American ▁system , ▁of ▁less er ▁popular ity , ▁is ▁R ams den ’ s ▁or ▁the ▁engineer ’ s ▁system , ▁where ▁the ▁chain ▁consists ▁also ▁of ▁ 1 0 0 ▁links , ▁each ▁one ▁foot ▁( 0 . 3 0 4 8 ▁m ) ▁long . ▁The ▁original ▁of ▁such ▁ch ains ▁was ▁that ▁constructed , ▁to ▁very ▁high ▁precision , ▁for ▁the ▁measurement ▁of ▁the ▁bas elines ▁of ▁the ▁Ang lo - F rench ▁Survey ▁( 1 7 8 4 – 1 7 9 0 ) ▁and ▁the ▁Princi pal ▁Tri ang ulation ▁of ▁Great ▁Britain . ▁ ▁The ▁even ▁less ▁common ▁R ath born ▁system , ▁also ▁from ▁the ▁ 1 7 th ▁century , ▁is ▁based ▁on ▁a ▁ 2 0 0 - link ▁chain ▁of ▁two ▁ro ds ▁( 3 3 ▁feet , ▁ 1 0 . 0 5 8 4 ▁m ) ▁length . ▁Each ▁rod ▁( or ▁per ch ▁or ▁pole ) ▁consists ▁of ▁ 1 0 0 ▁links , ▁( 1 . 9 8 ▁inches , ▁ 5 0 . 2 9 2   mm ▁each ), ▁which ▁are ▁called ▁seconds ▁( ″ ), ▁ten ▁of ▁which ▁make ▁a ▁prime ▁( ′ , ▁ 1 9 . 8 ▁inches , ▁ 0 . 5 0 3 ▁m ). ▁ ▁Vincent ▁Wing ▁made ▁ch ains ▁with ▁ 9 .