Which surveyor involved in the meridian measurement tragically took his own life due to struggles with measurement accuracy?

Pierre Méchain

The scientific undertaking to define the meter via the meridian arc was fraught with significant personal and professional difficulties, highlighted by the tragic fate of one of the principal surveyors. Pierre Méchain experienced profound distress and self-doubt, particularly concerning the accuracy of the early measurements he had collected. The intense pressure, combined with the suspicion he faced from local populations during the politically volatile Reign of Terror, reportedly led him to such despair over the perceived imperfection of his data that he tragically took his own life. This event underscores the immense human cost associated with establishing these foundational scientific standards based on terrestrial observation.