The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1849-02-18

would be of such value to the Observatory IL would without
AT ali Interfering with that vane be OF ad-
vantage 10 the public generally for wherever in any part
OF the county there Is transit Instrument and line OF
wires clock may bs used by the observer at that in
stnent not only Tor recording tons, but also
tor determining his longitude from the capital OF the
country and thus would. without trouble, enable
the National Observatory perform mportant part
OF It's appropriate duties and most acceptable service
in aordng many weidete rnined points of departure
for the traveller, the surveyor, and the navigator.
an. F. MAURY. It, U. IN
Secretary of the Navy"
Thus the coast SURVEYS encroachng upon the business
of the National Observatory, and actually charging itself
with the peculiar and eminent object OF observatory
that OF engaging in astronomical observations generally
and with the determination OF the differences of ATTITUDES
and ongtudes particularly But this is not all 1t has
large mission IN abstract science TO fulfill which is thus
stated IN semi-oicla publicationthe publication OF
Lieut. Davis OF the United States navy-and which,
presume may be considered good as official This is
an extract:
ful and distinguished 1t is to contribute part Of
means by which the irregulay eiptca form Of the earth
grauaon their and thence the internal of
the EARTH be made known and the phenomena OF terrestrial
cal problem of the tides. It's numerous meteorological
cords VII also contribute to better knowledge Of the eli;
mates OF the United States, and OF the nature and action OF
meeoc storms and thus be OF service to the farmer well
as the navigator"
1T also goes into geodesy if the survey of the whole
surface OF our part OF the continent had also become the
mission OF this coast survey. The publication of
Lieut. Davis says
"rhe Silence geodecs prescribes the principles upon
which survey of extended should be conducted
In the ordinary operations of land surveying the surveyor
is permitted to regard his field OF work plane surface
but the engineer who is map of wlrole
country OF long line of continuous seacoast must take
to onsideraton the speroda figure OF the earth and
present den of that part of the spheroid
upon which he is employed This necessity controls the
upon which the detailed results given, whether be
called map chat Both tho projection and the formula
for computation involve higher mathematics and
IN athematico physical sciences"
1t also seems charge itself with furnishing the data
necessary the defence of the coasts, well TO their
navgahon-also data for local and general improve
ments-and data for maps of States through which the
surveys pass All this we learn from Lieutenant Davis,
thus:
81 understood that the aim of the survey
to furnish, with the utmost atainabIe accuracy and in
graphical and Autographed data that be made in
any way useful TO the navigation and defence of the
formation will be accumulated that may become servlcea
o'e IN suggesting and directing local and general improve
beacons, buoys, &c the improving channels the
effect OF constructions harbos and tidal
deposites the sutabIenes Of submerged soil for building
NC And it is presumed that those States through which
the survey passes will later, avail themselves OF
the base is able to supply TO form correct geographical
map Of their territory under circumstances favor
able to economy and accuracy These are the practical
benefits either direct incidental conferred by the
survey"
Such to be the present and prospective mission
of the survey And now whence derived all this
power! Not IRON the acts OF 1907 and ls32-not from
any act of Congressman from the constitution of the
United States !an instrument which never contemplated
the establishment OF college for the sciences in the
Treasury Department or any other department OF this
government
My object, Mr. President, is to return the coast sur
vey what the law directed it to be- and to confne its
execution after the 3Oh of June next, TO the Navy De-
partment. We have now, both by law and in fact,
bureau for the purpose-hat of Ordnance and Hydrogra
phy-and to the photographed section of this bureau
properly belongs the execution of the coast survey II is
the very business of hydoyraphy and in Great Britain,
from whom we borrow the idea OF this bureau, the n.y.
dographer, always naval officer, and operating wholly
with naval forces, is charged with the whole business
of the survey of that great empire One hydrogra
pher and with only ten vessels until lately conducts
the whole survey Of under the laws Of that
pre-surveys not confined to the British isles, but to
the British POSSESSIONS the four quarters OF the globe
of all countries with which they have commerce. or
expect war, and of which they have not reliable charts
even to China, and the island of Borneo. Rear Admiral
Beaufort is the photographer, and has been for
twenty years. and he has civil astronomer to do the
work for him, any civil superintendent to overlook
and direct him. But he has somebody 10 overlook him,
and those who know what they are about-namey, the
lords of the admiralty-and something more besides
namely, the House of Commons through its Sc.
this photographer is most carefully overlooked, and
every survey brought to the test of law and ex.
pediency in its inception. and OF economy ana speed
aminations of this photographer before select com
mttee of the House of Commons, made only last
year, and which shows that the British House of Com
fines him to his proper busnessand that that proper
business is precisely the work which required by
acts OF 1907 and 1882. Here is the volume which
tans among other things, the examination of the Rear
Admiral Beaufort Showing huge folio of more than
thousand pages) do not mean to read it. mere
ly produce it to show that in Great Britain the n.y.
drographer, naval officer is charged with the whole
business of the coast survey, and executes it exclu
sively with the men and ships of the navy; and
question from it, not for the sake of the but for
the sake of the facts in the question 1t relates to the
number of assistants retained by the Rear Admiral and
the late increase in their number. The question is in
| these words
sin 1884 and 1885 you had three assisans-one at three
pounds'a week. and TWO two guneas a week: now you
five at four pounds week, three at
three pounds and at three guineas why has this in
crease been made r
The answer was that these assistants had to live in
London where living dear, and that they had to do
much workfor example, had printed 81 63 charts the
year before pass the answer Tor the sake OF the
question: and the facts of the question, and TO contrast
them with something in our own coast survey The
question was, why he had increased the number OF the
assistants from three five, and the compensation of the
principal one from about $500 TO about $ 000 and of the
others from about 5000 to about $500 year and turn
ing Blue Book, under the head of coast survey.
find the number of the assistants OF superintendent
rather more than three, five, and their salaries rather
dollars. The list stands thus
Coast Surrey
A. D. Dache, superintendent $4,000
Edmund Blunt, assistant $500
F. H. C;erder do $500
c. NJ. Eakin do 1900
w M Boyce do 1000
John Farley do 1000