The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1849-02-20


confirmed by the reply OF the Secretary of the Treasury.
recently sent TO the Senate He estimates the secondary
trianguatlon and topography by the ordinance corps
in Great Britain exclusive OF officers pay sixteen
two mills per acre-beween twice and three times the
cost OF our surveys of the same kind
The Secretary says he had not sufficient data to make
estimate for the foreign photography. From other
find that the photography executed by Great
Britain Il read now manuscript note) cost IN two
years, 1886 and 1857 amount equal to the whole
appropriation of the coast survey of the Uaed States
from It's beginning to the present time. In the len
years past it amounts TO five millions OF dollars and this
besides her Arctic and Antarctic expeditions il is also
besides her trgonomelrlcal surveys This Bureau OF
Ordnance and photography is misunderstood The ord
surveys of Great Britain have connexion with
the photographers office or with the photographed sur
yeys The ordnance survey OF Great Britain is geo
ordnance corps of the army 1t has cost, in the pc
riod 10000 pounds sterling which is equal TO about
millions and half of dollars has been in prog
since 1871 and if examine the cost officially
ported, startled by the amount of expenditure
which we meet. Economy, then, be no iniucement
to exchange our system for that of Great Britain.
But it is said that the navy desires this work. 1t is
said that they mortified because the work not
ied 10 them Now, Mr. President, what part of this work
professional TO the navy Can it be any part 1.-THE land
work Can it be the determination of ATTITUDES and ong
tudes shore Can belong to the profession
make typographical surveys The photographed part OF
the work is now in the hands OF the navys entirely
fded to the navy. Why should put officers and men
OF the navy upon other than that part OF the work they
best able to performs They engaged in
veylng the shoals, marking their outlines, denealing the
Of soundngs at equal depths, determining the
ms and depths of channels and the character OF the bot
tom. These determinations are based upon the points
accurately xa by the trigononetrlcal survey OF The
coast itself When the distance from the shore is reached
beyond which the sights from the shore cannot be ex
tended it becomes necessary to anchor vessels, and
make them new stations OF observation. All this work.
an the observations of tides and currents, Is executed by
the photographic parties composed of naval officers
cIusively, under scientific superintendent
If the navy, Mr. President, is (as has been sa) un-
ha Of
be employed this coast survey, and is not the super
ntenden has provided for them; lie has thrown his
bases wide over the coast-has divided the work into
sections II therefore lies ready, as the coast is survey
ed for such increase of Autographed parties the
naval service will permit, furnishing employment upon
scale which could not have been reached It the work had
been continued on single base OF operations.
But what truth is there in the idea that the navy is
seeking this work and cannot obtain IL Why, sir there
now an application to the Secretary OF the Navy for
photographed party for Charleston The Secretary OF
the Navy may grant the requison. DO not doubt his
willingness to do the interest OF the service will
permit it. But | have heard of his complaining of the
frequent dauyhs by the survey on the navy.
The officers of the navy have shared fully the honors of
the survey, having received full credit for the work
executed by them Where is the channel that has been
discovered by them that does not bear the name OF the
officer of the navy who discovered il Where is the
chart that does not show the name OF the officer by whom
the photography was executed? have not seen one,
New York, and that OF Blake with the new channel IN
Delaware bay | know of no reputation which the
officers OF the navy could acquire higher than that which
they now acquire part OF this great system
BY attempting under the law OF 1918, work not at
all professional credit was lost not The Secretary OF
the Navy, Mr. Southland. in 1923, referring TO the charts
Produced says of them that, for these and other rea-
they unsafe and in many instances useless and
pernicious" There must be system, organization,
and connexon of the whole In the emphatic language
of Mr. Southard-"nor such surveys be made with
out the aid OF the contemplated by the act OF 10th
February, 1907" Could this organization be obtained in
any other way' Suppose an officer OF the army charged
Tot hn fila
officers of the navy to serve under him. you place an
officer OF the navy in charge then you must either take
the highest rank in the navy or conne yourself to those
who the Juniors of your superintendent Here is at
once introduced The jealousy OF rank which does not ex-
list under the present system You thus, the services
of officers otherwise well suited 10 the work. and
who, in Independent positions, under scientific super
ntendence merely, would be SaI to serve This
think to be- very great drawback to efficiency But there
and some of them positions of very high enolument,
which appropriately belong to the nautical profession The
naval officer should be able build vessel and yet
civilians employed in this work. Engineers are EN-.
ployed and at high salaries, in building docks
&c. Steam engineers from civil life are also employed
Why should not the navy build the engines for their
pei their vessels, as they wonld the sails These
branches OF the profession in which they can be
employed usefuIy and honorably employed and which
would not divert them from the proper pursuits
of the sailor But if an officer of the navy. of science
and special information and rank, sufficient to carry
on this great work. should be charged with it, how
long WOulI lie CONTINUE IN poSH Al oHlCer OF pro-
essona military enthusiasm at the very first Of war;
the first gun that booming the sea, would
disdan the functions OF savan He would call Tor his
glass, instead of his telescope his thoughts would
he the runnions of cannon instead of the pivots OF
observing instruments His computing tables will be
thrown from him, that his hand might grasp the sabre
and stand with arms rafting about him, beneath his
try's alg-upon his counuys deck. II he would not do
this he would not be worthy TO hold the station of off
in the navy Then sir, m the hour OF greatest need
he who had charge of the work would abandon for
vice adapted TO his profession and then you must seek
savan to superintend the work during and then he
must learn the organization OF the establishment.
have been directed to these examinations of the
survey from the Importance of its operations to those
whom represent. Already has found and deneated
channels upon Their coast giving safety to our nayiga
ton, and securing means OF approach to our inte
ror channel OF the Gulf. have also interest in
it from having known the present superintendent for
science, to love his purity and simplicity OF character
TO honor and respect him for all that dignliies and
ennobes human nature | have therefore attempted to
inform myself in relation we'll to the survey to
its organization; and believe to be the most perfect
system which has been presented of the kind The
organization of the different parts of the work the field
work in its astronomy triangulaons, topography and
photography its computations, asrono meal, geoiec,
and hydrographica its drawing engraving, and printing
are all arranged with system which insures perfect
which the calculations basel have been carefully
elaborated The system of drawing aud reducing not
less In regard to the different parts of the work,
may safely affirm that no change can be made which
would not be injurious.
And now, Mr. President, what has been the result
since the present superintendent took charge OF the work.
Five years have elapsed since his appointment from
the memory of the former eminent superintendent that
should ecoect that he took charge of the work when