The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-03-04

Of county to fosclgM national vesseis neoddns
repairs there should be no difficulty ia obtxipin0
it for our uses when needed The coast survey
vessels are scattered along the coast at poiofs
where there are no special naval facilities, and
the greater number Of them are Of such ANAL
size that their passages from point to point BY
sea are attended with great risk lit is better and
much more economical to lay them up where
they are used during the season or near it, than
to collect Them ut central depot or station
The care OF the vessel by respectable and re-
sponsible citizen living near the point where she
is to be laid up is easily secured.
There would be no economy in substituting
repairs at navy yards for repairs by private com.
petion.
II Is sometimes represented that there are ar
tlcles belonging to navy yards unfit for use BY
the vessels OF the class belonging to the navy.
but which might be servceabe to our small
vessels, and yet which If sold would bring but
low price. If this be so, it is conceived that thew
should be furnished on the rvquisiton of the
officers OF the coast survey, or at least that their
purchase from the funds Of the work should be
| permitted on az favorable terms as those upon
which they are disposed Of to others. In most
cases the cost OF taking cOast-survsy vessel to
the navy ymd would be greater than the benefit
to be derived from such facilities
The cost of repairs to the ten vessels used in
the photography, including those to the boilers
and engines Of the five steam vessels, borne by
the coast survey appropriations without aid from
any cx.raneous source whatever, was in 1879
Sl6,604 81. This is not half the cost of wcur
and tear OF part of these steam vessels when
used in the revenue
The cost of repairs to the ten small vessels
used us means of transportation by the land par
ties, was 5000; averaging but $500 per vessel
The cost OF repairs up to 1919, is stated in de-
tail in Senate Executive Document No. az, 3Oth
Congress, I'd session, page 6.
In passing, l may remark that this department
is not officially informed in regard to, and is in
nowise responsible for, the cost of repairs made
at navy yards by consent of the Navy Depart
ment, on the application Of officers of the navy
connected with the survey. My predecessor ap
piled (Ex. Doc. No. 20, Senate, 30th Cong. I'd
sess., p. p TO Nc Navy Department to ascertain
this amount, but no communication was received
in reply. The steamer Walker, belonging to
this department, it is known has, while plac,
for saie-keepng at navy yard, been twice pre-
pared for putting in commission without consul
tatIon with, or authority of this department and
for purposes entirely unconnected with the coast
survey in one instance to the great hindrance
of the work
III. From 1914 to 1913, while the appropria-
tons asked for the coast survey were increased
twofod, the amount of work executed was more
than threefold. This economy resulted from the
division of labor which an increased scale permits
and from the vigorous pushing Of the work at the
South as well as at the North, by which the best
season for surveying is used by the same persons
| in each region.
1t is not little remarkable that the increase in
the appropriations for this work beyond those
just referred to have come from the legislative
branch OF the government, showing at once the
realizing sense OF the Importance of an extension
of the survey and the confidence in the mode of
administering it. Thus, in l849, call was made
IN the Senate upon the Secretary Of the Treasury
for information as to survey of the Florida reefs
ana Keys, and a special appropriation Of $50 600
was introduced in that body for commencing the
work. This appropriation has since been asked
without increase by the department. So also an
item for the western coast OF Sl50,000 was intro
duced by legislative motion.
The fact is, that the coast has extended, first by
the annexation ofTexas, and then by the admis-
sion OF California and erection Of Oregon into
territory since lS43, not less than three thousand
two hundred miles, and the rapid extension Of the
commerce on the western coast requires absolute
ly provision for Its speedy survey, notwithsand-
ing the expense arising from the high rate of
wages there. The economy of the civilians there
engaged may be set up, however, as a model when
the conjolned salaries of the officers of four par
ties are but five thousand dollars. The efficiency
OF the organization is proved by the fact that in
such disturbed state of tn ings a reconnaissance
was made from Monterey TO the Columbia river;
and the charts (three shee,s) were engraved on
copper, published, and sent TO the western coast
IN twenty-five working days from the time of their
reception at the Office
AT the close Of 1874 it became obvious to the
superintendent of the survey that thirty years OF
progress at the then rate ofappropration and plan
tof operating would not take the survey to the
mouth of the Mississippi. He stated frankly in
his report the necessity for greater expedition.
and the plan by which 1t could be attained-the
DIVISION OF the coast into sections, and the CON-
mencernent OF the survey in as many as Congress
would provide appropriations for. At this time
Texas was not annexed, and the western coast
was not in the possession of the United States
lhis plan has received the sanction Of Congress
IN successive years from 1874 up to the present.
when every appropriation asked for, except that
FOR the Florida reefs, which is the same as last
year, is less than was appropriated about three
months ago for the same service for the present
fiscal year.
Nor is this increase like that of an appropria
ton for branch of service which must always
have an existence since it decreases the time dur
ing which the survey will last
The work is nearly half done now The re-
mainder Will be accomplished on this side of the
continent in from twelve TO fifteen years with the
present rate of appropriations. The gain of time
expenditure, there is an economy in money in
thus conducting the work, amounting to the pro-
portion, as | have elsewhere stated, of one and
thfee-fourths to one.
AT the average rate of progress between 1892
and 1884, the survey would have required one
hundred years for its compilations; at the present
rate what remains OF the Of the Atlantic and
Gulf of Mexico will be completed in from twelve
to fifteen years.
III is preferred to adopt less rapid rate of pro-
gress, 1t can be done, but at sacrifice of econo-
my. Ii Is submitted, however, that now, while
The country Is prosperous, is the time to press the
work forward. Ii is also submitted that the spirit
manifested by those engaged in the work ofpress-
ing II to completion is in the highest degree un-
selfish, and should be fosered, and that thew
should be cheered on, rather than discouraged in
their efforts
when the Mexican war broke out--there were
fourteen officers Of the army upon the work, all
put three of whom were Withdrawn. Notice was
gwen that the navy officers might necessarily be
withdrawn. Had there been no civil corns in