The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-08-09
WASHINGTON NATIONAL MONUMENT.
Lieutenant MaHry and the Liverpool Dock
Committee.
BROOKLYN, August s, 1870,

BROOKLYN, August s, lsoo,
TO THE EDITOR OF THE NEW YORK HERALD
Your defence Of Ieutenaut Maury from the sap;ent
remarks OF the chairman Of the Liverpool Dock Commit
tee Is perfectly just and correct and in my opinion the
honorable chairman talking upon subject that he
knew nothing about.
Ibe honorable chairman stated that Lieutenant Mauuy q
book was copied from an Englshmans-Mr. To wson's.
And now sir to facts About the year 1s40 or 1871 Lien
tenant Aaury Of the United States navy and Lieutenant
Roper, Of the English navy each published a valuable
work On navigation Among the different methods of sail
ing each of them rules and examples to work
an distance by great circle sailing In year or
have not the books by me- but have to trust
memory gentleman by the name OF Griffin or Griffith
published Tin New York by G. and W. Bunt) small
pamphlet on great circle sailing simplifying the rules
and making the work much easier to young navigator
In lS47 4lr Towson invented what he called linear
table, and presented IL to the English admiralty who
puplshed it in ls4s, with pamphlet giving Mr. Tow.
sons rules and method for finding the and dis
tsnce by great circle sailing
And now, sir, the honorable chairman of the Dock
Committee gets mp and publishes to the world that
MI I g book bad been p'ratei by Lieutenant Mary,
while the only merit that coud be claimed for Me- r.
by his honorable friends, is that he had discovered
short and SIMPLE method Of working course and dis.
lance by great circle sailing.
But, SIR Mr.. Griffith was in advance OF Mr. It's dis
covery by some years. asd to him belongs much OF the
merit OF shortening the rules for such and most
OF tfsNolks on navigation contain rules and examples
for all such cases.
Lieutenant Msury. from his Investigations of the winds
ana currents OF the different has given vast
amount OF knowledge, and with his wind and current
CHARTS he winds given for every month In the yea
the navigator who has knowledxe of great circs
sailing may at times shorten his distance from port
PORT very much; but great cice sailing Ia not always
practicable sLd advisable for ships canvass
for steamers it is the proper snd foe them
TO folio W as near ae possible to do SO.
The early steamers to this coantryshe Great Western,
Liverpool, and British Qnesp--saiied a rhumb lima
fiom Sandy Hook to Cape Clear the Lizard according
to the port they bound 10, until Lieut. Msury pub
hshed sketch chart, showing they could 80 m,
in distance by following the Of the circle
York and Liverpool a. the shoals Of Nantucket and
Georges and the point Of Cape Race intervene)
oIce more bring forward the remarks Of the honora
be Chsirman-that Lieut. Maurys book is taken from
Mr., 1oweon's. do not know which OF Lieut. Maury's
books the honorable gentleman audes to; but IL he al
ludes to Lieut. MS work navigation Ireply tina. Lieut.
Ms work navigation published s,me six or seven
years in advance Of the pamphlet and linear tables Of Mr.
t. which he presented to the admiralty, and which
published by the government In 1S4S So la this case,
Tow6on's pamphlet. II the honorable chairman alude.
to the "Eock Of Report" made 20 the department at
WashinGtcn, and by that department to Congress- IL
would require loug stretch Of imagination to iud any
thing in this work that could be prated from Mr. Tow
sons pamphlet " Great Circis Ssilingn
And now, Mr. Editor trust ee this that the hopora.
bic cbsirmsn cf the Liverpool Dock Committee has had
opportunity q taking Lieut. heury by the hand, and
l trust he win learn from Lieut. Ms own mouth the
difference between great circle ling aud the great eid
ot research that Lieut. Maury is engaged In and hone
the honorable chairman will mako the dmede honorable
10 Lieut.. NJ Should he not do it will take more than
his simple assertion to tear leaf OF the laurel from
the prog Of our gallant countrymsn. u. r. NJ.