The daily union., 1856-12-27

h,. 10 greater familiarity with the wonders ol ue
Ssso-are pregnant with ineAcuaole usefulness 70
gA M conduct mighty naYies, as well As all who go
IN % the sea in ship" sa.
"a Secretary ofth Navy having thus properly awarded
a,,aAn the BIZ hest credit for the efficient manner
bshsd conducted the expedition, and congratulated
ntry upon the valuable results which had been OBJ
nom the survey Of the route for teegraphc cable
nnbc were BY means prepared for the heavy bomb
1 from the battery Of Mr. Mauryi which followed SO
o.v upon the heels Of the annual report OF the Navy
U'0srtmsnt In the report Of Mr.. Msury the annexed
n.r.graphs will be found;
-, r,sr the limited States steamer Arctic Lieuten-
- u Rerryman was sent special service under the
I az the Sd Of March, lS49, directing three suaoe yes
Il, Of the navy 10 be employed In assisting me 70 Perec
~ discoveries made Ia the course OF these invesugaons
tong these discoveries the teegraphic plateau OF the
Atlantic had claimed large share 81 the puelc atsnuon
Pbsr exploration Of il was desired and the depart
t symnathing with the noble enterprise, set on foot
| connany OF patriotic and enterprising American cu
~ for uniting the people OF Europe and America To-
,bsr In the bonds OF the magnetic telegraph directed
s,irnAr attention this subject during the cruise OF tue
ac Accordingly she furnished with steam ma.
hinery for hauling up the ana was
equipments !. -, u....rcb,s " as also expected
hs observations which this vessel was TO make There
" he poar current which, with Its iceoegs 50 mucu en-
dangers navigation at certain seasons y u. IN 1s n
Gnf Stream Your instructions also pointed W he uu
and from the deep seasoundngs temperatures ana
other observations made on It, hoped TO discover aong
ber things the thickness OF that sheet oil warm water
hcb as YOU have already seen, has such MARKED ana
and terrible influence upon the navigation between
this country and Europe .
a Encouraged TO look for contributions OF the highest
st and value to our knowledge concerning the orog-
raphy of the Atlantic ocean Tor the Vessei was s'e.
he first of the kind employed on sueh SERVES anu SUI
could therefore let down Brookes sounding roo wherever
il was desired. -. m .
But have been sadly disappointed. Most II not all OF
the work done this vessel this service mas 10 De TO-
cted Her deepsea soundings along the telegrapnie P
tesu from ST. John, Newfoundland, to Vaenua, IN ire
land and back regret to say IT. come wthh tnis eau
pory They made after plans that were he" WIN
obvious of error but no pains seem 70 nave oen
either to ascertain the amount OF that error or 10 al
ford the means of applying corrections 10 the woIk
have not been able TO reconcile the aePths reporeu "
the Arctic with former deepsea soundingsi nor 90 her
souudiups going agree with her soundngs returning
Their discrepancies are glaring; and II is to be hoped
this interesting and important work will be done over
again"
From the foregoing extracts it will be observed that
there is striking conflict of opinion between those DIS
ungushed unconarie not only in regard TO the Vaiue
of the results which have flowed from the expedition OF the
Arctic the reliability Of the work performed by it. but
apparently great difference of views between them as
70 the object for which the expedition itself was lifted
out The Secretary of the Navy to attach the high
est Importance the observations taken by Lieutenant b.
and also to understand that the principal to be OBJ
tanned by this expedition establish the practicable
ty of LAYING wires successfully the bed of the sea
Lieutenant Mauy the other hand to regard the
expedition in the light of failure and certainly leaves the
impression the public mind that the survey OF the route
between Europe and America ordered more with a
view to enlarge the bounds of human knowledge in regard
to the mysteries of the great deep than for the purpose
Of aiding "the noble enterprise foot by company
patriotic and enterprsng American citizens for uniting
the people of Europe and America together in the bonds
the magnetic telegraph"
These distinguished officers seem to be altogether in
act with each other and until their views be harmo
nired Lieut. Bergman may rest well satisfied with The
endorsement of the Secretary of the Navy in regard to The
manner in which be has executed the duty he sent
10 perform and especially So the teegraphc company
upon whose and pressing solicitation this
pshed able and energetic officer put in command o
the steamer Arctic we'll satisfied with the accuracy
Of the observations taken by him, both regards th
depths Of the and the form and character Of its bed
that they engaged in rapidly advancing this grea
enterprise TO the glorious consummaton that awaits il
This expedition then, having been undertaken entirely fol
the benefit Of the telegraph company and Lieut. b. says
no part of the data obtained arranged with view TO IL
criticism by Mr. Maury, the remarks which be has mad
dsrogaory their character seem to be gratuitous ant
uncalIed for
The commander Of the Arctic expected to report h
result Of his observations touching the praccability
laying the magnetic telegraph the bottom Of the ocean
between Newfoundland and the Irish coast directly th
Navy Department and hence il would appear outside
al least that the distinguished head Of the Naval 0bserv
tory had no necessary proper conneIon with the subject
is true that the instructions to the commander Of the Arc
tic recognised the possibility that in ascertanDg the depth
Of the and the character and formation os bed ohe
discoveries n relation winds currents temperatures &c
might be Incidentally made and they may therefore, hav
contemplated that these incidental matters properly per
haps belonging to the Naval Observatory should be
ported TO the bead Of that institution In executing th
work however opportunities occurred to collect tb
volume Of scientific data Mr. Maury Is sadly d,appOnt
ed in obtaining which could have been taken without
causing unus6sbe detention Of the main object Of th,
expedition But Lieut. B. is sufficiently explicit in his re
port upon this point and would therefore, tha
this sin should have been visited with such unmercu
severity upon him. especially the Secretary Of the Navy
says distinctly that he charts and specimens turned
over to the Naval Observatory"
Mr. Maury however has chosen TO connect himself with
the matter and in doing so he has taken issue both with
the Secretary OF the Navy and Lieutenant bergman The
reliability OF the soundngs taken by the latter gentleman
n his recent survey OF the "Glang discrepancies
contradictions In these muchabused soundings loom
before his vivid imagination and imperfecty has the
work been executed that he does hesitate to sugges
tbe propriety OF a resurvey.
The writer has learned from various conversations with
Lieutenant B. that the soundngs taken by the Arctic were
far more perfect than any heretofore obtained and just
comparison be thinks be instituted between them and
any other soundings taken by the detective land
poded) plan which adopted the Dolphin in 1852
and 49, whilst under his command That mode he informs
the best that could have been employed at the
time but since the machinery for asoeranng the vertical
- a - u a.