The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-01-09
The Deep Sen soundinss OF the Arctic.

TO EDITORS OF UNION.
Your correspondent b In the u o. last Saturday,
rcupdly 10 task because In passing upon the
deep ps eoupdrgs OF the Acnc ionud ttem wantt 8,
sno sid FOR this an charged with uriustly assel-
Ing Lieutenant Berry
Bain come 10 ibis, that In ccnduotns physical re-
searches may net rea, according 10 their merits the
ma ertss brought before us without being charged with
al soTts Of improper an; snnter moavesi
The true points of usue net touched by r. how
ever upptssant tie lash may be, be has made neces
isry, by whst he says for me to sts'e them IN self de-
fence. They are
steamer Arctic properly within the official cogni
z,pce of the superintendent OF the Observatory and
40 wherein did he 9nd them wanting
Tlsre Law directing the Secretary OF the Navy 10
employ sihreo suhabe vessels OF the navy In testing
routes and periecins The discoveries made by Leu
erspt Marry In the OF bis nveetga tens OF the
Winds aud currents OF the sea [" Lieutenant Berryman
told in his instructions that the Arctic was sent out
unoer law and the Secretary OF the Navy In bis an
nu. rerori a,o cites this Law authority for sending
her, and ,ays that the specimens obtained from the bot
tom OF the sea- together with the charts showing the
,oundpes, were turned over 10 the ooRrvAtory, ~
was also the abstract log.
mus, had no, only the right, but became my duty
and report upon the Work OF the Arctic And
this report od not a. "B" ntima,es, ind ~ way into
PRINT without authority.
Aoto they sufficient AL those who are Interested
10 this beautiful helc OF research have right 70 know.
The regulations OF the service prescribe the In
which tho operation Of condu sting deep sea ,oundpgs
sha be carried and they also require 70 be kept
board q every vessel Of The nAyy and according %
ifhcers are ordered 10 keep for the Ooservssory Is
called.
Amons CHER thirss officers ere especially enonsd to
me their plummei and 10 hos long each iGo fathom
mark the sounding hne tshes 10 60 out for n took
tbs lead 70 sink given depth In hour, and
AT ar other time ony hsf or IL leo Thai de h in an hour
we might fairly suspect error Somewhere This, will
be observed va, an important check. Che soundings
made by Lieutenant Bergman, IN the Dolphin, wers
maze this way; and shus we were enabled 70 sit his
woik then reject what GIT Be found bad and 70 pre-
Bat no The Arctic no such check n Afforded The sb.
sTsc, leg returned rom ner 70 hav And erroaeou, 70
such AZ txtnt be abso.u,ely OF value Many OF
,hs blarEs In II came back unalsd ard Others are pal
paoly erro1eous Wherever any check 10 this work Is
anors Cd, We nnd aooundinE In errors For instance,
TIE act bulb ther mometer s there generally recorded
hsher than the dry end Tor TIE deep so1udngs,
Tn, record neAgre 10 detail as Of sef 10 excite sa.
nov here mentioned the mere fat TIA, = sounding
made al such time Of day, With or without bottom, Is
The soundips machine ussd Vas new. The depth WAS
10 be told not by the eogth Of nne but by the revou
oos Of screw that wott down win the iead yet there
Of this tcrev Of any experiment, for determining i
errors sns thai the sources Of error In this coorvance
iAeu,es an, Berrymao however In his onh,sI report,
states that according 70 ~ he found but 100 fathoms
pre.umes the 'best .har,s" 70 be wrong Now, these
ons,is w~e made BY distinguishes Engish and French
hydrosrspsers; Their soundssss we're made With the od
s,h,oncd lead and line according 10 methods that
recoynized svevyvhe ~ the most correct for su0h
dsJb. 10 u any injustice TO Lieut. Bcrrymaa 10 diner
vh hn here and 70 suggest tbs, the error Al proea
buny was in bis new soua fng machine, aai nct With
the cea-ssor hi sounaBss with do NOT tally With his
sousopgs in Dolphin and neither do the scsndlngs
The Arctic eone 70 ireland agree With the
,orndhs' MADE with In Inc Arosc returning from Ire
and.
Ibe rule smots all men Of science r. tba, the observs
tons IN vbaever department Of physical research. shall
be conducted that ali VINO choose 10 ex anime may de-
dpoe resus from them vel Apd accurately - can
the observer himself no them snd the feet tbs the
abswNct os Of the Aroe gves oNbe deal peosesa
W ip this purpose. vss hseK sufficient 10 throw doubt
upon the work
Bui this s no, al, the worst; Tor when the diae
records that had been turned the 05ssvvao
~ from thai vessel came 70 be compared With each
other, discrepancies the most garne presented them
selves A an example, take the sounding that made
N3P NJ. OF AuguN1 II u the uxth Of the table which
Accompanies Lieut.. Berry man q ofnca report pub
hsbed In The Union OF the 24th. In that table, end
OF bis charts, the depth for thsi sounding gwen
$40 iaihoms The abstract log gives Of 900 fathoms
vhile The chart sent By Berry 10 the Navy De
partner, from ireland 10 show his somdipes well
the label attached 10 the spec men obtained from TOE
bottom at That cnt the depth given al 100 fashoms.
Ard this 10 not q sol AIRY case
Now, wherein have done any wrong or injustice 10
any one wherein have I given Lieut.. Bsrryman
his friends any just ause Of complaint ] submit the
case 10 the public Respectfully, &C, M hAURY.
morsssR 20, 1858.
THE DEBTs or THE CITIES or MASSACHUSETTS.
BY the OF the Mayors OF The eight cities Ia