The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-11-02
THE GREAT TELEGRAPHIc PLATEAU.
onsravAronr, wAsnxoros, sepa 2I, Is5s.

number OF your Jorunai on deep oea SouhdinsS py
the Coast Survey.
You observe that this article xyID docs not go forth
with the weight and authority which only the of
Trowbridge Bache give but 1t goes forth under
the official stamp of the Coast Survey and with all the
authority which the Of that establishment give
it, You also perceive that in that article the iabors of
the Observatory appropriated without acknowcdg
ment.
1t was the object of the paper which you have declined
to publish TO make reclamation of the property Of the
Observatory to show that the Coast Survey has attempt
ed to between the Observatory and the fruits Of its
labors and has actually laid violent hands upon the
terials collected for its own specalities
1t was, moreover the object Of that paper show
that certain conclusions announced through your Journal
by the Coast Survey in its paper aforesaid depend upon
observations and experiments made by for this office
and are not warranted by the facts of the case.
When papers offered to your journal by the Coast
Survey do not hold you bound to look behind that
tabshment to whether it have legitimate possession
of the materials for such papers. But when, in this
case you have unwittngy given the authority OF your
journal to such paper you nevertheless though unwt
tngy lend the and authority of the most infuen
al scientific journal in the country to assist in the per-
peraton of an outrage and wrong therefore submit
it is not fair to deny hearing.
IT, upon reconsideration of the matter you still decline
my paper hope you will publish in your forthcoming
number this my remonstrance, and obige,
Yours truly, NJ i. MAURY.
Messrs. SiLLIMAS DANA,
Editors OF the American Journal of Science and Arts
New Haven, Conn.
ON THE ARTICLE XVII, q DEEP SEA SoUNDlNGS'
BY THE COAST SURVEY, BY M. +. MAURY.
No n of this journal September, 1883 contains a
paper son Deep Sea soundings by Prof W. z lrow-
bridge assistant United States Coast Survey Report to
Prof A. d. Bache, Superintendent United States Coast
Survey Published in this journal by permission OF the
department"
This Ii is perceived is an official emanation from the
Office of the Coast Survey. 1t is not review by Mr.
Towbrdge or Mr. Bache Of the work of the Observatory
for in that should not object but it is the Coast
Survey turning critic to play consor upon the Observa-
tory And inasmuch this is not only mischievous
and improper interference of one bureau OF the govern
ment with another and hndrance to science, but also
as the abor the Observatory in that paper appro
prated extensively and used freely without acknowiedg
ment have something to say.
And in the beginning it may be well to state how far
seaward the legitimate field of the coast survey extends
According law, it extends twenty leagues from the
shores of the United States except in the case OF George
bank or other shoals, when 1t may go beyond the
twenty leagues and extend to the gulf stream and no
farther Therefore the coast survey has officially no
more to do with the elegraphic plateau than it has to
take up the time of its assistants in reviewing the decs
ions of the Supreme Court or discussing the Dred Scott
The Superintendent of the Coast Survey has be-
fore been rebuked by the Navy Department for laying
improper hands upon the property OF the Observatory
nermeddng with its affairs and seeking to come be-
tween IL and the public He has laid the Coast Survey
liable to the charge of reapng where it has not
and in this paper further grounds for this charge are al
fordedor that the Superintendent intends to lay claim
to all deepsea soundngs MS coast survey idea there
intmatcd clearly enough.
nIhe explorations of the Gulf stream by officers of
our navy in connection with the survey of the coast
first gave rise to systematic efforts to determine sections
OF the bottom Of the along continuous lines of great
depth '-P. l59
Old sailors will laugh at this and the navy call it
cool.
However, all the deep-sea soundings that have been
made by the navy and to which reference is made in this
remarkable paper have been made especially for the pur
pose of assisting this Office in its investigations.
They were made by order of the Navy Department.
and by virtue of the law Of March, 1s49, which is
follows:
And be il fuler enacted That the Secretary of the
Navy be directed to detail three suitable vessels Of the
navy in testing routes and perfectng the discoveries
made by Lieut. Maury in the of his Investigations
of the winds and currents of the ocean and to cause
the vessels of the navy to cooperate in procuring
terals for such Investigations, in far said co-oper-
tion may be incompatible with the public interests
Provided That the beaocomplished without any
additional expense" Approved March g. ls49.
Under this law all the deepsea soundngs, except Day
man s. H. NJ alluded to- and all the data used in this
extraordinary Coast Survey paper for discussing the rate
Of descent for the deep-sea plummet were obtained
They published in the 5th 6th and th editions of
Sailing Directions issued from this office but neither of
these works nor so much the of the observa-
tory, mentioned either by the superintendent
his assistant.
1t was under this law of s49 that the soundngs by Ber
ryman in the Arcticand which the Coast Survey also
dertakes discuss in advance Of their regular publication
by this ofice-were made the 'tteegaphc plateau "
On his return the official journal of that cruise with the
charts and soundngs sent to the Observatory. The
originals here now, and here they have been from
that time this Copies tracngs of them have been
sent to two correspondents in Europe only and
they printed for the first time in vol i, sth ed
ton Maurys Sailing Directions, copy of which, just
eeivcd from the binder is herewith transmitted in adj
vance Of regular publication.
1t is from this journal alone that Berrymans sound
ngs could have been properly weighed discussed
compared with Daymans, or with soundings by any
else.
Neither tho Superintendent of the Coast Survey
his assistant has sought obtained to Bergman
note books through this Office, and there is other
proper channel through which could be had to
them.
This remarkable Coast Survey report is dated May 81
1855 and the assistant tells his principal that .he sub
stance of the report which have the honor to submit
herewith May 81 1889 given by your Bachc kind
permission at the late meeting of the American Assoca
ton p. 157
The Baltimore meeting of the association is here refer
red to, suppose 1t took place in April, that the
Coast Survey must have been in possession Of Beymans
Journal of what il took for Berrymans Journal be-
fore that meeting which long before the volume of
Sailing Directions sent had got through the press
Hence the remark that the Coast Survey could not by
ACT to provide surveying the