The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1860-03-10

NsSVWvS nus UcCu Q0l0 10 tOe
American Coast Survey BY. the President 81
the London CitSkraphBcal Secie,y He .ay,
II have closely studied The question Of Coast
Survey, and do not hesitate to pronounce the
conviction, that though the Americans were
last in tho field, they have tp>r soitnm) leaped
into the very first rank. The work Il one OF
the most perfect exemplihcations OF applied
| science of modern times"
| The Coast Survey of this country j. now only
! in its twenty-fifth year, while that of France
| ha, been in progress nearly one hundred
years, of Great Britain seventy years, aud of
| Germany sixty years. At the head Of our
Coast Survey is Professor A. ID. BAcHK, to
whose superior qualifications and indomi table
energy tho efficiency and success OF the Ame-
rican Coast Survey are in grea measure due .
From a sketch now before us OF the labors
of this branch Of the public service during the
last official year. it appears that the survey has
been extended into every seaboard State and
Territory upon our Atlantic, Gulf and Pacific
coasts. The Atlantic sections are more than
one-ha!f completed, and the Gulf sections
more than one third. In these completed sec
tons. every gulf, bay. sound, harbor and inlet,
has been explored every shoal, rock, head
land and islet marked, the whole published
III Jumps auu IcpOIlS, WIN every u0tt
Of cost, means, and results. Three classes of
agencies are employed upon each section -
Fan or shore. HydrcgraPhie or water, and
Office employees. The two first are the actual
'aborers, the latter chiefly calculators
draughtsmen, and recorders. Each Of the
eleven sections has Superintendent, and the
eleven Snperintendents act subordinate to the
Chief. The generalities of distance. area, &c,
are found by n broad triangulation, and the de-
tails ascertained by sounding and exploring
These latter Investigations have resulted in a
number of discoveries and developments
Upwards of a hundred and fifty previously
unknown rocks, channels, currents safe har-
bors, marine and land changes, and geological
cts, are written in the pres emit report The
knowledge of these has considerably lessened
losses of life and property. From 1874 to 1916
there wereannnally thirty-seven wrecks, while
from 1854 to 1856 there were but thirty five
The increase Of tonnage would have ndicat- |
ed forty mine. This gratifying result is due |
to the precautions of the Coast Survey
When it is kno wn that from twelve to fifteen |
millions of property are annually destroyed |
upon our coasts. and that the utmost annual |
of the survey have been four |
hundred end f1fty.two thousand dollars. the |
u the Undertaking Will De unQer- |
stood. Compared with those Of other nations,
The United States Coast Survey has been con.
Quoted with moderate expenditure While
Great Britain had appropriated up to 1s5G
twenty-five millions of dollars. the United
States required during fourteen years, but
our and quarter millions, or dollar expen-
iiture United States. replaces pound sterling
Great Britain. Great Britain has likewise
Employed double the number Of individ uals
"hile our superior stretch of coast would have
warranted an inverse proportion. Science
yves many important facts to our coast inves.
igation. The work is conducted on a level
With the science of the day, and has secured at
home and abroad the appreciation of the
earned. While Congressional appropriations
lave varied but little, the amount OF work has
increased every year. This is indica ted by the
mount Of space successfully required to re- |
'ort the operations In 1871, twenty-OEe |
c'avo pages suficed for every statement; the
eport for 1856 contains nearly five hundred
uartO pages and forty large maps. These re-
orts are anxiously sought, not only in sea.
GARD States, but largely throughout the in :
erior. In contrast with many Government
publications., the soidity and importance of
his report stands very high.
Prof BACHE infers from past success, and
be extent of unsurveyed coast that twelve .
ears will suffice for entire completion.