Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1871-12-20
The Coast Survey

Almost every one has some knowledge
Of our coast survey, but comparatively few
have kept trace Of its history, or have any
adequate conception Of the magnitude OF
the work. Its Importance, however, Is
more obvious Remembering that we
i have a foreign commerce whose annual
gold value reaches seven or eight hundred
millions or more and employs some twen-
ty thousand vessels, and two hundred
thousand seamen; that our coasting trade
gives employment TO half many more
vessels aud men; that the passengers car
ried are many hundreds OF thousands, and
the safety Of all this property and these
lives depends upon the accurate kuowl-
edge, which the coast survey Is endeavor-
ing to gather up and disseminate, no one,
certainly, will question the necessity. Tne
wonder Is. that it was not sooner appre-
cIated, and in earlier years the work
pressed with enthusiasm and energy.
Surely. an average Of more than three
hundred wrecks every year on our coast,
with the fe4rtul loss OF human life as well
as Of property which they involved, should
have led to the annual expenditure gilmore
than the duties levied on the goods of half
a dozen ships, if that would in any manner
have helped to lessen the peril Yet not
even this was expended. Tne work was
delayed for more than a quarter of a cen
tury after it was commenced, with hardly
anything accomplished.
The first earnest effort to organize
coast survey was made in 1907. la bis
message TO Congress that year, Mr.. JET
ferson recommended the establishment oil "a
survey " for the purpose Cf making cJm-
plete charts Of our coast. and the adjacent
shoals aud s0undIngs According 20 the
recommendation itty thousand dollars were
appropriated and the Secretary Of tine
Treasury, Mr.. Galiatin, addressed circulars
to the principal scientific mea 10 the
country asking their opinion as to the best
plan 70 be pursued Among those submit
ted that of Mr f. r. Hasser was prefer
red. This gentleman was q native OF
Switzerland and had been engaged in the
trigonometrlca. survey Of that country,
and was eminent.y qualified 10 superuteHd
the similar work winch be suggested
should be undertake. along our coast. No
beginning however. was made I'll. ISL.
when Mr.. Ha-s.er was sent 10 Europe 10
purchase the necessary Instruments aud
standards If measure. This wa- Just az
the breaking ouy Of the war which caused
him to be detained abroad as ll a.la4
enemy till 1915. On his return ,o this
country he was formally appointed Super
iutendeut of the survey, and commenced
bis work ia l~lI. iu the vicinity .. New
York Before ha could publish Jle result
of his first years labor. however. the w1r<
was discontinued and another interval OIL
ten years allowed to elap-e before 1T was /
resumed Au6 this time Il was not the /
necessities Of war that inter,erei bUt tae |
lack OF appreciation of the part Of the peo- I
pie aud Of Congress But ia IS the I
Secretary of the Navy again earnestly /
presented % Congress the Importance Of
re-estabhshing the survey. Yet il was
urged without success, till 1882 when the
measure was carried. and Mr. Ha-,.er put
in charge Of Jhe work which had nov
az i -tand-stiIl fourteen years
But from this time it continued TO b- pros
ecuted with whatever means were placed /
at the command of Mr.. Hl>~ler til MS
death. in 1913 Al that time tbe survey
had proceeded from New Y or6 E4-, as far
as Point Judith, aud South as tscu~ Cape
Hcniopen or, III alI, over ir-et coast
line Of less taau lye hundred miles though
IL had been ;hirty-siN years since the effort
wa- heguu, and the other labor, which
have since been added 20 the or. giual plan
had then hardly been even projected. IH5-
however. was far less the fault OF NJ.
Hasslor than OF the nation which had yer
scarcely awaked 20 the necessities Of the
ease.
Mr. na--er wa, succeeded by Prot A.
D. Bache of Philadelphia, VINO brought
to the duties OF his office scientific qua.iti-
cations equal, if not superior TO those Of
ais pred cessor, while he had greater
executive ability and far more power TO
impress upon others the need of this great
work Under his guidance Congress and /
.he country began to appreciate, ami n
supply more literally the means TO 1
prosecute il. And the work Itself grew .
By the Mexican war more than two .
thousand miles were added 10 our Pacific ,
,eacoast. making seaboard for the whole .
country, exclusive Of all but the largest ,
ndentations, Of not less than twelve /
thousand SIX hundred miles. In addition q
o surveying this and mapping the land, {
md charting the contiguous waters, the (
,lan. as extended by Prof Bashe proposed /
ong and accurate observation Of the tides, {
% as TO ascertain their laws in every /
Individual place accurate observations IN /
ecard to the wind, so as TO learn all that .
.ould he known Of their prevailing course.
md of storms; investigations also ia regard ,
% the variations Of the needle in regard
O the Gulf Stream, and, in q word, every
hing which could throw light on the
course which shipping should take or
contribute to the safety Of our commerce.
To accomplish this Professor Bache
livided the entire coast into eleven
sections nine on the Atlantic and two on
he Pacific. placing separate parties IN
Zach completely equipped Tor that partleu-
ar portion, and all working together
according 10 the previously concerted
plans. At times sixty or more Of these
parties we're engaged in the different de-
oartments Of the wora The result was
that it proceeded rapidly, and within
fourteen years after Professor Bache's ap
Dointment, forty one thousand square
miles had been covered by his triangies
twenty-seven thousand miles Of coast line
had been surveyed, nearly i've million
mad been taken. seven thousand
,pecimens Of the bottom preserved, aud
n ore than one hundred thousand maps
,a,'o been distributed or placed in the
,ano's of sale agents. These are only a
ew o.e the figures which help to convey an
dea OF the amount of work done. Among
he valu. >ble results might be mentioned
* danger. GUS shoals discovered in one year
lear Nantu. ,ket, lying directly in the track
f our Enron can commerce and Of large
dnnnnrnns shnale M the