Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-08-28
Cruise of the "Tuscarora,,'


ASSISTANCE RENDERED CAPT. sRLFRIDGR ON
THE DARIBN sURvEY-PRoTEoTING AMBRI-
CAN CITIZENS AND PROPERTY AT PANAMA
DURING BEREvoLUrroN THERE LAST MAY
HER TRIAL TRIP AND PREPARATIONS FOR
SOUNDING BETWEEN THIS COUNTRY AND
JAPAN, PREPARATORY TO LAYING THE o. BILE
TO UNITE Us WITH ORIENTAL COUNTRIES.
[Correspondence Of The Etenfng Star.l
U. S. s. TUsCARoRA
Navy Yard, Mare Island, Cal, Aug. Is, 1873.
Being a constant reader Of your valuable
paper when at home Washington 1 thought a
few lines might be of interest to you.
This vessel went into commission at the Ports
mouth, N. H., maynard, the 10th of May, To,
and on the 22d of June sailed for Valparaiso,
Chill, arriving there the 26th of October, having
stopped at the port of Funchal, Islands of Ma
deria, Rio Janeiro, Brazil, and Sandy Point,
Straits of Magellan. We remained at Valpa-
raise but few days, having received orders to
about a month. 1 will not dwell on the sights
and scenes of the ports visited, as no doubt
many of your readers are familiar with them.
THE DARIEN SURVEYING EXPEDITION.
We left Callao on the oath of December under
orders to Panama, to take Captain Selfridge
and officers, of the Darien expedition, on board,
and assist in surveying for an available route
for the inter oceanic canal. Taking his party
on board on the 10th of January, 1873, we pro-
ceeded down the coast of United States of
Colombia, about one hundred and eighty miles,
miles from the scene of last years Operations,
where we expected to lessen the route then sur.
veyed some four or five miles. Procuring native
guides at small settlement few miles from
G. c., the work was commenced at once. snper-
intended in person by Captain S. The officers
of this ship were engaged in all the surveys
made by the officers of the expedition, and some
Of the routes were surveyed by them alone, and
very important ones, too. The Herald cores
pondent in his report rather
LEFT Us OUT IN TEE COLD.
Ho 81 Gx,ip IaAo
of April, we returned to Panama. A few days
after an instruction broke out in that city, and
we had to land about a hundred blue jackets
and marines with howitzer to protect the rail-
road property, American consulate, citi-
zens, &c. At the expiration of five days,
quiet having been restored, they returned
on board. few days afterward we left, under
orders to come to this navy yard and make the
necessary preparation for taking deep-sea
soundings between San Francisco and Japan
We arrived here on the 25th of June, (having
Work was commenced on us at once, taking out
battery, caulking decks, putting up sounding
apparatus, &c. On the 10th instant, everything
being in readiness, we went to sea on
TRIAL TRIP.
AS soon as the Tuscarora got well off shore,
the sounding experiments were made. with the
deptS SO thons S Septh f fstSom
depth, 1,195 fathoms; 8, failure-line parted
losing 800 fathoms; Q, depth 1861 fathoms; Z,
f h1 lin parted, losing 500 fathoms; s.
l.N
fathoms; IL, depth SOB fathoms The first reel
consisted of a reel of fine steel wire, containing
fourteen miles, weighing fourteen pounds 70
the mile, and bearing a strain of 228 pounds
The weight used was a shot of about 80 pounds
with various detaching apparatus; but the most
practical apparatus was that of Lieutenant
Brooks, with Captain Belknap's improvement
IMPORTANCE OF THE ORIENTAL CABLE.
The soundings were conducted by Captain
Belknap and Lieutenants Badly and Norris,
The project Of laying the electric wire to unite
us with Japan and other Oriental countries is Of
the utmost Importance, and to San Francisco
the details of the trial trip were of more than
from Vancover's Island to Atchka, one of the
Aleutian Islands, thence to the Island of Japan
and Will return by southern route ria Sand
witch Islands. We will not be able to sound very
far north this winter, so will return and sound
along this coast and over to the Sandwich
Islands, commencing the northern route next
spring. AS we have nearly II 900 miles to
sound, the work will take us about year and
half.
OFFICERS OF THE TUsCARoRA.
we expect to get away from here about the Sd
OF next month. All on board are we'll, and the
following is list of the cers:-Commander
George E. Belknap; Lieutenant Commander I.
A. Badly, navigator, George A. Norris, f. ii.
SymoDds, Webster Doty; Master Z. II. Taunt;
Ensign NJ. d. Hyde; Midshipmen w. H. H
Switzerland, G. Ii. Lyeth, V. l.. Coltman, A
Nj. Knight, I. Z. ID. w. Feeder, II. A. Shufeldt
Q. +. Putnam; P. A. Psymaster !. G. Hobbs;
Engineer L. j. Allen; First Assistant Engineers
a. Adamson, j. II. Harmony; Boatswain james
7. Barker; Gunner Chas. H. Venable; Sail
maker John Roddy; Carpenter j. L. Thatcher;
Captains Clerk +. Kendall; Paymaster's Clerk
G. P. Prescott.