New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-02-22
THE COAST SURVEY.

YORK. - -. ,. ...,,,,,,,,,
w,su1xGroN. Feb. 9O.-Prof. Benz. Peirco, |
erptendent Of the Unitcd States Coast Survey, has
,t ncseucd his annual report TO the Secretary Of the
srrcssnry II IS volumiuous document, showing In /
much detail tie working aud results OF the survey The
abstract that follows presents It's principal features Of
interest.
The past year. though extremely unfayorahlo for sur
veying operations along the coast will ever be memoT
Bile IN the annals OF this work II included the voyage OF
tho steamer H1Sslcr from Boston 10 san Francisco
through the Strait Of Magelan The temporary oocupa-
ton OF points the Rocky Mountains for speca Seeh
tac purposcs and an expedition for determining the
exact difference OF longitude between Washington d. u
and Greenwich In each Of these undertakings the Sur
vcy Without oncroaching on appropriations made by
Congress Tor developing the coast, has eDabed e5uh
cuished men OF science, who volunteered their services
g. accomplish valuable results IN several important
branches OF knowledge
Tho steamer Hassler IS engaged in the regular
service which that vessel was destined
on the Of California In the course Of the voyage
the observations made by Prof. Agassz ana MS conciu
SONS from them were communicated from ume 10 une
nnd have been made known TO the public through 'he
columns Of the popular press II il gratifying that tne
facts reccly brought light by that great naturalist
confirm the views which he had adopted after many
years Of thoughtful research.
TIE VALUE OF ACCURATE SURVEY.
The steady advance Of work IN the geodetc connection
between the Atlantic and Pacific coasts with the pro
yso Cor determining points in States Of the Union which
make suitable provision for their geological ana
typographical surveys. WILL II is hoped, prove TO be OF
great service TO the country. In the Interior the ndl
rect benefit Of the development OF the coast IS easily
overlooked Thought consideration. and argument are
reoue for tho conviction that operations upon the sea-
hoard are valuable to States which have no coast lines
But every facility in the avenues of commerce, by d.
minsng rates OF insurance and in other ways lowering
the prices Of foreign products and facilitating the export
IL ffcto iuDlp ~
Iowa Kentucky, and Arkansas, TO those OF Massa-
chuset South Carolina and Louisiana The safe trans
pOrtation Of SO00ODOOOO worth OF domestic commerce,
which make up the annual coast trade OF the Union
the produce aud property Of interior satess more i'm
uortant 10 farmer than TO the merchant Yet when
removed from the sight OF the producers owners the
,fcguards Of transit cannot command their immediate
attention The moderate outlay proposed for the geo
detc connection between the coasts gives results APP
pcahc 10 all the States OF the interior Points, used In
the survey Of the coast will suffice for the most
elaborate surveys that be undertaken hereafter by
the seaboard states In like points determined
in the geOdctc connection will serve for future surveys
Of the interior The existing are imperfect
hut no OGta for their Improvement would be warrant
able without the essential groundwork Of tianguation
L. prosecuting tie gcOdetic connection primary points
src determined rs far from each other the nature OF
tho country VIII permit or as far rs signals can he seem
The combination OF these forms system OF large tn
angles by which all the general positions OF the country
are bound together in exact relative position and the
whole constitutes what is known as geOdfuc survey
1uS m drro}s hat exist near The points For final
topogra phicd surveys, intermediate points are deer
mined between the distant stations Ihe primary VII
angula0n requires perfect Instruments and observers
OF known ability and OF the greatest experience Al
such work is subject TO direct tests as 10 us Vahdy
ana frequent scrutiny has shown chat the geOdetc WOh
survey has been done by observers especially
I'm secondary and tertiary trap citations such extreme
precision is not Indispensable the determination OF
by those made al the primary stations The secondary
work IN the states can therefore be safely lnrustcd to
the hands scientific citizens or residents connected
,vba riri I'm ANNUAL vacations much advance the inter
OF the state by determining intermediate points II
D, beyond doubt That IN many instances inc ptul
cipals, when qualified in the use Of IN
classes nuder their charge IN this way inc
TIC mca in an parts OF tae eo1n Ie %Sr an6 may by
subject their criticism This form Of organization haS
approved by many able minds and has been tried
Qlirby II Dartmouth College has. during successive
Vacations carried on the trnngulation Of the state.
Ntnuu; such cooperation, any surveys Tor developing
rr,essariy be vague inaccurate and unsatisfactory
Toe ldan here suggested beside giving opportunity
for instruction in the most important problems OF sur
vcyine. would gradually accomplish with the utmost
annual appropriation requisite to carry on operations
siuuita",ouf m every state OF the Union Is estimated
NOT .d sl50OOO; but several years must elapse
So' BECOMES ac% ssr c1 aeio a T6e SeTes Of
an Ftq Ut that tue cooperative plan, which ensts 50
10y mad, speedily effective in held work, should be
t.strr.l 90 tac utmost. Attention therefore Will be
A'f'" ''' - ..'r,.,,h;,si
point, in the several states OF the interior
LONGITUDE BETWEEN EUROPE AND AMERICA.
The exact determination of the longitude OF some
ont IN tie trangulaon Of the Coast Survey from the
urucDa observations Of Europe forms OF the most
important problems Of the work. and all the various
means known to have successfully brought
bear in it's solution. The Coast Survey Reports from
Isi5 $50 that the methods OF moon EXAMINATIONS,
Of cbroaOmcter transportation and Of lunar occuta-
have each ia turn received large share OF atteu-
ton. TIE latter method has not yet Welded the full re-
suits that be expected OF II, consequence OF the
Iurcqutncy with which corresponding observations
obianc Europe and America, owing TO the parallac
fic displacement OF the moon. 1t cannot be doubted
b0yey tlt with suitably organized system Of OBJ
scrvatiOu this Method Will in time give results Of extreme
eXaCtncsS Upon the successful completion OF the |
Atlantic Telegraph from ireland TO Newfoundland /
measures taken TO make use OF that means
the determination OF the Longitude between the two
continents The results Of these operations, conducted
by Dr. b. A. Gould, have been given at length IN the
Report for 1861. Although far more certain than the
previous ut, the value thus obtained sun let larger
margin doubt to its precision than desirable to
adDiC IN 80 fundamental determination ms uucer
aluty, which probably does NOT e1ceed quarter oI
second Of time. is owing III part 10 the number OF inter
mediate stations that were necessarily employed ana IN
part 20 the fact that though we can measure the course
vi transmission OF siguals through the caDe ana PACK
again. we are uhaOie 10 seiHl.S ~. "a
directions, ana we are obnScd 10 assume IL equdI-dn
assumption which not DC exact within sensible
When the laying Of the French cable from Brest in
France 20 DaN0uIy, Mass. afforded an independent
Of verifying the former result by observations
under entirely aHcIent conditions the Oppor uuty was
promptly oslzcd and the longitude between Bfest aud
DuXbury determined by Assistant G.. w. Dean, set
iOrth u the report Tor 1910 Al tnal time no caDe was
yet operation between Brest and England that Mr.
Dcau unable 10 carry his determination direct to the
observatory al OIceuWlch; Such cable having since
been laid, th wanting link in the chain Of longitude
gard no temporarily gave up the charge OF the Coast
survey office order 10 bring this much desired opera
tiOn o. satisfactory conclusion. In reOccupy ing Brest
IN, ne s,a.riu,+nts ibrong tbe French cble sroUid
De repeated, this time with intermediate station 40
Of b ,tjo, WHEN counecied 81 P,ere mi, CIn
lIafa Afsf