The New York herald., 1875-11-10
DEEP SEA soUNDINGs.

OPERATIONS OF THE UNITED STATES COAST
sURvEY-THE CRUISE OF THE STEAMER
BLAKE-vALUADLE SCIENTIFIC RESULTS
LOOKED FOR.
Since the close OF the late war the Coast Survey has
gradually adopted the old system or avaling itself OF
the of the officers the United States Navy to
carry its photographic work. especially that per
tanning TO deep s'o1 shorei soundines on the
Pacific coast the steamer Hasser, SO wel known ia
connection with the very interesting and important in
vestigatons or the late Professor Agassiz Is now en-
gagged in photographic work, under the command of
Lieutenant Commander Taylor aided by corps OF reg
ular navy officers on this coast several steam and
number OF sailing vessels engaged the year round
pushing the Coast Survey work at various points
from the northern boundary 10 tho Mexican
frontier. large number OF them are in charge Of
naval officers and the result OF their labors has been
specially gratifying to the friends OF the Coast Survey
and to the public at large. BY harmonious arrange
ment between the Navy Department and the Coast
Survey large number OF parties kept in tho field
and consequently increased amount Of work accom-
plished yearly
Within the past week three vessels Of this service
have been fitting at the Brooklyn Navy Yard for
the coming seasons work. which will be prosecuted in
Southern waters. Two OF them-the steamer Gedney,
Lieutenant hitchcock, and the schooner Bache-have
steamer Blake, Lieutenant Commander Sigsbee, leaves
III a day or two for the Gulf OF Mexico
The Blake, which is good type Of the first class OF
the steamers IN the coast survey is 526 tons BURDEN
schooner-rgged and is fitted with compressed engine
driving screw. Her quarters for officers and men
large roomy and well ventilated. specially adapted for
the service she is upon to pcriorm deep sound
ing. This winter she will lines of deep sound
ngs in the Cult Stream, and the fruits OF her labor
looked forward TO by tho scientific world with great
terst She is fitted with a new and perfect working
deep sea sounding apparatus designed by Lieutenant
Commander has bV actua and
continued trial. to be superior to either the Thompson
tkngishl machine used on the British rgate ChalIcn
ger or that perfected by Commander Belknap and so
successfully tried in his famous soundings OF the Pacific
Ocean from the western coast across to
Japan. BY Sigsbee's machine the desired
amount of friction on the deep sea wire
be at applied. 1t is automatic almost In its
application, and when the shot reaches bottom, by
new and Ingenious contrivance IL detaches ITSELF and
tho wire ceases 70 pay out, and the officer in charge
knows at once when 10 pull up again and bring TO the
surface the apparatus, which indicates the temperature
of the water and the nature Of the bottom In addition
to these great improvements Lieutenant Commander
Sigsbee can, by OF the wire obtain the tenn
pcrature and specimens Of the water any number
of desired depths at the same time. Soundings
can be taken, If necessary, to the depth
of 5000 tathoms, and in period wonder
fully less than that by any other known machine.
No vessel has been fitted out with greater than
the Blake, and is confidently expected that adopted
charts Will undergo great alteration especially in the
lines of deep sea sounding when the Blake concludes
her work Already IN her last summers operations
very important corrections have been made in pre-
vious oh shore' work, showing by the crude and
satisfactory methods in use In old times that nothing
like exacness could be obtained The headquarters OF
the ship for tho coming winter will be in Tampa Bay
and Pensacola, Fla where she VIII occasionally call
for coal and provisions when necessity requires She
will sail for tho Of future operations in day or
two, and will not return here again until spring pre-
paratory TO her summers campaign OIL the northern
and New England coast.
LIST OF OFFICERS.
The following is the list of officers Of the Blake:-
Lieutenant Commander-C. ID Sigsbee Commander.
Lieutenant-J f. Pillsbury, Executive Officer.
Masters-W o. Sharrer and NJ. 4. Wright
Ensgn-W. Il. Sewell
Assistant Paymaster-O. G. Tiffany.
Engncer-T. l.. Churchill
Surgeon-J. H. Ritter, M. d.
Captains Clerk. L. Sigsbee.