The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-06-23
Light Upon the Disaster to the
San Francisco.
ACCURATE SURVEYS NEEDED
Identity OF the Rock with "Clio Rock" and
"Tarlar Sh0al' in the Old Charts.
WHAT the United States Government Is
Dong in the Matter.
WASHINGTON, juno 81. Is

WAsnINGros, juno 81. 1871.
The wreck OF the Pacific Mail steamer City OF sss
Francisco brought freshly before the public the
tence OF Tartar Shoal" on the Mexican coast south.
east from Acapulco. This Tartar shoal got It's name
from the English rgate Tartar, which grounded on II
IN 1863 The existence Of the shoal nrst discov-
cred by the famous navigator, Damper, somewhere
yo,r 1850 In speaking OF the mouth OF the
Duce RIVER he says:-
About six miles south southeast from these white
ellis on tnr coast lies dangerous shoa. These are
the ouly white cliffs on the coast aud this the only
shonl
Tho shoal was not put on the old Spanish charts,
but remained unmentioned until redscovercd by Cap
tain Farnsworth. The Tartar placcs tho shoai On
which struck In latitude IL deg IL min. Longitude
9s deg. ~ MN The shoal however, is not LAID down
the English photographic charts ON those charts
appears, opposite the Ducc RIVER rock called cello
Rockn II is tho opinion here at the United States
photographic once that, until the contrary proved
By the result OF Inc survey OF tho United States
steamer Lackawanna, ordered TO survey this vicinity
few days ago. the Clio Rock the charts the Tartar
Shoa ami the rock which the san Francisco struck
are ident,calIy the same.
Tho position Of the Clio Rock on the charts agreeh
with tho statement OF one OF the Of the
steamer San Francisco alter his arrival al San Fran.
CISCO that the ship whom Il struck was SIX miles
from shore and had moved some time through shallow
aud dscoorcd water before grounding. Tho difficulty
OF estimating distance toward low shore
ing morning will be recogn zed by all practical
nayisators. Streaming fresh water being eminently
scarce along this part OF the Mexican co,sI especially
during the months Of April, May aud June It may DO
supposed that the fresh water found near tho spot
where the boats reached shore practically OF
the outlets OF the RIO Ducc sweet river which arc
opposite the Clio Rock.
William H. Parker, Commodore OF tho Pacific Natl
Steamship Company, mentions tho Tartar Shoal in his
pamphlet regarding dangers on the Mexican He
laid II down charts the position assigned v
II by the Tartar. No special charts existing OF the
mouth Of Dulce River tho adjacent coast, the Js
Rock might have been laid down on tho general coast
charts u mile or two too shore, based moor
rect Information.
FROM "sAILlNG DIRECTIONS"
In tho "Salng Directions tor the West Coast Of
North America" by Captain J. =. Imray, r NJ
Gad the following :-"Captan Miguel Garcier. coast
pilot ~ Acapulco. states that IRON Two to three
miles OH Cu.caul Point (Which Is about twelve miles
OF the rvcr Dulco and The rst break in the
sandy head to the oasward) there Is deep wator aud
anchorage IN eight 70 len lathoms; thence . shoal
extends upward o TOUR miles soeward breaking In The
RAINY with southwest gales and having ~ tls
eet wafer on IL and tnis nior has been
corrouorated by the evidence OF the captains OF
eiai coasng schooners Her haJesty's ship Tartar.
OF March, 1903 GROUNDED on shoa southeast oil the
river Duce. III atnuae 10 deg. IL MN, longitude %
deg. 81 min. tho vessels dfaught was eighteen ieet
but Tho least water obtained was three AID bali
SURVEY or THE PACIFIC COAST.
Shortly after wreck oil the san the
papers contained statement thai the coast Of the Amer
lean continent, IRON Sun Francisco 20 Panama never
had been carefully surveyed aud that rocks aud dan.
gers aioug SAID not laid down on Tho
In tbcir correct posions ulso. that NO appropriation
had been made yet Tor such survey. THIS proves u
| be mistake. DurIug the nscal year 1878 COugreu
made an appropriation OF a0oa, $4,000 Tor the sus.
vey the NorIh Pacific. The United STA stcaincg
Narragansett. Captain Dewey commanding, was ntod
out Tor the purpose Of surveying the coasl south San
Diego, Cal, and commenced at once a detailed recon.
II The said coast and adacsut islands, 10
ginning at san Diego and proceeding south 10 Cape Sa9
Lucas thence Up tue Gull Of Ca.orn.a along us vest
ern snvrc tho mouth oil the Colorado River,
thence along Ito eastern shore 10 Cape Cor.
rientes south from Bandcras bay ano about
one hundred miles north from Manzaniiiol
! Captain Dewey was under instructions 10
make tho Reconnaissance Of Tins coast In the brief
space oil three months As = matter OF course
exact survey could be made IN such short time.
tina, the return oil the Nsrraganseu from This nrss
Reconnaissance the Navy Department, not being
tent with tue result the expedition, ordered second
| one-Captain Dewey IN charge--lo survey the entire
distance carefully, basiBg us proceedings on con-
tlnuous trlaugulaiion oil The connection with
the prominent laDdmirkS The positions of all i'm
potant places wero established by observations, using
twenty-five thermometers, referred 10 tho Longitude Vi
san Diego Cal) a. established by telegraph ana add.
ing to tue hrst reconnaissance al data such - on
shore soundnss, &c, which could DO OF 40 Interest V
the IavgaIor
THE SECOND SURVEY.
Tho Narraglnset started TITS second trip 10 De-
cemDer, lss4 anu III lshcd the survey eight
The result OF tnis survey more than Satisfactory
All tue important places were lana down IN exact ong-
! tuacs anu latuucs the a.ttudes oi the noun tains
established ana all the prom narbos, to me num-
Der hily, ahmed tLo extent that special
cuarss al, VII De published suort time
The books and all The data oi sau survey were Tor.
wardcd to Tue Hydrugrapnic Oicc al Washington.
where the general charts we're complied aud plotted,
The eBtire w be pub sed ia four large sheets,
giving the coas. IRON san Diego 10 Cape Correctness in.
ue ire A lDf nal
two have been published, containing tho part south
from the TWEEN seventh parallel; the other pubca-
ions, IN two sheets, which embrace the part south
IRON san Diego 10 tho twenty seventh parallel includ
ing the northern hall Of the Gull OF California, 10
tho nands oil ,he eDRravcrs that the entire survey
Will be puv.ished by september or OctoDer next Be-
siae, these our DncrAl charts The Hydrographc Office
intends 10 publish about my spcc chars oi haroors
adjacent dangers along the coast relating
baIu survey.
RESULTS OBTAINED.
Tho survey Is most crruitabie to Captain Dewey and
the officers OF The Uncd states steamer karrags
as the charts amply meet all the requirements OF the
navigator The tfiHnguiation oil entirc Lower Call.
lorna Was connected aud checked ON obscrvatons
numerous LANDMARKS Wis bic from both It's coasts.
Statistical and s,ientInc data we're vbtanod Every
captain navigating SAID coasts should avail
sell oi these Charts already published aud TO be pub
lishcd inc astronomical work during the sccoad
survey Was made Oy }. Il Craig, Lieutenant united
States Navy. The entire compiling AID posting oi the
charts WAS done al The hydtograpnic Once, washing.
ton, DC, by Mr. II. Won bayer, who also
panied tho expedition, aud AS such deserves his share
vi the credit due 10 the enterprise
PORTION rxsrRvtrKD
Tho coast IRON Cape C0rrenics 10 Panama, only
beng parity known. mas never been roiuily sur.
veyed Commerce IN said regions increasing con.
stanty the mercuaDtrns ~ Nc~ YORK and san Fran
csco should apply 10 Congress Tor another
Ton ~ order 10 nave careful survey OF tno latter
made Tue relatively small required Tor this pur.
pose will To REPAID 10 The community At largo,
aud viii lessen further losses OF iic, treasure and
property In those waters.