National Republican., 1881-07-01
produced, strolled In the hendouarte

| produced, strolled in the heGdquarte
United States Coast Survey Bureau Oft y. y, au I.
joining Ben Buffers house, and situated not more
| than stones throw from the old building II Is
handsome new structure OF red brick four stories
high, and furnished with all the convcnlences OF
modern Governmental Office The picture OF
comfort and even elegance which meets your eye
| at every turn would have made a Coast Survey
boy of quarter oia century ago open his eyes with
profound and concentrated astonlshment "old
| things have passed away, aud oil things become
| new" The small, contracted, and badly -vcnti-
lated rooms where the employees were formerly
crowded have been exchanged for airy, commodi-
| Gus apartments, In winter heated by steam.
THE FIRST FLOOR
is occupied by the able assistants I'm charge J. f.
Hilgard and Edward Goodfellow, both of whom
| are well known as scientists of some distinction
Here all the work from the field Is received, and
by them referred to the various divisions, where
they arc II turn distributed to the computers and
draughtsmen for reduction and veridcation.
Topography and photography in all its mutifari-
Gus details are classified and worked up in apple
pie order. The trinngulations and astronomical
calculations are subject to double computation,
first by the observers and next by the computers,
with view of insuring perfect orGcr and unerrng
| fidelity. The typographical and photographed
sheets are combined and reduced, and drawings
made OH scales suitable for their annual reports
and other publications A convenient series Of
charts OF the whole coas. is projected scale Of
l-SOoOO, or three-quartcrs of an inch to the mile
Besides this larger scales are published adapted
10 the locality and the amount Of detail involved.
GENERAL COAST CHARTS
are also issued on a scale Of l-i0OO0, and charts
more Immediately adapted to the wants of the
mariner when farther out tosea. These charts are
reduced in the drawing division, where an incal-
culable amount Of skin and labor is requisite to
perfect them. Much Of this work is performed
through q magnSing glass, and some of the
fine draughting is admirably done, and an object
well worthy tho attention of the visitor. when
these charts are drawn and verified they are
handed over 10 the engraving division, where they
are executed on copper. When the plates are COM
pleled electroype copies are taken ofthem, which
serve Tor printing the charts
THE TIDAL DIVISION
OF the Office is under the charge of Professor Robert
S. Avery, a learned and modest gentleman, who
has been on the survey for more than twenty Ave
years. All the data gathered from the field relat.
ing 10 tides and their discussion is referred to this
division. The work has been much abbreviated
since the death FITS distinguished protector, Pro-
lessor Bache, and the larger part of the pbserva-
tons, which for many years has been carried on
With view Of comparison with predicted tides
have been discontinued This Is greatly to be
regretted. as only important results have been
30 fur obtained, and in Boston harbor and
Governors Island, New YORK. where series of
observations have been made extending over
period OF twenty years, very close approximation
was reached, In which the prediction of high
water conceded almost literally with the aotu
time obscured, or tIlhfp four miRues. The self.
registering tde-gauge used at the Coast Survey
stations In connection with the staff readings Is an
ingenious contTivancc for ascertaining the success
sive changes In the height Of water The ma
chinery Is set In motion by clock, and. as the
paper moves On the cylinder the pencil, agitated
by the rising and falling OF float In vertical box
In the water, traces continuous curve.
oNR VERY INTERESTING FACT
in connection with the use of this ingenious in i
sirument was the discovery about the year 1856 Of
the existence Of an earthquake at Japan, detected
on the sheets Of the self registering tide guage at
San Francisco and San Diego Cal. eight waves
were traced from the gauge, the largest being Six
inches In height Topography IS worked up In
digestible form In the computing division, where all
mattersreferring to astronomical observations me-
teorology, and terrestrial magnetism are disposed
Of Professor Schott, who has charge Of the di-
vision, Is veteran cOmputer, having been con-
nected with tho coast survey since 1852. His la
bOrs of a very valuable character, and exhibit
considerable research. II is remarkable circum-
stance that but few persons outside Of the
scientific world understand the true relation
Of topography to hydrograhy, and to many,
trlgonometrieal surveys, as eomprehended in the
field work called "primary" trlangulation is
"coSFusloN WORSE COMPOUNDED"
nThe signal station, with its tripod pole and hello
trope stand, becomes classic ground, and the site
of an eneampment with its theOdolite tent and
queer looking instruments, perpetual source Of