The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1884-11-27
OF Interest to Mariners.

Office, made more prominent lately by the
establishment of Branch Office, in the Maritime
Exchanges of the principal sea-board cities, has
Just been outlined by the photographer, Com
mander J. X. Bartlett, U. S. Navy, in his annu-
al report. The Office had not been able to eX-
tend the full benefit of its cooperation to the
Merchant Marine owing to its remote ness from
the class of people it was intended to benefit,
and 10 the natural hesitation of the latter to
take advantage of its resources. Naval officers
We're sent. therefore. to establish Branches in
Boston, New York. Philadelphia, Baltimore
New Orleans and San Francisco to bring the
man office into closer relations with >ea-farlng
men. the liberality of the Maritime Exchanges
of these cities providing rooms for the purpose.
Ii should be remembered that the naval Off
GERS and the outfit of the photographic pubca-
tion> of these Branches are entirely at the ser
vice of the community without cost. while al!
money Transactions of the photographic Office
are conducted by specially appointed civilian
agents to be found in all seabOard cities
The six Branch Offices have more than real
ized all that was expected, anu the most graft
flying assurances of their increasing value are
continually received from all interested, either
directly on indirectly, in the sta-faring public.
The following summary is presented OF some
Ot The advantages that have already accrued to
the Merchant Marine:
III has been found, in response to the invita-
tione to all snip captains to bring their charts
fUr verflcatbn and correction, that many u>t
old editions (in one instance 90 wears ODD and
they have been surprised To tiud that new edi-
lions showing quite different by photographic con-
dtion> have long since >uppIanIed them.
The Notices to Mariners, which had failed to
reach The class most interested, have been most
thoroughly Disseminated and their usefulness
demonstrated SO that the demand for them has
been greatly incrt ased.
The number of official correspondents, in
Guiding IIldrographic Offices, Lighthouse
Boards, Colonial and Port Departments. has
been increased
From these 2.400 printed Notices in ten diff
fcrcnt angUage> have been received. all of
which have been translated by officers. From
this and other sources 3S7 Notices to Mariners,
containing 1,010 announcements. were issued,
and $40 900 copies We're distributed grauitous-
ly all over the world.
The Pilot chart OF the North Atlantic Ocean
through the same channel has obtained II still
wider circulation.
The reception of this graphic bulletin of what
has occurred on the during the month past.
and what may reasonably be expected during
the coming month, has been most tattering.
The demand for 1t among sea-tarlng men has
steadily increased as it has become more wide
Iy known. and the interest it has awakened
among ship-masters is indicated by the fact
that several have telegraphtd from Europe at
their own expense any interesting Information
they may have encountered during the voyage
across.
The drift of the various derelicts has been es-
pcciallv Interesting as showing the general set
and velocity of the principal ocean currents.
The publication or the position of these floating
wrecks undoubtedly has been the means of
guarding against collision with them. 1t has
been known that Vessels have taken the safe
route indicated during the prevalence of ice
berg>. when they would otherwise have taken
IA more dangerous course. The publication of
this chart has also facilitated the study of the
trade winds. the general location of water
spoutS. and will be the means of defining even
tually the approximate limits of fogs off the
coast of the United States and Banks of New
foundland. The sailing routes laid down have
been followed with satisfactory results.
The importance of a Central Office which
gathers this information having been thus prac-
ticaly shown, a. was expected. the voluntary
contribution of information has been largely
increased. The interest of ship captains has
been aroused under the stimulus of an immedi-
ate and practical acknowledgement of their
work to make such examinations as they can of
reported dangers OF all kinds, to call attention
to inaccuracies in the charts and to report i'm
medately and definitely all new matters relat-
ing TO photography and cartography which
come under their observation. Many ship
masters go to the Branch Offices for informa-
ton in regard to the prices of the publications
Oh llt 11NtlO0Edpuit Oultt, anu III lIutllDtTtSS
instances ii has been found that they have been
in the habit of paying more than the price au-
thorzed by the catalogue. This often deters
them from buying late editions to the manifest
injury of their owners and to the prejudice of
the Office. The doing away of this abuse has
been an important factor IN the Increase of the
sale of charts. which has been 81 per cent. and
through the same influence. acting in various
WAYS, the general issue of charts has increased
ll6 per cent. The agents. who are in most in
stances the agents also OF the Coast and Geo
detic Survey. report that for similar reasons
the sale Of the Coast and Geodetc survey pub
iications has increased materially.
The collection of data for the study OF the
meteoIology of the ocean has been facilitated in
a remarkable degree. Many journals that have
long been lost sight Of, as the masters frequent
" transfer them without notifying the Office,
have been traced and recovered, aud valuable
data which has been withheld for a variety of
reasons has been secured. The officers, by eN
planning The practical value of observations and
the common benefit that Will en>ue, have in
duced many who were indifferent to contribute
to this work BY careful comparisons or ad-
ju,tm.nt of instruments by means Of the stand
ards, with which all the offices are furnished,
and il patient explanation Of what i required,
great interest has been aroused, and the dis
tributon of blank meteorological journals to
voluntary observers has increased one hundred
per cent, Whiie the increase IN the accuracy of
the observations cannot be estimated
The services of the officers have been called
INTO use to determine all kinds of questions of
IA nautical nature by all branches of he COM
munltN. and the presence of professional men,
always ready to investigate any subject, has
been of great value to marine insurance COM
panies, shipping agents admiralty lawyers, and
i'll fact TO every branch of business connected
either directly or indirectly with maritime
affairs.
The number of vessels boarded by the officers
att ,.t,- Il tn hp Rr~O,4h Offices be
was 4.2o6. baromelerS corrected or compared
2 2,0G2, abstracts Of logs made S13, wrecks re-
ported. LII, ice reported bl 242 vessels, aud
information given to 2.2S6 different indvid-
ual>
During the wear a set of new meteorological
charts Of the North Atlantic hats been issued
and has been very faYorah!y received. These
charts present the principal meteorological
Phenomena of the ocean in Il graphic form for
each month in the year. The method is so
comprehensive that mere inspection shows
what meteorological conditions the mariner
NAV expect in each five degree square OF the
ocean surface The data for these charts has
been deduced from over two million hours of
observations, extending over period of forty
wears. The compilation of Il similar set for the
South Atlantic has been commenced and Is
well advanced
Light-li,ts, numbering six volumes and en-
bracing the lighthouses of the world, were
corrected to July 1st, sent to the printer and
mailed to the shlps-otWar. and to the agents
for sale by the Goth of the month. The changes
in lights are so frequent and often radical he
value of IL very late edition will be fully APP
preciated by mariners.
For the publications of the photographic
Office IL system of showing true bearings in de-
grees has been adopted, instead of magnetic
bearings in points was previously the GUS
TOM
The field for collecting information has been
extended by establishing exchanges with every
office In the world engaged in photographic
work. and the attention of every one who has
any interest in the examination of charts or in
the discussion of matters regarding hydro
grapby or cartography is called to the fact that
this Office possesses complete file of the
charts issued by all nations, and is always at
the service of the public for the determination
of any questions relating to them.
The information gathered through the Branch
Offices in regard to 1oa ing dangers has been
the means Of the destruction by torpedoes Of
five wrecks, dangerous to navigation, which
have been blown up by vessels acting under
orders from the Navy Department.
The primary work of the photographic
Office should be the publication of the results
of original surveys by American officers. A
few small steamers should be placed at the dis
posal of this Office to enable it to do its share
of the photographic service demanded by the
shipping interests of the country The only
vessel engaged making surveys during the year
was the Ranger, on the west coast of Mexico
and Central America.
The work done there, which extended from
the Gulf of FOnseca to San Juan del Sur, has
! fully justified the outlay, and it is hoped that
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