The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-07-12
NATIONAL CAPITAL TOPICS.
Proposed Consolidation of the Hydro
~ graphic and Coast Surveys.
The Great Number Of Applicants for Places
Of ANY Kind Under the Government.
Miscellaneous Notes of Interest.
THE COAST SURVEY.


stability of the Transfer of This Work to
the Navy Department.
Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
WASHINGTON, July lit is likely that the
result of the investigation of the committee APP
pointed to inquire into the advisabilty of consol
idating the photographic Office of the navy with
the coast and geodetic survey branches of the
Treasury, will report to Congress that the con
solidation may be made without injury to the
service. As affairs are now conducted by these
two branches, there is division of labor which
is useless The coast and geodetic survey Off
eials do the trianguation along the coast, and es-
tablish lines between the east and west coast OF
the continent, which are the points from which
all surveys are made The soundings made by
the coast survey, however, are confined to those
within the hundred athom line. The hundred
fathom line is all that portion of the sea around
the shores Of the United States upon which the
depth of water is less than 100 tathoms. But
even these soundlngs are not made by
the civilians of the coast survey Office
alone, upwards of seventy-fve officers
from the photographic Office of the Navy De-
partment, and two hundred and fifty sailors be-
Ing constantly detailed for this service The
PANRSA
all the soundings outside this 100-fathom line
along the coast of the United States as well as
on the high seas. Nor is the work of the Office
confined to the United States waters. Officers,
men and vessels are now engaged in making
soundings along the Mexican shores, and it was
only few years ago that the coasts of China
were surveyed by the naval authorities, for the
benefit of the world The business of coast-sur-
veying and deep-sea sounding is international.
The smaller countries, which are unable to
make soundings for themselves, are as
sisted by the larger ones, and the
results are published in the form of
charts, for the benefit of the navigators of
the world. The greater portion of this appar
entity gratuitious work is performed by Eng
land, the United States and France. England
covers the most territory, the United States
comes next and France third The charts which
are published monthly, known as ''pilot charts, =
exhibit some queer freaks of the ocean, occa-
sionally. For instance vessel which was
wrecked off Cape Hatteras last fall drifted out
for a distance of about 400 miles in an almost
straight line, then stopped and began circling
around Since April IL last, this wreck has
drifted around nearly 300 miles more in circle
and when last noted, in the middle of June, was
found to be within few miles of the spot from
which it started in April
Officers of the photographic Bureau of the
navy feel confident that the result Of the In
designations of the committee appointed by
Congress will be to transfer the coast survey to
the Navy Department; perhaps leaving the
geodetic branch under control of the Treasury
but certainly doing away with great deal of
useless expenditure