The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1894-07-17
THE NEW PILOT CHART.
A Beacon Light for Ships Through
Stormy Seas and Hidden Reefs.

There was general rejoicing among
ship-owners and merchants yester-
day. for the welcome news was
given out by the Branch Hydro
graphic Office in the Merchants
Exchange that the first copies of the
pilot chart of the North Pacific
had arrived. For months past the
California delegation has been en-.
deavoring to get an appropriation
from Congress Of $4,000 to issue the
chart. The bill was passed by the
lower house, but II has not yet been
passed by the Senate. That 1t will
be passed seems to be pretty certain,
and the photographic Office at
Washington has issued the chart in
anticipation of getting the money.
OF course II the money is not forth
coming there will be no chart for
the coming month.
Great credit is due the branch Of
6ce here, for Lieutenant Burnett
and his assistant have worked as
siduously since the first OF the year
to gather the data for the chart.
To the merchants and those inter-
ested in shipping they left the work
OF urging upon Congress the neces-
sity Of the appropriation. Never
doubling that the money would be
appropriated they worked with
will. Letters were addressed to cap
tains and officers OF vessels in port,
to owners Of steamers and coast wise
schooners; in fact to every one who
could furnish the slightest scrap Of
meteorological information. During
Change hour Clerk Mcmillan but
ton. holed every ship captain who
put in an appearance aud piloted
him to the photographic ,.ffice.
Routes between all points In the Pa
ci6c were asked for, and finally suffi-
cient enthusiasm was aroused to at
tract the attention Of all shipping
men, who became for the nonce as
! sistauts to the photographic Office.
7 Every sailor had his own idea Of
the best route from poiut to point,
and the Office was deluged with au.
swers to every inquiry sent out.
From the mass OF correspondence,
il was the business Of the office to
select the best authenticated in
formation and forward IL to Wash
ington, where the chart was pre-.
pared.
The first issue, while far from be-.
ing complete, is well worth the time
and labor spent upon IL. At least
such was the judgment pronounced
by those who saw II. The iuforma.
ton IL reliable, because the data arc
furnished by those who traversed
tho regions whose characteristic
meteorology is indicated. The chart
Is incomplete, because Of the limit
ed number Of observations In uufre.
| quented portions OF the ocean. In
the southwestern portion the records
Of winds aud weather have been too
scaDt to warrant q forecast. To
make up this deficiency masters oi
vessels in the Pacific are urged TO
supply themselves with blank forms
for records when leaving port. They
are requested earnestly to fill ia the
blanks with their observations aud
forward them to any 81 the branch
photographic offices indicated on
the chart. The flled.in forms will
he forwarded free OF charge by the
United States Consul ut any port.
awhile u Ii important that every.
thing appertaining TO unfrequented
portions Of the ocean be- gathered
said Mr.. Mcmillan yesterday, at Is
fully a. important that the meteo.
rology OF the frequented portions
be thoroughly known. This is what
We have aimed at doing. We have
gathered all the information possible
10 regard to prevailing winds, cur.
rents, fogs, storms and similar char.
acteristics. We have eudeavored Ia
lay out the best routes at this time
Of the year and set down what
meteorological conditions exist. This
is but the beginning, and with the
cooperation. which has been pro.
missed, of shipmasters there is nc
reason why We should not have ia
time as good . pilot chart as that
OF the North Atlantic"
To those not Interested in ship.
ping affairs the importance Of such
a chart rs has just been issued may
not be apparent, but shipping and
insurance men aud friends OF those
who go down To the STA in ships
mournfully alluds to tho wrecks
which line the coast from South
America to Alaska; which are strewn
along the shores OF the islands OF
the Pacific; which are turned bot.
tom up in the Japan sea; to hand
some steamers the bones OF which
are bleaching on the rocks in the
China sea, and to the number OF
vessels which have been lost in mid
ocean and never heard from. AL
these mutsly testify to the need o
some greater safeguards against the
perils OF the mighty deep. The
pilot chart foretells the weather
conditions likely to happen during
the month for which il is issued ia
the regions to be traversed. l,
shows the best course for the navi
gator and tells him what to expect
where a current may be- looked for
fog found or a storm encountered
Besides the chart furnishing all tn.
meteorological conditions, every
known rock, reef and island is also
set down aud every reported derelicI
marked out. In all it is the creates
, safeguard against danger aud thu
: best guide in the interest of com
merce that could be devised -Sa'
FranciscO Chronicle