The morning call., 1894-01-06
THE NORTH PACIFIC CHART.

The CALL has received from the Hydro
graphic Office a copy of the promised
Pilot Chart for the North Pacific, which
will be issued monthly hereafter if Con-
gress makes the necessary appropriation.
The present issue is of course a mere
rough draft, but it shows how valuable a
publication may be compiled when a mass
Of observations has been collected. The
department solicits reports from coast
stations and masters of vessels sailing on
the Pacific, and it may be hoped that the
appeal will not be neglected.
The Pacific is the great ocean of our
planet. ln comparison with it the North
Atlantic is mere strait and the Indian
Ocean Othng more than the submerged
beach of a eongeTies Of drowned islands.
Along the line of 20 deg. south latitude the
width of the Pacific is 135 deg of lODgi-
tude, over one-thrd of the circumference
of the globe. Between il and the South
Polar ontinent nothing intervenes. Its
northern extremity was probably at one
Time rounded off by the country which is
now divided between Alaska and Siberia :;
when the glacial masses moved TO the pole
he polar current Glove its way through
Berlng Straits and interpOsed Boring
Sea between the Pacific and the Polar
Ocean. 1t presents every form Of ocean
geography. At the two eXtTemities it is
shallow. There is bench running along
the Aleutan Islands into the Gulf Of
Alaska, which comes within 100 fathoms
Of the surface, with occasional holes so
deep that no apparatus can find bottom
and be recovered without breaking the
wire; and there is corresponding bench
in the southwest portion of the sea west
of the meridian Of $50 deg. where 100
fathoms is also the average. Between this
last bench and the latitude of IS deg. north
there is a range of submarine rocky noun
tains with steep cliffs end sharp deseents.
Three or four distinct mountain ridges
with from two to three miles of water be-
tween them have been counted between
the Hawaiian Islands and North Aus
tralia.
On the Pacific can be found every variety
OF temperature and meteOroIogy. Out of
Bering Sea pours tho icy current which
cOols our shore in summer: from the
equator flow summer currents warmer
than the Atlantic Gulf stream; while the
current which sweeps round the South
Cape of Tasmania bears on its bosom the
longest icebergs ever seen. As Its name
indicates. it is pacific ocean, swept by
gentle trade winds, but the most terrible
typhoons described in meteOrolog ical rec
ords have varied the chronicle of its placid
surface.
On sea of such extent, circle sailing
must become matter of moment. The
Canadian steamers, sailing from YOko-
hama in 50 deg. to Victoria in 40 deg.
cross the meridian of 100 deg. in 81 deg.
having covered 1900 miles On the voyage {;
while the Pacific Mail steamers, sailing
by what appears on the map to be the
straight line. have TO cover 1870 miles be-
tween San Francisco and Yokohama. AS
Stunning the vessels TO be equal in speed
and 10 steam at the usual rate Of seagoing
steamers on the Pacific the Canadian line
enjoys an advantage OF about thirty-six
hours over the American lines; this is
reduced almost to nothing when our ships
pursue the northern course and take the
advantage of circle sailing.
The photographic Bureau has begun its
practical work by marking the observed
track of numerous Northumberland
storms. They have been traced to the
point where the thirtieth parallel of lati-
tude intersects the one hundred and
thirtieth meridian of longitude; from
there they travel in northeasterly
direction to San Francisco. An impress
sion has prevailed that most of our winter
gales originate at sea at point not de-
teTmined, strike the coast at or near Cape
Flattery. and thence travel due south.
That appears to have been the course of
the cold snap which we have been feeling
for the past couple Of days. But the
bureau fnds storm nest nearer home
than Cape Flattery, and rs information is
not 10 be questioned. The meIeorology of
the portion of the Pac fic in which we are
most directly concerned will not be under
stood until we have a cable to Honolulu.