The sun., 1897-08-16
COAST SURVEY SHAKE-UP? /?
oHlNaEs EXPECTED TO FOLLOW THE
INQUIRY JUST ENDED.

Charges Growing Ont OF tho Attempted Ro-
moysi or an employee with 1nnuence-sec-
retary GREe Expected TO Act soon-The Ta-
bio or LoEarithms Made by Gen. DufIieid.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 15.-Prof. Raymond OF
the Rensselaer, Polytechnic Institute OF Troy
and y. ChRnute, civil engineer, OF Chicago have
completed their technical Investigation OF tho
methods and management of tho Coast and &c.
odetic Survey, and thoir report Is now before
Secretary Gage. 1t is understood that he will
soon take action upon 1t and order important
changes in the executive force, possibly appoint
ing new superintendent.
There has been no shaking up Of the Coast Sur
voy since the first Cleveland Administration.
nearly thirteen years ago. Tho investigation at
that time was conducted by committee of three
Treasury employees. one OF whom. Mr.. Thorn.
was afterward made superintendent. The evil
dence upon which the report OF that committee
was based was furnished largely by one OF the
clerks In the Survey, and the report contained
many serious accusations. After Mr. Thorn be-
came connected with the Survey he was an enthu-
siastic supporter of the institution and has since
remained ono of it's frmest friends. He withdrew
formally many of the statements In the report
that he had made as member OF tho investi-
eating committee. and dismissed the clerk upon
whose evidence they were founded. Superin-
tendent Thorn was himself removed aftorward.
The stery of the present investigation goes
back to the very early days OF this Admin
istration. Superintendent Dufied was not
satisfied with the work OF one OF the as
sistants in the field, James b. Baylor of Nir-
ginia, and recommended him to the Secretary
for dismissal from the service. Mr. Baylor.
however, brought influence to bear upon the Ad-
ministration. and the recommendation Of dis
missal was held up pending an inquiry. That
ment committee which Secretary Gage ap-
pointed shortly after coming into office to in
vestigate and report upon questions of this kind.
The committee was composed of the then pri.
vatc secretary. vanderlip. now an assistant
secretary; Appointment Clerk Bracket. and
one OF tho bureau chiefs whose long torn of
service gave him peculiar qualifications for tho
performance of the duty.
as to Mr.. Baylor's technical and professional
ability. as Il was upon the alleged lack Of this
tion: 1t did not take long for these gentlemen
to find themselves in scientific, deep waters.
from which they rescued themselvcs by inSon.
suggestion, Prot Raymond and Mr.. Chanute
wsrO called in to complete the
ago Gen. Duffleld. the superintendent has COM
pleted work upon logarithms which has occu-
thirty years Despite the criticisms that hsvs
been made by discharged employee OF the SUI.
OF the work, Secretary Gage has directed that 1t
| be made part Of the forthcoming annual report
| OF the superintendent of the Survey and 1t Is
now in press Gen. Dufiield entered upon the
undertak ing when confined TO his room after
| the battle OF Murfrcesboro. in which he was
! wounded in the right groin and the left thigh.
| The pain from his injuries was so intense that
( he could find relief only in some form
| the preparation OF series OF logarithms.
Interest In the work grew upon him as /, pro- pro,
| OF business hours in all the years since Tho
| tables include logarithms for each second of
every angle up to two degrees and for every
ten seconds from two degrees to ninety degrees.
| and the logarithms of integral numbers up to
| 100000. These are carried out to ten places. al
| though the calculation WAS made to twelve
| places the tenth figure being determined by tho
| last two. In addition to tho tables themselves
| the General has prepared an accompanying
| OF logarithms. and the entire work comprises
| $50 printed pages.
/ There has been no computation OF this sort
made since the tables of Won Vega. the German
mathematician. which were published in 1894.
| In comparing his work with that OF the German.
Gen Dufiield has found more than 100 errors in
schott. chief computer OF the Survey who
has been at work upon the calcu ations
connected with tn. t.nnsoontinental arc,
by the Survey last year. after more than
! fifty years OF fitful labor upon it. has foun
siIty-o himself. in addition to those dis
high up rs the third figure in the decimal.
| In order to make the present tables
as nearly geographically perfect as possible
| work Is a monumental one. and hy publishing 1t
In the form he has chosen Gen. Duiiield donates
| It TO the public, his only profit being the salts
| that thereby he has contributed something sub
| stantiai TO the total sum Of information. As q
| part OF a Government publication 1t Is entitled
to free distribution under the direction OF Con-
|