The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-03-21
COAST SURVEYS.
Six Vessels to Be Used in Securing
Philippine Chart Information.

New York, March PA special to the
Tribune from Washington says:
The superintendent of the Coast Sur
vey appeared before the naval commit
tee of the house in opposition to the
proposed appropriation to enable the
navy department to continue its sur
veys of the new insular possessions.
Last years naval BILL approved by the
president on March 8, authorized the
navy to make Surveys of the imper-
fectly known parts of the coasts and
harbors of the Philippine archipelago
and the islands of Cuba and Porto Rico,
with their bordering keys and waters
and minor outlying islands"
On the same day the president signed
the Sundry civil bill which provides for
the coast survey of the treasury de-
paFtment. with an appropriation for
every expenditure requisite for and in
cident to the survey of the coasts of the
United States and of the coasts under
the Jurisdiction of the United States"
Both departments were thus authorized
in direct terms to enter the same field
of work which they proceeded to do
The navy now has two vessels en-
gagged in making surveys in Cuba, one
in the outlying islands eastward of
Porto Rico, one in the Hawaiian is
lands and one at Guam, and orders
have been issued for the preparations of
six of the naval vessels in Philippine
waters to begin the surveys of those
has one vessel engaged in making sur
veys on the south coast of Porto Rico
and one in the Hawaiian islands. Thus
far no case has arisen in which vessels
of the two departments have surveyed
the same ground, and there has been
no actual duplication of the field work.
But under the provisions of the re-
Vised statutes, sections Adj and 432, the
navy has been for years surveying in
all parts of the world, and has been
issuing charts of Cuba, Porto Rico,
Guam, Hawaii and the Philippines,
while the coast survey has been limited
to the shore line of the United states
However, in 1898 the coast survey pub
lished a chart of Cuba made up from
Spanish sources, which had already
been made available to the government
and the people Of the United States in
a navy department chart years earlier.
About the same time, and before the
treasury department had done any sur
veying in the West Indies, the coast
survey chart No. 80 of the Island of
Porto Rico was published in practical
duplication of navy department chart
No DOL which has been on issue by
the Hydrcgraph office since 1897 and
had the latest information Incorporated
into it in the same year, and before
the treasury department had done any
surveying in the Hawaiian islands,
coast survey chart No AGO of the Ha-
waiian islands was published, duplfcat-
ing navy department Chart No. 1858,
which had been issued by the hydro
graphic office since 1893; and again in
1900, and without ever having done any
surveying whatever at the island of
Guam, the coast survey republished, in
chart No 4 2O2 the information that is
represent dein navy department chart
No. las which the photographic Of
has been issuing since 1896, and which
is now subject to extensive alterations
found necessary through recent naval
surveys
To avoid further duplication. con-
gress will probably confne the opera
tons Of the coast survey to the main
land of the United States. 1t has been
found that to enable the coast survey
te do the work will compel the repair
of the older vessels of the coast survey,