Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-03-17
- Il.
Charted Land Npt Believed to Be a
70 Reality.
THEIR EXISTENCE DENIED BY SAILORS
Task Of the Photographic Office Of
the Navy Department
TO CLEAR OCEAN PATHS

! The expansion of American territory to
| the shores of Asia has devoIved a most
| important duty upon the photographic Off
GERS Of the Navy Department. That is the
| verif1catlon Of the charts of the Pacific
ocean. especially along the usual routes be-
tween California and China and Japan and
| between those places and Australia. That
work is necessary in order that all possible
| dangers in the various sea paths may be
| definitely located and the maritime world
generally Informed through the official pub
| LEGATIONS Of the photographic office.
Mysterious Islands.
The existing charts show several small
uninhabited islands in the mid-Pacific, the
| existence of which Is seriously questioned
| by Chief photographer Todd and his as
| sistants The principal of these alleged
| mythical Islands are Morrell Island, near
| the Midway; Dyer Island or Patricinio
| darther east and Rico de Orc still farther
| eastward. Navigators of those waters have
| frequently reported the non-existence of
| the islands In question, Notwithstanding
| the official charts. Captain Cooksey of the
transport Grant which arrived at San
I Francisco from Manila a few DAVIS apo re-
| ported that on February 6 he sailed di-
| rectly over where Morrell Island is sup
| posed to be located without seeing a trace
OF land within radius Of twenty-five miles.
Survey to BE Made.
Although the photographic authorities
| are morally satisfied that that island, IL
1t ever existed. is no longer a menace to
| the navigation of the Pacific ocean, they do
not deem 1t advisable to change the charts
| to that effect until the fact can he abSo-
| !utely established by an official survey Of
the waters In question. To that end ar
engagements have been made to have this
survey made by the United States steamer
lroquois now at Honolulu, in connection
NrI1, - Al
contiguous waters In the vicinity of Mid
way Islands. with a view to the establish
ment at that point of cable station or
landing place for a cable between San
Francisco and the Philippines. All the deli
cate scientific Instruments necessary ia a
successful prosecution of the worn have
I; pee "a iorWarded from San Francisco. and
II Is expected that the Iroquois Will start
from Honolulu on her important mission
about the LIST of May.
Morrell Island ON the Charts.
According to the charts, Morrell Island is
located in latitude twenty-nine degrees
hfty-hve minutes north, and longitude .174
degrees thirty minutes east. 1t was FIRST
reported in 1925 and was named MorrelJ
Island after its discoverer, CAPTAIN Nor
rell of guiana fame. It was described as
small and low and nearly level with tha
water. about four miles in circumference.
| 1t was covered with sea fowl and Its shores
were lined with sea elephants. Green tur-
ties were also In abundance. The island
was apparently of volcanic origin with a
reef on the west side running off about fir
teen miles. and another reef on the south
east side extending away about thirty
niles These reefs were formed Of coral
and according to the discoverer afforded
good anchorage on the southwest side On
the east side. however the water was de-
scribed as bold-close to the reef Since its
been made over the spot where the island is
supposed to have been located without any
trace of Its existence. The British admir-
atty publication Of 1891 said that neither
Morrell nor Dyer Island has been seen for
many years. and that it was probable that
the discoverer's positions were SO much in
error that what he really sighted were
| western islands of the Sandwich group.
Rear Admiral Cromwell passed the
same spot In February, 1896, and reported
a total absence Of land.
Inaccuracy of observations.
According to Captain Todd and other by
geographic officers. the impossibility of dc
curatey determining the longitude by the
| sailing masters at the time OF the alleged
discovery. over seventy-five years ago. has
resulted in giving but very approximate.
actual location Of the multitude of dangers
| in navigation across the broad Pacific. The
iraccuracy as to longitude In the case eff
Morrell Islands ascribed to two causes first.
| the imperfect chronOmeters in use at that
| time. and second. the very long periods of
| time that ship masters were at sea without
| being able to verify the errors Of their
| thermometers.
| 1t has long been known that some OF
| these reported dangers In the mid-Pacidc
were from fifty to $50 miles in error as TO
| position in longitude. In recent years the
Instruments Of navigation have been so
| greatly improved and the frequent correc-
ton of chronometers Is possible. so that
| 1t has been practicable to reach very
| close determination. 1t Is now matter OF
| record that two or more OF the so-called
l icio do IN thn Do fc hava hN full ssirr.
| veys. been identified as the same island.
| Gradually the chart makers have reduced
| the number of these formerly reported
| dangers. and hardly a year goes by with
out one or more alleged islands being re-
| moved from the charts issued for the bene-
fit Of navigators. This has been particular
| ly the case with the Atlantic ocean, over
| which most of the worlds commerce has
Travelled during the past fifty years.
| Many Islands Taken From the Charts.
! The recent developments Of the trade on
the Pacific. especially on the part Of steam
ers passing to and from Manila to Cali
| fornia, and from Japan to California, and
| between those places and Australia, have
| caused a systematic step to be taken
| through Information derived from ships
| masters Of acknowledged skill. to remove
| from all charts many Of the smaller islands
| formerly marked thereon. but which recent
| surveys have shown to be non-existent.
| Chart makers have ever been cautious in
| removing from their publications reported
| dangers without absolute proof of their nom
| existence. The ocean is so vast a field that
many of the large islands appear merely
as specks upon the surface and when it is
remembered that even the very smallest
may wreck the costliest ship ever built, it
| has always been deemed wise to leave all
| dangers that may have been reported on
! the charts until absolute determination Of
| non-existence iesat hand. 1t Is held to be far
wiser to be over-caitious in such matters
| and 50 insure the safe delivery Of pas
sengers and cargo than to run any risks of
the loss Of vessel by the premature re-
/ moval from the charts of any reported men,
| ace until the lead has shown concIusively
| that no such menace exists. The very large
| amount OF money" represented by a modern
| steamer and It's cargo. not to mention the
lives involved IN navigating practically I'M
| suspected waters, calls for the greatest care
| on the part of those in charge OF the YES
| sells as well as on the part Of those who
| issue to these havisators the charts with
| which they must work.
Caution ~ the Chart Makers.
As one officer puts it. the premature re-
| moyal from the charts Of one Of these re-
| norted danpars rotokt result in tho Lose ~