Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-01-17
AIDS TO NAVIGATION
DESCRIPTION OF WORK OF HY-
GEOGRAPHIC OFFICE.
Commander Southerland's Interesting
Talk Before National Geographic
Society Last Night.

Commander Switzerland Of the navy yard
gave an interesting description of the Work
of the hydrographic office to the members
and friends of the National Geographic So
ciety at the Cosmos Club last evening He
gave a good idea Of the necessary AIDS 10
navigation with which each sea-go.ng Vessei
should be equipped, and showed con-
clusively that our naval vessels were well
equipped for obtaining the principal one or
these aids to navigation, the survey or
foreign waters, on account OF their large
crews numerous boats, and the excellent
qualifications of the officers OF the service.
He showed that work of this character by
the navy was not only OF great economic
benefit to all of our maritime interests, but
was a necessity to the navy, In view OF the
operations Of our fleets and squaorons IN
foreign waters in the unfortunate event
of any foreign war.
Exemplified During Civil War.
This was we'll exemplifed during our civil
war, when many of the most successful
blockade runners were commanded by men,
generally ex-naval officers, VINO had peen
engaged In the coast survey IN the vicinity
of their blockading operations he also
brought out the fact that nearly all OF the
many officers who distinguished themselves
during the late war with Spain mad seen
surveying service either in the navy or in
the coast survey. and demonstrated this by
exhibiting finely executed charts founded
upon surveys by Admiral Dewey, Admira!
Charles E. Clark, and the late Admiral
John w. Philip. 2
He mentioned the names of few Of the
many prominent naval officers whose sur
veying work has been OF great penent 10
the merchant marine obithe Worid, aInonl/
whom were Wilkes, In various parts OF the
oJ~ro bort
Japan; Commodore Rodgers, and Command
ers Berry and Stockholm In the North "a
cific and Boring sea; Lieutenant Lynch, IN
the Dead sea- AdmiTaisl Heiknap' Erpen ana
Barker, and Captains Tanner in the Pacific
and Brooke and S. P. aI1ee In the Atlantic.
He also called attention. to the surveying
work Of Admiral Porter and many OF our
most Observation-Disclosures during the civil
war; OF Captain Mahap, the great naval
authority, and of the present Captain Piils-
bury in the gulf stream He also asserted
that no more accurat charts than those
issued by the hydrograEhlc ONCE can De
found in the world.
Pilot Charts.
He closed his talk with description Of
the pilot charts of rthe, North Atlantic and
North Pacific, illustrating all the items
thereon and dealing at length and In an
interesting manner on those dangers which
the mariner fears the most: Fog, Ice and
floating wrecks or derelicts.
In this connection. he called attention to
the fact that the Navy Department has
charge Of the destruction OF all floating
wrecks and derelicts along our coast with
Outa the three-mile limit. and stated that
during the past year out OF thirty-eight
dangerous distractions which were hunted
for on our coast by the vessels OF the navy.
fifteen were located and either removed or
destroyed.
In conclusion he called attention to the
fact that there can be mo question sas to
the necessity OF the work OF the hydro
even now. with the Offices far-reaching
distribution of aids to navigation. 1t Ia es-
timated that no less than 5000 lives, on an
average. are lost at sea each year.