New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-09-01
COAST SURREY SQUADRON.
Mann TcxseLs Used to Chart Mcnaccs
to Nd1igdtiOn.

WASHINGTON Aug. 3l.-The coast survey OF
any nation is the guardian angel Of the safety
of not only its own craft but of all the vessels
that come to its shores. be they mercantile or
war}ike for through that survey is gained
full and complete knowledge of the various
coasts. their nature and form, the character or
the sea bottoms near them. the location OF
reefs shoals and other dangers to navigation
the direction and strength of currents and the
character and amount of magnetic disturbance
The coast survey OF the United States. in the
service o. which is constantly engaged a fleet
of fifteen steam vessels and three seasolns
sailing vessels besides a swarm of small boats
and launches. requires the services Of some 30
officers and 80 men. has sounded the sea
everywhere in hundreds of miles of the main
coast Of the country and has so charted all the
tributary waters that the studious navigator
may. i'm many cases. tell the location of his
vessel in the densest fog by sounding after
drifting without his bearings for many days.
The numerous smaller vessels forever
busy in the harhors ana navigable rivers to the
head of tideHater and navigation Channels
are continually charted and corrected that yes
sells may know where safety lies and enter
streams with an understanding Of the depths
of water to be had. Because OF the shifting
OF saudhars and changing Of it is
necessary to exercise diligence and to rechart
at frequent Intervals. The results of these in
vestigaiions are issued in many special puhlica-
tons. Coast and harbor charts published
In different scales ana sailing directions are
vised for the Leneht o. all pilots. while No
tees to Mariners issued monthly with in
formation about new menaces to navigation.
The actions of the tides are carefully studied
and tide tables are issued annually.
Tho flagship Of the coast survey ncet is the
Pathfinder. whose name is well described in her
work. for it is the duty of the survey ships to
creep iuto unknown waters and iud beneath
their kce!s the reefs ana rocks that would
menace any merchantmen that dared. in yio,a-
ton of insurance poll les To enter unknown
and unsUrveycd waters. Tn" Pathiiu1cv is a
new steel schooner. propelled by steam and
having gross tonnage of 60 She car
res fifteen officers and siXty-Gyc men ana has
a speed of l2G knots an hour. Snc was buit
In Elizabeth, y. J., i'll 1899. and So beautiful
were her proportions that she was duplicated
by New York millionaire in the subsequent
building Of costly private yacht She was
employed in tho Philippines in 1909 and during
the disastrous typhoon "f that year registered
the lowest baromotiic pressure that w.,s ever
recorded in that section OF the globe. which
Ignifcd that she was in the very centre Of the
storm that finally beached her. hut without
great injury.
The second biggest boat OF the feet IS tn
Patterson, OF $40 tons 1863 feet in length 81
feet in breadth and drawing l4.2 feet of water
She built in Brooklyn in 1852 and Is Serv-
Ing in the Pacific, principally along the Alaska
coast. where she has taken part in mapping the
rugged unknown coasts. She did much Of thr
sounding preparatory TO the laying OF IN,
Alaskan cable we'll the first work in the
neighbortood OF the Hawaiian Islands. She has
crew of twelve officers and forty-eight men