Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-04-12

coast of the country, and has so
chartcd all the tributary waters that
tho studious navigator may In many
cases tell the location of his vessel
lii the densest fog by sounding after
drifting without his bearings for many
days.
The numerous smaller vessels are
forever busy in the harbors and nav
igable rivers to the head of tidewater
and navigation. Channels are con
tinually chartcd and corrected that
vessels may know where safety lies
and enter streams with an under
standing of the depths of water to be
had. Because of the shifting of sand :
bars and changes OF currents IL is
necessary to exercise diligence and 10
rcchart Mt frequent intervals.
The results OF these investigations
nrc Issued in many special publica.
lions. Coast and harbor charts are
published in different scales and SAIL
ing directions are revised for the ben
eft of all pilots. while Notices to
Mariners" nre issued monthly with in
formation about now mcnaces to nav
igation. The actions OF the tides are
carefully studied and tide tables are
issued annually.
! The flagship of the coast survey
fleet is the Pathfinder, whose name Is
well described In her work. for 1t Is
the duty Of the survey ships to Green
into unknown waters and find beneath
their kecls the reefs and rocks that
would menace any merchantmen that
dared. In violation of Insurance poll
cies. to enter unknown aud unsurvey-
ed waters.
eeoched During Storm.
Tho Pathfinder is new steel
schooner. propelled by steam and
having gross tonnage of 600. She
carries fifteen officers and sixty-flve
men. ana has n speed OF 1916 knots
an hour She was built ut Elizabeth.
n. j., In 1899, and so beautiful were
her proportions that she was dupli-
Gated by New York millionaire I'm
the subsequent building of costly
private yacht. She was employed In
the Philippines in 1905 and during
tho DISASTROUS tvphoon OF that year
registered the lowest baromotric pres
suro that was ever recorded In that
section OF the globe. which signiflcd
that she WAS In the very centre of
The storm that finally beached her,
Out without great INJURY
The second biggest boat OF the feet
Is tho Patterson. OF 800 tons. 1863 feet
In length. 37.3 feet In breadth and
drawing 14.2 feet of water She was
built IN brooklyn In 1852 and is seryi-
ing in the Pacific principally along
the Alaska coast. where she has taken
part in mapping the rugged unknown
shores. She did much of the sound
Ing preparatory to the LAYING of the
Alaskan cable as we'll rs tho first
work In the ncighborhood OF the Ha
waiian Islands. She has a crew Of
twelve officers AMI forty-cight men
and also carries sal. which, in the
interest Of economy, Is used in many
OF her cruises.
Resides the Patterson In Alaska
there are three auxiliary vessels that
go to make up the fleet that has done
much In the last five years toward
Mapping the far northern coast. These
auxiliaries are the Cosmos. the Taku
and the Yukon, tho work OF tho latter
being most typical. Tho Yukon was
hnlt In New York and shipped In
pieces to the far north. where she was
set up. No difficulty was experienced
I'm this latter work. which was done
In latitude thousands of miles from
city, where n piece could not have
been replaced were 1t lost or imper-
feet. Her work has been chiefly In
charting the waters about 'the mouth
of the Yukon and in exploring that
river In order TO determine to what
extent II is safely navigablc.
The anxiliarics OF the Pathfinder In
the Philippines are loatS which have
been supplied by the insular govern
ment. which bears portion of the
expense of the survey there. Tue
Fathomer and the Research were the
first given over by the native govern
ment, and recently the Romblon ana
the MarinduQuc have been added. The
work is being prosecuted rapidly In
this dangerous section OF practically
uncharted seas bristllng with dangers
In every direction
The coast survey vessels near the
Atlantic and Gulf states are at pres
, Ont tho Bache, the Endcavor and the
photographer Tho Explorer has on
ly recently made the trip around the
| Horn from baltimore TO Seattle
Those on the Pacific coast. exclusive
OF the vessels working In Alaska. are
tho Explorer. the Gedney and tho NC
Arthur. All of these vesscls are con-
stantly sounding and mapping great
evtents OF various coasts and har'
hors, and with the use of neat de-
vices installed in the last few years,
arc gaining store OF information
that was undreamed of In the not
very distant past
Perhaps the greatest accomplish
ment OF the coast survey in the last
fifty years is the perfecting on APP
paratus that will accurately sound the
sea to a depth of six miles or more