The Washington herald., 1909-04-21


that OF erecting a fitting memorial to the
late Matthew Fontaine Maury. naval
officer and photographer OF international
fame. This plan was conceived by Wa
tsuga Chapter. D. A r. OF Memphis.
Tenn. in 1902, when its members were
deep IN the study OF the American navy,
and they realized what great debt the
nation as a whole owes this man.
Not because he was q Virginian born:
not because he spent his early years and
received his education IN Tennessee; not
because he was a commodore IN the Con-
federate navy, do these patriotic South
ern women ask OF the nation suitable
memorial for Maury. But they ask Il
because he was. perhaps. the greatest
man America has yet produced; because
he mastered the paths OF the sea; because
he gave the nation It's naval academy.
and because he brought the leading na-
tons Of the world 10 the establishment
Of a universal system OF meteorologiefl
observation. Because Maury was po-
tentiaI citizen OF the world, and gave
freely and gladly to all nations the results
OF his scientific researches and dlscoV-
cries, It has been proposed that this ne
mortal be not local, not even national
but that other nations be asked 10
cooperate and make Il International
The Memphis chapter brought the mat
ter before the national D. A R, and
Congress was memorialized on the matter.
"a bin asking for an appropriation OF
$4,000 for a memorial was introduced N
Congress last session BY Senator Frazier
and Representative Gordon, OF Tennessee,
and reintroduced by Representative Cor
don about a month ago ACTON VIII
possibly be taken IN December. The Dill
does not recite the manner in which the
S51eea VIII be used Watauga Chapter :
first idea. was that the memorial take
the form Of a lighthouse, an international
monument. 10 be erected on the eastern
coast Of Brazil. at RcCas Shoals. where
Maury had often said one was needed
II is interesting 10 note that there was
once a monument 10 Mauy in the Nir-
ginia mountains. but that unappreciative
persons soon diverted il 10 private uses
II was shortly after the death Of the
great man, al his home in Lexington,
where he was an Instructor in the Viz
ginia Military Institute, that body OF
admiring friends and neighhors had big
iron anchor cast. and. after much dim
Guilty, had il elevated 70 a high mountain
point. overlooking Goshen Pass-a place
that Maury loved. and where he often
went Farmers and other men living u
the neighbOThOOd. evidently Oblivious Of
the fact that lt was Maury who, for Their
benefit. had Charted the air and made
the first meteorological surveys. soon
carried away the anchor. bit by bit. 70
be used in the making or mending OF
farm implements, until little or none
remains
Usually. when q boy disobeys parental
admOnition and runs away 10 sea- public
sentiment condemns him. and takes the
side OF the earaged parent. Yet the his
tory Of the sea-faring world has proved
that Il was the best thing that ever hap
pened for the nation when young Maury,
longing for the sea in his heart. and the
call OF the uncharted ocean-bed ringing
in his ears. left his home near Franklin,
Tenn. and enlisted in the American
navy He was aboard the Brandywine.
when an appreciative American nation
placed Il al the disposal Of the great La
Fayette, for the hOmeward journey 10
France IN 1S25. Aaury was appointed
midshipman IN the navy, and the follow
ing year made a journey around the
world, as an officer aboard the Vincennes.
From then on he kept his eyes open for
the many deficiencies IN the naval sys-
TEN. and fO- the means OF improving
the routes Of vessels
An accident in 1886. that made him a
cripple, caused his appointment as head
Of the Bureau Of Charts, IN Washington,
and IN the time that lay between -1S1
and 1851 he wrought those things that
made him worlG-renOwned, world-hon-
ored. and worId-lOved. From the great
mass Of log books that had accumulated
n that Office for many years, and had
hitherto been regarded as 50 much waste
be mapped the OCean-bed and the routes
Of ocean travel that touched every civil.
lized country on the globe He compiled
SIX charts and eight large volumes Of
sailing directions By his system OF
circle sailing ne showed how advantage
should be taken Of wind and ocean cur
rent. and declared that the distance from
New York 10 san Francisco. around the
Horn. could be shortened by forty days
The old sea-d0gs wagged their heads
n doubt and disapproval. but a Balti-
more sea captain thought it might be an
idea worth proving. So Capt. Jackson,
OF the H W D. G Wright. got Msurys
charts and put out for RIO Janeirc, 20 see
how nearly right the scientist might be-
He made the round trip in the same
time that Il usually took for the out
going trip. and the feat spread through
The shipping world. Races over the
routes mapped by Maury became the
thing. In the early '50s four clipper
ships, the Wild Pigeon, the John Gilp!n,
the Flying Fish, and the Trade Wind.
set out from New York for the Golden
Gate. sailing on different dates, and
lengthening their trips only so much as
they digressed from Maury's tables. One
made the journey IN a little over ninety
four days, the greatest digTessor IN rs
days.
Then came a big race. The General
Morton and the Prima Donna were
tOwed out OF New York Harbor and started
Tor san Francisco. to make I6O00-mile
race over Mauy's route. It was an
exciting time, for they were almost al
ways in sight Of one another, crossed the
equator together. and came into San
Francisco only three hours apart Since
his charts had these proofs. the com
merce Of the world has been saved So
O00,0o a year.
To him the great floor OF tie sea was
as familiar as the hills and plains about
his Tennessee home. and the winds and
the currents were as clearly known as
the local weather conditions and the flow
OF the streams about Washington Once. |
IN the nOnwireless days, when the trans /
port San Francisco, with hundreds OF /
United States troops aboard, almost foun- |
dered in an Atlantic hurricane. and vague /
TumOrs began 20 go about specuIating on l
its fate, the Secretary Of the Navy sent I
post-haste for Maury. 20 tell hin where
the ship might be. Maury showed him /
how that II the vessel. after being struck /
by the hurricane in this place, were drift /
ing, that this current and this wind and /
this eddy would sll play their parts. and, |
leaning over the map, he put a cross
mark at a certain spot and said: send /
your relief ship there" And IL was in /