The Washington herald., 1909-04-21
By FREDERIC ]. HASKIN.

ocean currents, the barometric pressure.
&c, and that these records be sent him
at the end OF the voyage. He also asked
that each OF these vessels, az certain
intervals. put a copy OF the days log IN
a sealed bottle and throw II overheard,
ard watch for other drifting bottles, and
make a note OF their locality and their
contents. From al these he added 70 his
charts. He mapped the whaling grounds
for the New Engiander. and he estsb-
hshed the systems OF river gauge now in
Use on the Mississippi He urged the
establishment OF navy yards and forts
al Memphis and Pensacola, and through
the press and the legislatures. and on
the lecture platform. fought for the ad-
vancement OF the commercial industry OF
the South through direct trade in South
ern bottoms" His dream OF the advance
ment Of the American shipping industr y
is one OF the few that failed. When the
Atlantic feet recently circled the globe.
X made the humiiiating report that only
three or four merchant vessels were met
flying the United States flag. and that all
the American goods they came in contact
with had been shipped in foreign bottoms
There was no naval academy when
Maury received his midshipman-s ap-
psJntment and certain letters he wrote
-or the press led TO the establishment
OF the Academy at Annapolis England
touched America only through a mail
route Maury, sounding. studying. com
pairing, announced that between New
ioundland and Ireland lay a great teIe-
graphic plateau. on which a cable could
be laid How did he know the cable
would lie there undisturbed by wind and
Waye2 Because all along this elevated
noo- OF the sea he had found tiny shells.
OF so fine a quality that had they been
exposed to air they would have dried
and blown away. If the shell could lie
there. so could the wire Now London
= only few minutes from Washington.
II was Maury who showed the a9van-
tage Of the Panama Canal route over
that Of Tehauntepec: who made the great
beginning for the present work OF the
Naval Observatory and Weather Bureau:
who called representatives OF all the na-
tons Of the world TO meet in Brussels
and devised Uniform system OF meteor
illogical observation by land and sea who
reintrOduced torpedOes in warfare and the
use OF electric wires in exploding them:
who urged the building OF two railways
10 the Pacific Coast, who urged the cut
ting Of ship canal from the Great
Lakes = the Mississippi, and who first
suggested that steam be appIied 10 the
war vessels OF the nation. Naurv looked
down the years and saw bigger ships.
with bigger and fewer guns. He pre-
dicted the day when only SIX guns instead
Of 20 would be carried aboard the model
battle ship.
Russia and England offered homes 20
this pathfinder Of the seas when the civil
war came on He cast his fortunes with
Emperor Macmillan. OF Mexico. until
that imperial dream failed Orders OF
kniShthOOd were bestowed on him by
Russia. Denmark, Portugal, Belgium. and
France Medals were given him by Prus-
sla, austria, Sweden, Holland. Sardinia.
Bremen, and France A duplicate OF the
great Cosmos medal OF Won Humboldt
was struck for him, and the Pope issued
orders that vessels following his charts
should be signally hono-ed by certain
flags At the masthead.
And what has the United States done
Tor Maury2 It added $3.50 70 the 81 800
annual pay he received as a lieutenant
While he was doing this great world
uplifting work. and though Senator s. r
Mallory introduced a bill in Congress in
1855. 10 give him S25000. IN compensation
Tor his services the bill never passed.
An opportunity awaits Congress 10 make
amends for this fOrgetfuiness- Fifty
thousand dollars IS a small sum TO ask
FOR memorial 70 man who has already
saved the commercial world alone some
thing O-er S2.0o0. .000. COO.
lCopgusht. 1873. IS Frederic :. Haskf,l
TO-mOFrOw-YOunE WOmen'S Chris
tian Associations.