Evening star., 1909-05-02

night exhumed singular-shaped stone
which he had planted. His wife stood by
and held lantern. They were both con-
fident. from the weight of 1t, that 1t must
be gold. They concealed it with much
difficulty in an antique chest. A rev
days later they took neighbor into tneir
confidence. who. upon seeing it. declared
1t was but stone. In vain they argued
that the outside was bronze coating to
great and gilded riches; the neiShbor
broke off a piece with blow from
hammer, and laughed at their absurd
fancies.
We'll neou' said the disappointed
finder. who would a thought them sensi-
ble-lookin' men were such a parcel or
fools as to bury a stun?
OF great value to mariners are the coast
charts prepared by the survey These are
sketched with tie greatest care by the
most competent artists. elegantly en-
graved and available to every shipmas-
ter. They are more particularly Naluanie
in unfreQuented paths. as on the Paclnc
Shores revealing to sailors their exact
whereabouts. At the same time, they are
Indispensable in the region OF great
thorouShfares, the entrance to harbors
and along the great rivers. The survey
has executed a series of these views en-
bracing every mile of coast. and Is now
engaged in a similar undertaking In the
Philippine Islands. which have greater
extent Of coast line than the United
Irregularities of the surface. the forms
and dimensions of hills, villages. roads.
lanes meadows, fences, forests. houses,
barns, ponds and every natural and arti-
fetal object; also. bays. sounds, islands.
river mouths and creeks. and. together
with the views mentioned. do honor to the
country as works of art. aside from their
value in a business light, being. in point
of excellence. surpassed by none which
are produced by other nations.
X x
The hydrography of the coast includes
all the operations performed at sea for
of rocks shoals, depth of water. move
ment of tides and nature of currents.
The chief labor Is that of sounding. With
the outlines of the shore from the topog-
rapher. angles are measured and the
route of a vessel laid down upon a chart.
The number of the soundings is usually
so great that the features Of the sea
within a wide belt adjacent to the coast
are rendered as familiar as those of the
land Thus, the sailor in foggy weather
can determine his position by the speci-
mems brought up by the sounding-lead.
In the deep-sea soundings the varieties OF
animals found settle important questions
In relation 10 currents as well rs local
tiles The dredging operations of the
coast and geodetic survey steamers have
resulted in collections, Of specimens which
add largely to the sum of nautical knowl-
edge and it Is owing to early explorations
by the same source that so much is know
concerning the gulf stream. The dis
covery of the "cold WALL on the inner
side of the gulf stream and the bands
of cold water in the midst of the warm
water were elucidated by George NJ
Bache brother of the then superintendent
of the survey. In his quest of knowl-
edge however this surveyor met tragic
fate which not seldom confrOnts this in
trepid force today. He was in command
Of the brig Washington. which was struck
by the hurricane of September, 1916
sweeping nearly every man engaged in
the hazardous enterprise of sounding this
extraordinary pathway Of mixed water
into its depths. When the ship righted
after the shock all succeeded in getting
aboard again except Bache and ten of his
crew, who rerished. Since that early
time the width. of the several bands of
warm and cold water has been measured
and the theory established that they are
the result of the shape of the bottom OF
the sea.
In certain sections ranges of hills have