Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-08
WORKING FOR SAFETY AT SEA.


For the improvement of the means
for navigating safely the Vessels Of the
navy and of the mercantile marine, by
providing, under the authority of the
Secretary of the Navy, accurate and
cheap nautical charts. sailing directions,
navigators and manuals of instruction
for the use Of the United States and
for the benffit and use of navigators gen.
orally Such were the duties imposed
upon the photographic office by the act
of Congress establishing it June 81, 1866
Nearing the half-century mark of its
existence, the photographic Office repre-
sents an important factor in connection
with all sea traffic. Supplied with the
charts and sailing directions issued by.
this office. the master of a little sloop
need no longer fear encountering here
tofore uncharted islands or unknown
dangerous reefs His course. practically
wherever he may wish to go. is clearly
marked out for him. together with the
islands which lie along the route. Or
the captain Of a giant steamer blowing
knows, If he has the charts and latest
bulletins. of whatever changes may have
occurred in the position of buoys, Of
any derelicts which may lie in his path.
! THE improvement Of the means of
navigating safely is by far harder
problem than insuring the safety of land
progress. The treachery of the sea pre-
sents much greater difficulties than the
treachery of the land The difference
between the two has been APPLY express
old ,lo vxyI,., lyA1
was he going certain place by land or
water replied: IF I goes by land and
dere's a accident, there l is. but if [ goes
by water an somefn' happens. where is
r. And that is the eternal problem in
protecting those at sea. If aught hap
pens, there is no sheltering cave. no
welcoming nearby village, but only the
vastness of the sea itself in the great
ma jOrity of cases.
In endeavoring to increase the safety
of navigation great fraternity has been
formed. 1t has no writ
Llfe-SaVing ten constitution and by
r..4.;4u laws. and perhaps this
EA"'oAAA'J' is the first time the
word fraternity has been applied to it,
and yet it exists. 1t is merely one OF
those organizations which spring up
through the Necessity of mutual aid,
without any intentional beginning. In this
instance the demands OF the organization
are simple assistance. AS rule that as
sistance takes the form of sending in
formation either ahead to land or to
other vessels as to the state of the
weather and any important fact which
may happen to be noted: such, for in
stance. as that d buoy has broken its
1icfh no CIphfnd
All these things are gathered together and
then disseminated. and in this way the
entire sailing world is made cognizant of
the existing conditions at sea.
The photographic Office is the principal
medium through which all such informa-
ton is spread. Bulletins are issued at
regular intervals which are given to all
mariners with the understanding that
they will report anything they may see
Of importance to other mariners. In other
words the hydroeraphic office holds the
reins of communication with practically
the entire maritime fleet and through
the medium of exchange keeps mariners
posted.
The photographic office is division of
the bureau Of navigation. and is under
the Secretary Of the Navy. The main Of
fee is in Washington. in charge of Capt.
George F. Cooper. the .hydrosrapher. and
Lieut.. Commander F., E. Ridgely. assist
ant to the photographer. About 100 en-
plOyes constitute the working force at
the Office HEADQUARTERS In addition to
this office sixteen branch hydroeraphic
stations are situated In the PRINCIPAL
ports. in the country. of which twelve
are in charge of naval officers. These
branch offices are mediums of receiving
and giving out information also.
Two principal lines Of work are car
ried on by the hvdroeraphic office One
is the preparation and issuance Of nau-
teal charts. and the other is the issu-
ance Of weekly bulletin containing
items of interest TO mariners and
rectons as to lights. dangers existing
pOrary nature. this bulletin being the
most important issued.
Three classes of charts are issued
those originating in the photographic Of
flee. coast and geodetic survey charts and
British admiralty charts. Practically all
those charts which the photographic Of
flee prepares are engraved cOnper
plate, process which has been found to
give the hest results. OF the HYDRO
graphic Office issues there are .S2t diff
ferent charts 634 different coast and geo
detic survey charts and 1000 British adj
miralty charts. The number of copies
issued Of these three classes runs as
high as 21O,cOO a year.
The essential feature of any chart is
sued by the photographic office must
necessarily be it's accuracy.
Issuing Mariners apply to that Office
o, for charts because they want
'0' the most up-to-date and cor
rect ocean maps obtainable. Therefore the
of correct charts is one of
the biggest parts of the work. Five men
are kept continually busy. and in a sin
gle year the number of corrections
amounts to about 2oO.OOO All maps be-
fore they leave the Office are stamped
with the date. under which appears cor
rections inclusive to date While the
of the bulletins issued by the
office are sent to mariners free, all
charts are sold the money thus OBJ
tanned reverting to the fund kept for the
of charts In this way the
continued sale of charts means their con-
tinued issuance.
The weekly notice to mariners has the
largest circulation of any bulletin issued
by the Office. This is due to the fact that
it contains information of value to all
seagoing people Each week about 5000
copies are issued. Another weekly publ
cation is the bulletin. a one-page sheet,
interesting items on maritime
subjects often in the shape of brief