Grand Forks daily herald., 1916-03-22

ernment's Oldest scientific bureau
the coast and geodetic survey-will
celebrate, April 5 and 6, the Tooth
anniversary of the beginning of it's
field work. President Wilson, cabinet
ministers and the country's most emf
practical exhibition of the surveys
work will be q leading feature.
The survey was established by Thos.
Jefferson in 1911 and a noted Swiss
scientist, F. r. Hassler, was its first
superintendent. Hassler was driven
from his native country by the Swiss
revolution and for time after his
arrival in the new republic was pro-
fessor of mathematics at West Point.
The story Of. his life was one Of un
firing quest for knowledge and inde-
fatigable labors In its application.
When twenty-one years Of age, in CO.
operation with Tralles, one Of the
first mathematicians of the day, he
began geodetic survey Of Switzer
land, bearing the expense of the sur
vey by himself at first until his work
was recognized by the Helvetic gov
ernment.
1t is an interesting coincidence that
the introduction of the first geodetic
survey in the ancient republic of
Switzerland should be due to the sci
enlist who was to be first to introduce
the accuracy and refinements Of its
methods in the first republic Of the
New World.
Hass1er reached American shores in
1906 at the head of a colony Of 120
persons organized by himself and
three friends for settlement in South
Carolina. Failure to receive any re-
turn for advances Of funds for trans
portation and purchase Of lands put
h ir,,i tn, niol ct 1n
tist was reduced to great hardships.
Two years later he accepted the place
as instructor at West Point.
When in 1911 provision was made
for instituting the coast and geodetic
survey Hassler was designated to pro-
ceed to London for the purchase Of
instruments. His mission also was to
design the appliances. The war of
1912 caught him in England and
throughout the conflict he was held
as an alien enemy. 1t was not until
four years after kis arrival that he re-
turned to America and started the
next year the work of the survey.
The first operations of the survey
were in New York bay and it's ap-
proaches. Here the main forces of
the bureau were engaged until in
April, 1918. it was suspended abrupt
ly by shortsighted spasm Of eco
nomy that in 1925 drew from Jeffer-
son this: II regret much that the
survey was not carried into execution.
1t would have procured safety for the
navigation Of our coast. It would
have been an honorable monument of
the state of science at this early pc
riod Of our history"
The rapid growth of American COM
merce could not be menaced long,
however, by dangers which made nav
igation Of the coast and waterways
uncertain to. sailor and ship-owner
and in reply to an imperative demand
congress on July 10. 1882. decided
that the coast survey should be re-
sumed,, and Hassler, again, became
superintendent .9f the bureau.
Besides directing the survey Hass-
Ter was put IN charge at this time Of
the newly created. office Of weights
and measures, necessity for which had
become apparent by his examinations
of standards used in the country's
customs houses. This relation be-
tween the two bureaus remained un-
standards was established fourteen
years ago.
Expansion of geodetic operations of
the survey into the interior, made in
compliance with acts of congress of
1872 and 1873, has brought to COM
pletion a big network of primary tri-
angulation. which is the foundation
for satisfactory demarcations of poll
tical boundaries and the preparation
of accurate national, state and county
maps.
For study of the law controlling
the operations of the magnetic needle
with its Importance to the mariner
and every landowner in the states
formed since the American revolution
the survey has carried it's investiga-
tions along the coasts and adjacent
waters. in every state and territory
of the union and in all the island
possessions under the United States
flag except Guam and Samoa. Sta
tions, at which components Of the
magnetic force have been observed,
now number 5000.
DR.. e. Lester Jones, present head
Of the survey, who is arranging the
centennial celebration. plans to have
the Swiss minister, DR.. Paul Ritter,
take prominent part in the exercises
because of Hassler's connection with
it's early history.