Evening star., 1927-11-20
AND CEODETIC SURVEY
SAVES COUNTLESS LIVES AT SEA
Ships in Far Places Go to Aid Of Those in dis
tress, But Greatest Work Is in
Charting Dangers.

spires up through deep waters, lying
in wait to tear the entrails from un-
wary vessels. And twenty years ago
the majority OF these rocks were not
charted. The mariner had to take his
chances.
Those pinnacle rocks, many of them.
are named. They are named after YES.
sells which have been wrecked on
them. Today practically every one
of those rocks is placed definitely upon
the charts of the United States, and
ships are safe to traverse Alaskan wa.
ters as consequence.
The marine losses in Alaska during
TIE last five years were only $4S1, 900,
although Alaskan commerce is more
than four times greater than a few
years ago. Yet, from 1916 to 1920, a
four-year period, the marine losses in
Alaska were over three and a half mil
lion dollars, to say nothing of loss of
lives.
Ocean Travel Now Safe.
In the old days going down to the
sea in ships was an undertaking only
little less hazardous than attempt.
ing to cross the Atlantic by airplane.
Today, with larger boats and improv.
ed navigational Instruments, ocean
travel is less dangerous than a ride
in f1ivver. But these improved con-
ditions call for improved charts-and
the Coast and Geodetic Survey today
Is bending every energy toward pro.
ducing the sort of chart which will be
of the greatest value in connection
with improved methods of navigation,
On the Pacific Coast, for instance,
vessels now and then run ashore in
%, ii - ~ hS,
cause in darkness and fog they are
at the mercy of the changeable cur.
rents.
The new automatic echo sounding
device makes it possible for a ship at
full speed to measure the depth of the
water. In this way the mariner can
recognize every hill and valley in the
bottom though it may be half a mile
below him, and IL these are correctly
placed on the chart he knows as def
nitely where he Is as does the travel
er on land when he recognizes famil-
lar land marks. This can only be done,
however, if the charts are complete
and correct and during the last 10
years the Coast and Geodetic Survey
has been busily engaged on the Paci.
fic Coast In making charts which will
meet this test even out of sight of
land.
Think what modern navigational
charts mean to the United States. No
country Is so rich that can afford out
of-date maps and charts and it's is be-
cause the United States has proba-
bly, the finest marine charts of any
nation in the world that commerce
proceeds safely and passengers and
freight are brought into all the great
seaports In greater safety than pas
sengers and freight are brought into
any railroad terminal in the world.
Ir Is not merely one kind of ship
which benefits from this work. but the
needs Of all are provided for from the
great battleship. the swift destroyer
the submarine, the great ocean liner
and the coasting steamers, down to
yachts, pleasure craft and the small
motor boats used for fishing.
1t would be possible to go on almost
indefinitely telling Of the achieve
ments of this. the Oldest scientific bu-
reau in the United States Government,
but to detail Ill years of progress Is
something hardly possible in a short
article. In my Office have a large
bookcase filled with about 80 weighty
looking books. Those books give in
detail the work of the survey from the
time President Jefferson first authoriz-
ed its formation in 1907. It is a long
story, and one Of fascinating interest,
but for the present, we need only re-
member that Uncle Sans Coast and
Geodetic Survey is saving lives and
saving property worth millions Of
dollars.