Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-30
HISTORIC GEODET|C
SURVEY YACHTING
CAPITOL HILL HOME
Hundred Years in Same
Neighborhood Marked by
Uninterrupted Progress.
HASSLER IS RECALLED
AS FIRST DIRECTOR
Machinery, Records and Instru.
ments to Occupy Building
at 119 D Street.
BY THOMAS r.. HENRY.

BY THOMAS II. HENRY.
The Coast and Geodetic Survey is
moving out OF It's old neighborhood after
nearly hundred years.
Within the next few weeks the
ponderous machinery, records and
scientific instruments of this colorful
branch of the Government service will
be taken to the vacant building at 1l9
D street from the present quarters
opposite the House ONCE Building on
New Jersey avenue. The change is
necessitated by the Government build
ing program, but old employees of the
survey lok upon it as the closing of a
picturesque and romantic chapter.
Since the service was born its head
quarters have been in the immediate
neighborhood Of New Jersey avenue and
G street.
Even before It actually came into
being, it is likely, there was an asso-
citation with this neighborhood, for here
was located the boarding house Of
Thomas Jefferson, across stubble field
from the Capitol. Jefferson must have
had some project in his mind before he
became President. 1t was during his
second term, on February 10. 1907, that
the Coast Survey was authorized by
Congress and Ferdinand Hassler was
named the first director. The prelimi-
nary work continued until the War OF
1912, when there was long Interrupt
ton. 1t was not resumed until 1882,
when Hassler again took up the reinS.
Progress Record Long.
Since then there has been a record
OF uninterrupted progress. 1t started
when the United States had only about
10000 miles of coast line. Today, with
Alaska, the Philippines and other is
land possessions, this Nation has 103,-
600 miles fronting the sea, all of which
has been charted by the Coast and
Geodetic Survey. This accounts only
for the general coast line. If all the
inlets, coves and indentations are
counted the number of miles skyrockets
into figures usually reserved for high
finance.
The cid building which now is being
vacated has been the scene of great
scientific triumphs. of the construction
of marvellous machines and the head
quarters of expeditions into vast wilder
nesses and uncharted seas. About its
halls linger traditions of the frozen
mountains of Northern Alaska and of
vanishing islands in the
Southern seas.
For four years the home of the Coast
and Geodetic Survey was in Ferdinand
Hassler's buggy. The first director kept
the records tucked away under the seat.
HaSsler was one of the most colorful
figures in The scientific history of WASH
ington. He was mathematician Of
rare genius and his egocentricity was
almost as marked as his ability.
Once the criticism was raised that he
was drawing as much pay as the Sec
rotary of the Treasury.
What of it?" he asked. ANY Presi-
dent can make Secretary OF the
Treasury. But only God Almighty can
make a Ferdinand Hassler."
He was a Swiss, protege of Thomas
Jefferson, and a professor of mathe-
mates at West Point. In 1886 an
assistant was given him. Hes hired a
room in one of a row of three brown
stone-front houses at New Jersey avenue
and G streets, where the Potomac Hotel
now stands, and kept the records there.
This location remained the quarters OF
the Survey until Hassler died. Under
his direction the service was Employing
a maximum Of 100 engineers ard 20
sailing vessels. His mathematical
genius was largely responsible for this
AdpLO SIOWth.
Anecdotes of Hassler are numerous.
Living before the days of rail trans
portation, he was obliged to take long
Journeys by coach and he always carried
with him Swiss music box that he
might hear the Alpine tunes Of his old
home.
Franklin's Grandson Successor.
He was succeeded by Alexander
Dallas Bache, grandson of Benjamin
Franklin, and one of the most dis
of American scientists. He
hired the next house in the row OF
fronts and used one or two
rooms as the Coast and Geodetic Sur
vey Office, while his family occupied the
remainder as a home. Bache died in
1867, after nearly quarter Of GEN.
fury of service. Upon the foundations
laid down by Hassler, Bache mapped
out the program OF the survey largely
as it is today, taking into consideration
the scientific progress of the inter-
vening years. Before he died the office
was moved across the street into two
still standing, 311 and 313
New Jersey avenue. G street had not
been cut through. The year after his
death his successor. Benjamin Pierce,
took over 315, the third building in the
row.
PIERCE was professor of mathematics
at Harvard and continued to hold this
position while head of the Coast and
Geodetic Survey.
He inaugurated the survey of the
newly acquired territory of Alaska. He
chains of triangleS, extending across
country by a trigonometrical survey
which was declared at the time as the
most remarkable work of its kind ever
undertaken by any government. He
resigned In 1874.
Succeeded by Patterson.
He was succeeded by Garlic Pollock
Patterson, q former naval officer, who
held the post for seven years, after
which came julius Erasmus Hilgard.
Hilgard was a distinguished scientist
who had spent practically all his life
in the Coast and Geodetic Survey
service.
The next director was Frank M.
Thorn, chief clerk of the Internal Rev
enue Bureau. He was succeeded by DIR.
Thomas @. Mendenhall. In 1894, Gen.
William Ward Duffield was appointed
superintendent. He served for three
years. after which an astronomer,
Henry smith Pritchett, became. super
intendent and held the office during the
trying days Of the Spanish War. The
next superintendent was Otto Hilgard
Tittmari, who was followed in 1915 by
Col. e. Lester Jones, the present di-
rector.
The present building fronts on New
Jersey avenue and extends back to
South Capitol street. It was purchased
by the Government in 1891 for $155, 900,
but had been occupied by the Coast