Ob 2a IN MEMORIAM FLORIAN CAJORl TRANSLATION FROM THE aERMAN OF THK MEMOIRS FERDINAND RUDOLPH jHASSLER UY EMIL ZSGHOKKE PUBLISHED IN AAUAi: SWIT/EHL AND 1877 WITH Sll'l'I.KMENTARY IUMIMKaT Publish.ul 1882 NICE PHI" s'TIXG OFFICE ; V.-KUG. r.Ar'riiii- 1 , Descente dc la Caserne, 1 U AND C" U2jq/q^ MEMOIRS OF FERDINAND RUDOLPH HASSLER TRANSLATION FROM THE GERMAN OF THE MEMOIRS FERDINAND RUDOLPH HASSLER BY EMIL ZSGHOKKE PUBI^rSHED IN AARAU SWITZERLAND 1877 WITH SUPPLEMENTARY DOCUMENTS Published 1882 : ;. • ; •. • • ••• NICE PRINTING OFFICE V.-EUG. GAUTHIER AND C 1, Descente de la Caserne, 1 U4 Ai- CAJ^'^f PREFACE I cannot better preface this translation than by tendering my thanks to M. Emit Zschokhe for his just appreciation of my Father's works and personal worth; in his Memoir of the Engi- neer F. R. Hassler , published in Aarau Swit- zerland 1877 J which I thought it my duty both to the Author and to my Father to translate^ hoping also that it might encourage his de- scendants and other young men to devote their youth to serious studies, that they may ac- quire as good a name as F. R. Hassler did. I regret I did not see the Memoir till Au- gust 1881. Mr Hassler laboured under the same diffi- culties that all students do ; he was so absorb- ed in his studies, that he had very little time for social intercourse with general society and therefore was frequently xinjustly judged. The reader must look neither for style or method in this volume which contains a — 6 - collection of detached facts elicited princi- pally by the Debates in Congress, which will have interest to those who have watched the development of science and the career of the man who was called '^ the Father of science in the United States ". The speeches made in Congress show, that, in fact there never were two loays of thinking on the Coast Survey among those ivho were competent judges of the subject. I have given the pro and con, let the reader form his own opinion . All ^nen cajoable of judging the question in Europe as luell as in the United States, wero^ Mr Hassler's warm friends . I could give many more documents to prove what I ad- vance, but the limits of this work will not allow me to produce them. Mr Hassler's voluminous correspondance with Presidents Jefferson, Madison & Monroe and with the principal men of science in Europe prove that he loas appreciated. When President Madison's ill health did not permit him to torite, the vjell knoion and charming Mrs Madison carried on the correspondance until Mr Madison's death. The friendships between President Jeffer- - 7 - son and Mr Hassler began ivith the arrival of \ the latter in the United States and lasted till the death of the President. My Father refus- ed a decoration from the Russian Emperor ; it is against the laws of the United States for any in their service io accept presents or de- corations from foreign Powers. He would have done the same with the Cross of the Le* gion of Honour ivhich arrived after his death. I R. L. HASSLER NORRIS. TRANSLATION FROM THE GERMAN OF EMIL ZSGHOKKE PUBLISHED IN AARAU SWITZERLAND (0 1877 While the name of Hassler the great Swiss Engineer continues to be highly honoured in the United States of North America, he is almost forgotten in his own country and is now only named by the learned members of his own profession. It is therefore only an act of justice to revive his memory in order to arouse the emulation of the Swiss youth ! Ferdinand Rudolph Hassler whose career we here attempt to depict was born on the (1) Besides the intelligence which I obtained personally in Aarau I have made use principally of that excellent work " Biographien zur Kulturgeschichte der Rchweitz von D"" Ru- \\^ dolf Wolf, Professor of Astronomy in Zurich, 2 volume. — 10 — 7* of October 1770 in the^ at that time, small municipal town of Aarau. He belonged to a distinguished and wealthy family of citizens . His father possessed a renowned manufactory , of watches, and also filled several official Posts. In 1779 he was made Member of the Town Council, in 1781 was placed at the head of the Board of Taxes, in 1783 Accountant to the Council, in 1788 Superintendant of the Public Works, in 1795 he was made paymas- ter and in 1804 was again made Member of the, town Council. The most lucrative of his places was .that of Superintendant of the Qathedr-a] , as such he had control over the livings of, t;"he-X<^rominster Institution of Lu- zern which were situated in Aargan. The best use which he made of his income was in giving to his only son ( he had besides two daughters ) a superior education than was usually given at that period to young citizens . Of the early history of Ferdinand Rudolph we have little or nothing to relate. Without doubt he frequented the Latin school in his native town, and afterwards, while still young, was sent to enter the University of Berne. According to his father's wish he was there to devote himself to the study of the law ; but when he had occupied himself with this study for some time, he felt that he was not — 11 — created for a Lawyer ; while an innate voca- tion drew him towards mathematical studies. What contributed probably to this, was the fact that John George Tralles of Hamburg, the first mathematician of the age, was from the year 1785, Professor at the University. On account of his extraordinary scientific know- ledge and of the service which he had render- ed the town Tralles was presented with the rights of Helvetic citizenship^ as is stated in his Diploma. Animated by his example Ilas- sler hung jurisprudence on the nail and devoted himself for the rest of his life to the study of the exact sciences. Tralles from his great desire for the advancement of his pupils was some times rough in giving his lessons, and it was complained of him that his expositions were above the comprehension of many who studied under him, Hassler, who was among the most gifted of his pupils was not intimidated by him. Day and night he laboured with enthusiastic zeal to solve the problems in the exercises given to him and thereby laid a foundation of knowledge for the future. Between him and his master there soon arose a close and sincere friend- ship. They commenced great undertakings in common, in which Hassler made a practical use of the theories learnt in the school-room. — 12 — Maps of Switzerland were already in exis- tence and also of some detached parts of the same country; but they were in general, ta- ken from superficial Surveys and therefore inexact and unreliable. This deficiency was felt more and more. In civilized States good Maps are indispensable^ as much for the right government of the country as for higher scien- tific aims. Professor Tralles had previously executed small surveys and had ascertained the height of the mountains of some districts, as a beginning for making a topographical re- presentation of the canton of Berne. This w^ork was now to be carried forward on a lar- ger scale. In the first place by a mathematical measurement or survey of the plain of Aargau in order to have a basis upon which triangu- lation could be carried out. This plain is known to have an extent of one German mile a marshy strip of land between the Lakes of Murten and Neuenburg on the right shore of the Broye; wiien the waters of this little river overflow^ this low-land is often inundated. This was in the Autumn of 1791; Ferdinand Rudolf at that time twenty one years of age, not only applied himself with the greatest industry to this work, but furnished the whole expenses out of his own purse. ^ ,We see from this, how ready his father was to promote his studies. Measurements — 13 — were taken with the steel chain and the dis- tance of one extremity to the other decided to be 40, 188 Parisian feet. The landmarks of these extremities, viz : blocks of stone furnished with metal spikes , were found forty three years later, quite unconsumed when a new measurement was taken by order of Gj^neral Dufour and were retained as landmarks- In tlie^ame Autumn 1791, also at Hassler's expense, the triangular net was adopted, and several summits of the Jura : Chasseral, Beau- mont, Hassenmatte were measured with it. From the great distance which had to be over- come the previous Instruments of measure- ment were found to be insufficient. Tralles now perceived that the means of a private individuel could not suffice for the undertaking. He therefore addressed an ur- gent appeal for assistance to the Economical Society in Berne and through that to the Government itself. In consequence of the im- portance of the affair the latter granted a present gift of 150 louis d'or for procuring instruments, especially one called the verticle (circle Azimuhalkreis). This was ordered at the manufactory of the celebrated mechanician .Ramsden, in London, and was to be delivered in two years ; it was however delayed for an indefmite period in consequence of the war of the French Republic with Europe, which at V — 14 — last prevented all direct communication, and for this reason it was not sent to Berne till the year 1797. This interval of long and anxious expecta- tion was employed by Hassler partly in small Surveys with a view to the regulation of the frontiers of the Cantons of Berne and Solo- thurn which he had been commissioned to make^ partly and indeed principally in travel- ling. In the summer of 1793, he and Tralles arrived in Paris where they were vindistur- bed by the bloody reign of terror ; which made a decree in that year permitting emigra- tion to Paris and to France ; they went there for the purpose of observing an eclipse of the sun. The 5*^ of September the day on which this celestial event took place, was however so cloudy as to render all their observations of no effect. In the same and in the following year Hassler travelled through Germany. He passed some weeks in December in Gotha, with the renowned Zack, Geographer, and Astronomer, who describes him in his ^*Ephe- meriden ". '^ as a clever, good, and learned young man whose acquaintance he was plea- sed to have made ". In the Spring of 1794 we find him at Gottingen, in July at Cassel, every where occupied with his serious studies. In the summer of 1796 he returned to Paris. When at last the mathematical instruments — 1 arrived from London the two friends, after an interruption of six years, gladly recommenced the Survey of the Aargau Lowlands. The Go- vernment of Berne ordered an annual grant of 75 Louis d'or for four years. In the follow- ing Spring the Triangulation was to be con- tinued, but now came an interruption as unexpected as it was terrible. The year 1790 was full of the gravest events for Switzerland. The French came conquering on; Berne, Solothurn and Freiburg were taken, the old City monuments with their aristocratic Go- vernment were destroyed, and upon the ruins of the old Confederation arose the United Swiss Republic. A lengthened period of fer- mentation, disputation and internal destruc- tion follow^ed. Under these circumstances the continuation of this work of Peace was not to be thought of. It w^as a subject of rejoicing that the French who plundered the treasury of Berne did not also declare the precious instruments of sur- vey to be good booty. The large Theodolite was only saved by Tralles having cunningly taken it to pieces and the French general Scha- uenberg rejected the single parts of it as if they were worthless. In these dark times Hass- ler withdrew to his native town of Aarau, where shortly before the storm of Feb. 1798 he had established a home by marrying Ma- 4 - 16 ^ riaiine Gaillard of Murten whose acquain- ,. /'tance ho had doubtless made during his ^ Vsojourn in that lake district. The marriage ^ was blessed with seven children, five sons and two daughters, many of whom were born during his after residence in America. To his sons he gave the excellent names of classical Antiquity, *" Alexander ' ^ Scipio ' ^ (Eneas ^ and Ulysses. His wife, at least according to rumour in Aarau, was possessed of great viva- city but was not of a very domestic turn. Perhaps on account of this, and probably slill more, from the cessation of the survey, during the year of the Revolution, the receipts being in arrears the domestic cares of Hassler in- creased. He sought other occupation, for a long time he was employed for his Father in Church affairs and appeared also as Attorney- General, in which occupation his early study of law in the college of Berne was very useful to him. In the mean time he was strongly drawn towards his real vocation in life. Several times fortune seemed again to smile upon him in a friendly way. Several new commissions were proposed to him and Tralles, which required for their execution a topographical map of Switzerland but they always fell to the ground. What was the most bitter, was the news that afterwards in the vear 1802 the Helvetic — 17 — Confederation had communicated to Berthier the War Minister of France its consent to his dictatorial order that French engineers should take up the work of the Swiss ; and in reality a swarm of 60 Chefs de Genie came in. How dependant was the Fatherland at that time on the will of the overbearing Governors ! — But truly nothing came of this matter. After those foreigners had wandered about in Switzerland for some time^ they disappeared as they had come and from their actvity or inactivity there appeared no trace. Circumstances like these decided our Ilassler^ and we cannot blame him for it, if gradually his decision was made to quit Switzerland, which seemed to bear no roses for him and to emigrate to the New World. He was besides persuaded to this by a certain Marcel — of whose origin and position in life we can find nothing exact. He proposed the plan of buying large tracts of land in South Carolina and of colonizing them^With this view a Company was formed ; at least 500 Shares at 180 Swiss francs were to be issued, to each Shareholder were to be assigned from 60 to 100 Acres. The affair was listened to in various parts of Switzerland and Hassler was very enthusiastic in it. The oppo- sition of his family delayed his departure for a long time, it was not till the summer of 1805 that it was put in execution. — 18 — Hassler took leave of his father and of his native land which he loved so intensely and which had so often deceived him . With wife and child he sailed across the blue ocean, full of bright hopes that he would realise on the other side of it the ideas of his youth; he had already reached the zenith of manhood, his science had already reached a high grade and there existed in him an ardent desire to render service to mankind. Scarcely had he and his family reached the land of America, settled themselves temporarily in Philadelphia when blow after blow^ of harder trials than ever fell upon him. The Bank of Shares was placed in the funds of the State of South Carolina. The money could not be made cur- rent when required, the undertaking languish- ed. It caused much bitter quarelling and the end was that the capital and interest were irrevocably lost. The necessary caution was not taken and there may have been concealed trickery ; who can now decide? Hassler's confidence in that Agent was shamefully abused, and in consequence he found himself suddenly plunged in the direst necessity and scarcely possessed enough to maintain his family honourably. In order to buy bread for the moment he was obliged to sell part of his precious library brought from Europe. If5 a happy hour a rich Englishman — 19 — who highly prized the science of the Swiss emigrant advanced him a considerable loan. This worthy man was named John Vaughan. When, some years later Ilassler paid his debt, Mr. Vaughan remembered nothing about it, and was ^eatly pleased with Swiss rectitude. It w^as not till after a two years residence in Philadelphia during which time, among other misfortunes Hassler had to bear a severe illness, that his good fortune began to smile upon him again. The Congress of the United States under the Presidency of the high mind- ed Jefferson decided in the year 1807 on the Survey of the whole of the Coasts and Har- bours of the Union as well as of the sounding of the depths of the seas. At a previous expo- sition of plans sent in by the candidates for this great and important undertaking Hassler s was preferred and the appointment given to him. It was thenceforth the principal work of his life, the execution of which gave him the fame of being one of the first men of science of his time. But before he arrived at that point of success he had a heap of difficulties to over- come, instruments for the survey failed here as they had also been wanting in Switzerland. It was found requisite to order them in London. It was proposed that Hassler should go there himself, this project was delayed for many year^ in consequence of the continued war in — 20 — Europe, through which North America herself had much to suffer. In this interval he obtain- ed the honourable post of professor of mathe- matics and natural philosophy in the famous military school in West point. Through this appointment not only were his dorrftstic diffi- culties lightened but he was placed in a posi- tion which enabled him to progress in his scientific labours, In the summer of 1811, his embassy was made to London, he was obliged to remain four years in that town, till all was finished. The number of instruments which were re- quired for trigonometrical survey, and for deciding the geographical position of certain places was uncommonly great. It was also pro- posed to erect two observatories. Many of these instruments were of an entirely new construction and were made according to Hassler's description or drawing so that he was obliged to watch carefully over their con- struction. He went again to Paris on this business ; after the death of his father he visited Aarau for the purpose of receiving his inheritance. This money came to him at an opportune moment. The Government of England being at en- mity with the United States, seized all North American property, including Hassler's in- struments; and he being in some degree a 21 prisoner of war received no remittances from the other side of he Ocean. This embarrass- ment did not however last long as several in- fluential men of England came to his aid. With the Peace of 1815 the instruments were ready and he was able to embark with them. On the 22'''^ of October he again arrived in Philadelphia. From thence he went to Newark an important town of New Jersey, twelve miles from New York^ were he resided with his family for some years. The great work began in 1816, Hassler had under his direction a very considerable number of assis- tants, principally young officers and soldiers, his eldest son was a volunteer assistant. Hass- ler received a salary of 5,000 dollars. All was in satisfactory progress, when two years later a violent political storm caused a change of Presidents and with it unexpected and repeated interruption to the work. For a long time it had been a thorn in the side to American engineers that a foreigner should gain such laurels in preference to them. Of what is not envy capable ! Their rancour succeeded in carrying a Bill through Congress by which the Survey was to be made over to native Engineers. Hassler was not given an opportunity of justifying himself against these unjust accusations. There remained nothing for him to do, but to collect his Drawings, — 22 — Calculations, Writings and Instruments and send them to the War Department in Phila- delphia, to be left there in custody. Yilpquestionably this was one of the hardest blows of fate which he experienced throughout his life; all his brightest hopes seemed to be for ever annihilated ! He bore his hard lot with the calm indifference of a philosopher who can be misconstrued but cannot be bent. The first question was; where shall I go? and what shall I do ? The answer was soon found : Away in rural solitude ! He went into the north of the New York States where he purchased a farm on the St. Lawrence river. After the example of the Roman Cincinnatus he laboured actively at husbandry; but he devoted the greatest part of liis time to his mathematical studies! Above all he employed his hours of leisure in preparing his defence for print. This book attracted the greatest attention from all persons of cultivated intel- lect. All persons distinguished for their lear- ning in Europe as well as in America testified that Hassler's inventive genius for solving the difficulties of Coast Survey had chosen a path not yet trodden and that this hitherto unknown road must lead to the desired result. Without doubt this general recognition opened to him at a later period the way to new activity. Besides this, ^Hassler wrote in 23 his remote farm many other mathematical and physical works, most of them in the English language, many of which were widely dispers- ed and were even introduced into the Educa- tional Institution of the United States?^ He sent copies of all his writings to his native town of Aarau, these copies have been preserved and are now in the library of the Canton. He always maintained a close inter- course with Switzerland aild wrote to Carl Hei^osee the friend of his youth in the year 1827 in Avhich year was founded the mecha- nics School in Aarau, Carl HeSrosee beinor one of the founders of this Institution. He died on the 11^^ of June 1855. In his correspondance with Ilerosee Hassler spoke at length of his strug- gles^ his victories^ and his defeats ; among other things of his longing to see again the beautiful valley of the Aar ! A man so richly gifted and of such energy must at last be appreciated ; it could not be otherwise. Amongst his enemies there was not one who could replace him and the nation felt more and more that he had been treated with great injustice. After he had been nearly tuelve years in his rural retreat he was recall- ed to official activity. Shortly afterwards the Chief officer of the Excice of New York gave, him the place of guager ; then he received the honourable and 2^ difficult mission of regulating the standards of Weights and Measures througout the United States^ which at that time were very various. This occupied the laborious man for two years; (from 1830 to 1832) when he had suc- cessfully finished his task he received marks of satisfaction not only from his employers but the whole nation. Hassler had rendered a not from unimportant service to his adopted country . The immediate consequence of which was that in July 1832 Congress annulled the law which had existed for fourteen years by which Hassler had been so shamefully dis- placed from the Coast Survey. The execution of this work was again given to the distin- guished Swiss Engiaeer. During that long space of time scarcely any thing had been done in the matter. Now began the most successful and the most famous period in the life of our friend. Of the extent of his work we can form an idea when we hear that at the time of his death, the surface of 30,000 square miles had been measured, calculated and defined with the greatest exactitude, now, for the first time did the world have a clear knowledge of the shores washed by the Atlantic Ocean, of the North American dominions in their extraor- dinary extent from North to South as well as — 25 — of the depth of the sea all along the coast. The importance of this knowledge for navigation and for commerce as well as for many other interests both of the state and of private indi- viduals is incalculable. The performance of this work required as great an outlay of men- tal as of material strength. In the single year of 1844 the sum of 100,000 dollars was applied to the trigonometrical, topographical, and hy- drographical works. For instance in the same year which we have cited above 100 engi- neers were employed under Hassler's direc- tion. A great number of excellent instruments were placed at their disposal. Twenty large and small vessels were constantly sailing on the coasts ; on the land when in inhospitable places they encamped under tents. During eleven years the works progressed without interruption the mind which governed the whole, omni present, assisting and watching every where was Hassler's. Although already an old man there still glowed the fire of youth in him. He bore courageously all exertion, he looked after the fatiguing work in the admi- nistration of his Office with the most untiring zeal and at the same time he continued his extensive correspondance with the first men of science in Europe and America. He had a travelling carriage prepared for him which conveyed him rapidly to all points of the sur- — 26 — vey; in this carriage he could seat himself at a writing table or dispose himself for sleep. Fortunately his pecuniary affairs were now favourably arranged, he drew from Congress a yearly income of 6,000 dollars and he had besides the proceeds of his published works. The title which he bore as Government Offi- cial was ^' Superintendant of the United States Coast Survey ". With regard to the character of Hassler, |ejery one who had intercourse with him join- ed in pronouncing the judgement that great talent and goodness of heart were united in him in an extraordinary degree. There was no dark spot in his life though his enemies tried to bring him under suspicion. The motto which he bore in his heart and which he acted on both in prosperity and in days of trial was this : * ' The duty of every man is to be honest and to do good ". ^ . ::>Y Die PfLicht eines je)^en Menschen ist, recht- schaffen zu sein und Gutes zu thiinj. Professor Alexander a learned North American has given a profound description of his character in the following words : M. Hassler enjoyed in his life time the greatest respect, such as has rarely been accorded to any one in this country of North America, and to his honour it may be asserted that he was esteemed more on account of his moral and intellectual capa- 27 bilities than of any peculiar aptitude for his technical work and knowledge. It is true that these capabilities were at the same time great and limited, they were well developped but they were more avantageous to those whom he instructed than they were favourable to the comfort or wellbeing of the labourers under him. He was fearless, industrious and patient; possessed of great self confidence. No one feared his enemies less or loved his friends better than he did, he was also sympathetic and kind-hearted (though this testimony is not generally given in his favour,) Moreover he exercised a stern self-control during many years with a certain grace, concealing the suffer- ings of the body, and the wounds of the soul, so deep and painful, that all thought of the dignity of suffering would have been driven away from the mind of many a man who held himself to be strong. Nature had also dealt liberally with him in regard to his intellect. His finely formed forehead concealed a brain lively in conception and strong in retaining a firm hold of the impress. The whole organisation was fitted for a ma- thematician, he possessed also ^it and humour with a certain taste for instruction wHich like the carbonic acid in some wines (forms a gas useless for breathing; but is of service in ren- dering the wine more spirituous and piquant. — 28 — Persons who did not know him intimately were indined to the presupposition that this acuteness of which he made such free use, was on the whole superabundant; but the fact is, that on account of his horror of all preten- sion he rose above it and kept himself within the due bounds of fitting modesty; judging correctly betw^een the reality and the pre- tension. He was really a truthful man^ all groundless pretension, what is generally called Humbug inspired him with aversion, he had no mercy for it; he lashed it with the whole weight of hrs logic and the sharpness of his sarcasm, those who knew him were aware that he could be both weighty and cutting. We may also add that Hassler notwithstanding his long re- sidence in America always preserved his Swiss nature and a preference for the land of his birth- It is touching to know that in his fa- tiguing journies in his carriage he always carried with him a musical box and during his most arduous work on the sea shore found re- freshment in listening to the melodies of his country. He felt a very strong affection for his native town and often sent his greetings to it. In the year 1804, he made the acquaintance of a soldier of Elsass, named Esser, who after the battle of Zurich, in which he was wounded. i> - 29 — remained in Zurich. Being an excellent me- chanic and son of that friend of humanity Rudolph Meyer, he was induced to sojourn in Aarau. Hassler sent for his excellent case of instruments made use of them by preference for his drawings and thereby was the cause of that manufactory of Aarau coming into great renown. It is acknowledged by the expe- rienced in that line, that the quotations of the pupils of Esser : Hommel, Kern, and Gyst are among the best. Unfortunately the gigantic work of the Survey of the Coasts of America by Hassler was not quite completed. Death removed him in his seventy third year after a short illness on the scene of his activity. The intelligence of his death was echoed painfully from one end of the United states to the other. jQliaxlgg^ ^^saaA Fenderick a Swiss wrote..i!C) . .Henry Schokke^ in these terms, on the subject of the last days of Hassler : *^ In the name of the Hassler fa- mily I am deputed to communicate the sad intelligence of the demise of our highly res- pected friend F. R. Hassler superintendant of the United States Coast Survey on the 20*^ November 1843. His death took place in Phi- ladelphia, at seven o'clock in the evening he slept in the Lord. He was buried in that town with marks of the highest respect and honour. For the work — 30 — which he began the loss of this great and amiable man is irreparable. M. Hassler had been subject to a catarrh for five or six months, it did not appear to be dangerous, but it suddenly increased with the rough and stormy weather of October. Unfortunately he was at that time in camp, surveying the State of Delaware when a storm of snow and rain burst over the tents, so that he as well as the others was obliged to pass the night on wet beds, many were even drowned. All the food was spoiled. Notwithstanding this state of things he con- tinued to work late in the night, his energetic character did not allow him to repose ; at last a bad fever accompanied by inflammation of the lungs destroyed his powerful constitution. He quitted the Survey Station and travelled to Philadelphia to seek medical aid ; but alas ! it was too late ! Mr Hassler died in-possession of his power- ful intellect, one might well say : he fell a sacrifice to this great undertaking ! A few days before his death he finished his half yearly Report to Congress, and wrote his journal himself, up tothe last moment. So he departed in greatness and in fame after a laborious service in the cause of science. His numerous family, the many friends whom he had gained deplore the loss of this benevolent man, this — 31 — friend of humanity . He died as he had hved a philosopher. Three physicians attended him during his illness. When the last appeared he greeted him 'with these words : '' Doctor, I rejoice to see you, but all your efforts to extri- cate me from my triangle are in vain ! " After an illness of scarcely six days he passed away quietly in the midst of his children. The Government of the United States ho- noured him by bestowing his name on one of the armed ships of exploration. An Epitaph on the waves of the Ocean as simple as it was great ! <*) It was probably at the time of his sojourn in Aarau in the commencement of the year 1798 that Hassler placted a Sundial on the south side of the parish Church at Aarau which remains to this day uninjured. SKETCH OF HIS LIFE BY F. R. HASSLER / '^i-tr'/a-H^ — 35 — To comply with the wish of some friends. I will here state by way of a short sketch the principal events of my life. F. R. Hassler. 1'' My schooling time over, my Father secur- ed to me an office, which according to the state of the country in the year 1786 would have been secure for life giving me full inde- pendance in my native place of Aarau. 2°^ Thus secured I entered as volunteer an administration bureau in Berne, which had the business of the Landed Property and Landed Revenue property of the Republic, the feudal and other landed property dispositions in res- pect to the care of the revenue, it had also the archives under its care and all surveyings. S"**^ In this position I was therefore initiated in public business, so much the more as the Chief was a man of great talent, of much in- fluence and I had his special confidence and good will, so that he trusted me with the di- rection of business including the surveying part, the work being all voluntary. I generally passed the summer in surveying, the winter in the office and still more in studies at the political Institute, which was then the best pu- blic Institution in Berne and free, without Col — 36 — legiate or Compulsory rules — studying Juris- prudence under Professor Kuhn^ Anthropology under : State rights under Tuban Besides which I followed closely private mathematical instruction with Professor Tral- les of the Institution. 4*^^y It was in this pursuit extended to practise that I measured with Mr Tralles and at my expense in 1791, the base line for the survey of Switzer and of 40,000 french feet, which I mark- ed with large granite monumental stones which have since served for the survey of all Switzerland and which a remeasurement has found correct. A few years ago when the French finding their calculations in their junc- tion with it pretended to accuse it of errors while it, on the contrary corrected their errors. 5*^ In 179 4 I went to Paris, introduced myself to the Astronomer Lande to Chevalier Borda Astronomer, Delandre and Lavoisier, collected a fine mathematical and diplomatic Library. 6*^ Almost immediately after in the same year I went to the Observatory of Gotha, staying with its Astronomer Baron Zack. Thence to Gottingen where I studied Natural philosophy under Professor Lichtenberg, His- tory under Spitler and Putler, Diplomacy under Gutterer and politics under Schloezer^ 37 whose definition of politics was the art of ci- vihzing mankind. 7*^" After a stay at home in surveying and other works of the office, I left again 1796, for Paris, there frequenting the school of mines for mineralogy under Hany, for chemistry under Vanguelin, and Jauvery, having also entered the Polytechnic school and frequenting other scientific lectures. I again hough t a valuable increase of my mathematical instruments and library (many of the books are now in the Coast Survey library, a number at the military Academy Westpoint and others otherwise dis- posed of) a repeating circle of Lenoir of 1 foot diameter the standard toise, yet present lent for the comparison of the standards of this country by M. Vaughan of Philadelphia, to whom I sold it together with a standard metre, kilogramme and a troy pound (which, when I brought it to this country was exactly equal to that of the mint in Philadelphia) besides other valuable objects of science, I had at that time 16 or 20 volumes. 4*^ a folio of lectures work- ed out that I had heard, and similar works, results of my studies, some of which I gave away on leaving Switzerland in 1805. S*"" Thence I continued as before in my office, the economical Society of Berne having taken up the further continuance of the survey I had begun 1791 at my expense. I worked still on it gratis a short time. — As we had received from Ramsden in England a 3 feet Theodohte simi- lar in principle^ but superior in construction to that used by general Roy in England &c. &c., but the revolution of Switzerland in 1798, again stopped the further prosecution of the work. ' 9^"With the outbreak of the revolution by French influence and war, the situation of my prospects in life changed, I married however at that very moment. 40*^ Without taking any share in the actual revolution on either side, I was however so situated, that being called in consultation, w^henno government actually existed, it happen- ed that I penned the declaration of separa- tion of the new^ canton formed around my na- tive place from that of Berne, with which it had been united, and I had the pleasure to find all parties fully satisfied with the manner in which this step was expressed to the public &c. &c, ^1^ Always elected by the community of my fellow citizens of Aarau or by the successive administrations or legislations I passed va- rious offices. 1'' Deputy Governor organizing the new Municipalities. 2°"^ Attorney general of the country having all the criminal procedure to guide, none being — 39 — admitted to the cantonal court without my ad- mission. 'S"^ One of the two Attorney generals of the supreme court of all Switzerland in which situation I remained till the mediation act gave again to each canton its own jurisdiction, during this time I worked occasionally at the [ triangulation of Switzerland extending it each i side of the base. ^ 12*'' Returning home my fellow citizens placed me by their votes in the city council where the superintendance of the public buildings and the care of the archives were committed to me, and the legislature elected me member suppliant of the supreme Court where I was called to every sitting and had again princi- pally the criminal procedures entrusted to me. My office received in 1786 was however j not yet extinct and presented a steady re- ; source. 13*^ It was under these circumstances that foreseeing that changes w^ould occur in the organization of the Swiss government too much dependant on the chances of the French Revolution and the general political quabbles of Europe. I suffered myself to be induced to accept the proposition to join with two other friends in an association to establish in this country on land with a society of share- holders of whom we 3 friends received procu- — 40 — ration for all management. I left in conse- quence my native place the 15"" of May 1805, with wife, children, servants, and besides 96 trunks or bales or similar for down the Rhine. 14*^ Having chartered in Amsterdam the ship Liberty 350 tons from Philadelphia we arrived at that port in September. My partner having undated the funds which I had sent to him to Paris in a claim upon South Carolina there was a to do to try to get something for the nominal 120,000 ''Vro which he had purchased, but that, as well as the advances which I had made of the passages of part of the company (of 120) and the general provision for the vessel were all not only losses but left debt for maintaining a partner in Charleston which could only be paid long after. FERDINAND RUDOLPH HASSLER. AN EXTRACT FROM ^' SILLIMAN'S JOURNAL " — 43 — Translation from Mr Schumacher's Astro- nomical Journal Hamburgh n° 137. On the plans, arrangements and methods, proposed and used by Mr F. R. Hassler with a view to an accurate survey of the coast of the United States, by the Chevalier E. W. Bessel, Pro- fessor in the University of Konigsberg ; com- municated by Prof. Renwick of Columbia College New York. In 1807, Mr Hassler, then in Philadephia, was requested on the part of the government of the United States to furnish a plan for the survey of the whole coast of that country. This was done in a letter to Mr Gallatin which proves great insight into the nature of such operations. It is evident from it, that the survey was to have been of great extent and such as should satisfy the requisites both of geography and of navigation. In consequence of this plan Mr II. went to England to procure the necessary instru- ments, &G. A most complete apparatus was brought together, consisting principally of instruments constructed upon Mr Hsssler's j ideas, and in the year 1816 the operation itself ; — 44 — began. It appears to have been interrupted soon after and therefore not to have given the expected results. But Mr H. describes his arrangements and methods in a paper which has also been print- ed as an Extract from the Philosophical Transactions of Philadelphia, v^hich contains so many new views in relation to instruments that I believe I shall make an agreeable com- munication to the readers of this journal by an extract from this paper which has probably not become very extensively known in Ger- many. Mr H. appears by it, to be a man who would rather think for himself than imitate others, and whose arrangements therefore, always bear an independent character. It is to be lamented that circumstances should have occurred vdiich hindered the complete execution of the work. To judge from the contents of the publication, not only complete success in reaching the intended object, would have been obtained, but also many other useful results. According to Mr H's plan two observatories were to be established one in Washington ,and one in New Orleans; these were calcu- lated not only for the purposes of the survey, but also to observe the general objects of astro- nomy. Of the observatory for Washington the whole plan is given, which appears to me 45 very appropriate: it recommends itself by a minute attention to all that can secure the accuracy of the observations; we miss in it none of those arrangements which on this side of the Atlantic have been made in the most modern observatories; in its special ar- rangements this observatory often agrees with the most modern one in Germany, that ol Altona ! The instruments are a transit of five feet of Troughton ; a clock of Hardy, an eighteen inch repeating circle ; there were also to be placed in it finally a zenith rector and a meridian (mural) circle, etc. I cannot de- scribe the building in detail but I will re- mark, that it was to be surrounded by a ditch in order the better to avoid the oscilla- tions of the ground, by the passage of wag- gons etc. The pillars of the instruments were to be placed upon solid bases six feet thick standing in a cellar of five feet depth, and to pass through the floor of the observatory, which was to be supported independent of them. The axis of the transit is thirty three inches long, which also corresponds to the views of lieichenbach, who considers long axes as not advantageous; the cylindrical parts are of bell metal, as usual with the English artists. The supports are not between the pillars but upon them ; a strong metal plate is fixed — 46 — up in the middle of the pillar, bearing the parts which move the Y's and these are moved in the direction of the meridian by screws by which the adjustment to that direction is made ; the usual verticle screw is not in the arrangement ; instead of this the piece bear- ing the Y's, is formed like an arch, the middle of which is supported by a screw, the higher or lower position of which elevates or depresses it by the different degrees of tension of the metal which is produced by the action of the screw and its own elasticity. This me- thod promises to secure complete stability, but it is supposed that the two pillars have the same altitude and also that no remarka- ble change should take place in them. The counterpoising apparatus is placed about five inches from the end , and consists, of springs, which press rollers under the axis performing what Reichenbach effects by le- vers and weights. By Mr H's arrangement, this counterpoising apparatus occupies the place on the pillars, which the supports formerly did, this arrange- ment, likewise, appears to me good; whether it would be applicable to very heavy instru- ments, remains still to be tried. The two conical axes are not joined by a cube in the centre, but by a zone of a sphere of eight inches dia- meter, to which two parts of the telescope - 47 - tube are screwed : this arrangement is made with a view to greater stabiHty. Of the other instruments of Mr H. it will not be possible to give an adequate description without drawings, but I may, however, indi- cate some of their peculiarities. The theodolite of two feet not constructed for requisition, appears to me to possess a peculiarly good construction. From a hexagonal centre piece emanate six horizontal arms, w^hose bases are three inches, and ends one and a half inches in diameter. Upon these arms the two feet horizontal circle is made fast ; three of these cones are longer ; these contain at their ends the screw work from the stands, by which the instrument rests upon these vertical cones of brass, fastened to the wooden stand of the instrument ; between this and the six hori- zontal conical arms, there is room for the verification telescope, which has precisely the arrangement of a transit ; and hangs in the Y's which are fastened underneath , to the oppo- site radii. This telescope has its lateral motion, but the wires in the focus are directed by means of a screw, to the object which is taken as the point of comparison during an obser- vation. In the same hexagonal centre piece is fastened the vertical axis , eleven inches long and two inches in diameter. Upon this re volves a drum nine inches in diameter and five — 48 - and a half inches high ; upon the upper surface of the stand two columns bearing the Y' s for the transit telescope by which the observa- tions are made ; this is a complete transit and the columns are sufficiently elevated to allow its passage through the zenith. The horizontal angles are measured by the revolution of the upper part of the instrument. The suspension of the operations for the survey of the coast of the United States, begun in so admirable a manner by Mr Hassler, may be regarded as a national misfortune. It is such in truth, not so much from the loss of the previous expenditures, in consequence of the delay or from the deferring of its advan- tages to a future period, as from the fact that the principles and methods proposed and some of them actually used by Mr Hassler ; were in advance of the science of Europe at the period. As these principles and methods i^equire the highest proficiency in mathema- tical and physical science their application to practice in the United States would have re- dounded to the national fame. /' The opinion thus expressed by Mr Bessel is 1 praise of the highest description , for no man has ever stood higher as an astronomer than that distinguished professor. ♦ According to Mr Hassler's original plan, one of the observatories was to have been — 49 — established in the State of Maine, near the north eastern frontier, the other in Louisiana near the south western boundary of the Uni- ted States. Circumstances led to the choice of Washington for one; the exact place of the other, though it must have been near New Orleans, was not decided. The close coincidence between the plan proposed by Mr Hassler for the observatory at Washington and erected under the superin- tendence of Schumacher of Altona is very remarkable. This last is unquestionably the best in Europe as well as the most modern. Mr Hassler's plans w^ere presented to our Government in 1816, but his papers were not published till 1826. The observatory at Altona was finished in the last named year. Thus it appears that these two astronomers deduced from obvious principles two plans of the closest similitude, each without any knowledge of the other's proceedings, while the Ameri- can project is prior in point of date by several years. The transit of the observatory at Green- wich is adjusted in this manner, and as it is ten feet in length, all doubt whether the plan be applicable to large instruments is settled by actual experience. The illumination is made through the axis of the telescope, the one side of which is per- forated, the other has an altitude circle of six 50 inches diameter. The axis is about twelve inches long, which is more than the interval between the columns. Its supports are there- fore set upon pieces of brass, elevated above the columns, and extending outwards ; they have the same kind of vertical adjustments as the large transit described above. In relation to the observations with this instrument Mr Hassler properly remarks ; that the eccentricity is equally corrected by means of three equidistant readings, as by two, four or so on ; he also shews that when the vertical axis is not perpendicular to the plane of the horizontal circle the errors of the angle will be corrected if the position of the instrument's place is alternately changed to the three truncated cones of the stand, so as to give the three regularly succeeding posi- tions of a full revolution. These three observa- tions each made in the two diametrically oppo- site positions of the telescope, and by a half revolution of the instrument, give a mean w^hich is free from eccentricity, from any error arising from the inclination of the circle towards the axis or from the inequality in the supports of the axis, the readings being be- sides made upon twelve different parts of the division. This two feet theodolite is very properly considered as the main instrument for the — 51 — survey. For the other observations, repeating theodoHtes of twelve inches, and repeating circles of eighteen inches, repeating reflective circles of ten inches diameter, smaller theodo- lites, needles, planetables, etc., are provided. To the most of these instruments Mr Hassler has given a peculiar construction, but it would be too long and perhaps without figures not sufficiently intelligible to give a description of them here. As signals Mr Hassler employed truncated cones of block tin, about nineteen inches high, seventeen inches diameter at bottom and four- teen at top, these were erected upon poles eight feet high, and rendered the best services. At a distance of about forty (English) miles they appeared as a luminous point when the sun stood so that the rays of it were reflected towards the observer, which lasted during a suOTicient length of time. At sliorter distances the light was so strong that a dark glass was often required for the observation. Here the same principle is made use of, which, in Mr Gaus's's heliotrope, produces such a decided effect, but the advantages of the different ar- rangements are very unequal because the cones of Mr Hassler do not constantly reflect an image of the sun to the observer, while the heliotrope is constantly kept in the position to produce this effect. If the angle of the cone — 52 — is represented by 2 m then the cosine of half the azimuthal angle when light shall be reflect- ed to the observer^ must be equal to the sine of half the sun's altitude divided by the sine of m. This would take place only during a moment if the sun had no diameter, and gene- rally speaking one signal would be invisible, when the other is visible^ but as m is only a small angle used in the cones of Mr Hassler it is only 4** 58' ; and as from the altitude of the sun on account of the magnitude of its disk two limits may be accepted which are at 32* distance from each other^ the azimuthal dis- tance corresponding to the altitudes of the sun which admit of a reflection to the obser- ver in a direction nearly horizontal has a considerable magnitude within these limits ; it therefore can have rarely happened that both the signals needed for the measurement of an angle could have shown at the same time an equally well reflected image of the sun ; it seems therefore that the use of these signals might rather be recommended ta particular cases than generally. However, Mr Hassler says, that even without the direct light of the sun, they also rendered good service, and were visible at great distances. Mr Hassler has also communicated for the comparison of the standard measures of length and the results of their application ; we gain - 53 - , by this new comparison of the French and En- glish measures, which I shall quote more in particular. There were three meters present. One of iron which was one of those made by the committee of weights and measures in Paris 1759, and distributed as authentic among the foreign deputies ; the two others the one brass the other iron were of Lenoir, but not com- pared directly with the original, they therefore were not considered as principal in the result of comparison . These meters were compared with a scale of Troughton of eighty two inches in length divided upon silver to tenth of inches to which is added a micrometric apparatus to take off measures from the scale. Instead of the usual method in comparing a meter a bouts with one at trait ; to place butting pieces with lines drawn near to the end of them ; the distances of which are measured by the microscopes when these pieces are laid together ; M. Hassler em- ployed the end planes themselves ; for that purpose he constructed the butting pieces exactly of the same thickness as the meters, and obtained by the close juxtaposition of both, a line, which presented itself like a di- vision line of the scale. By means of several experiments reduced to 32*" Fah : and adopting the expansion of the iron and the brass, as — 54 — M. H. determined it by his own experiments, namely between the point of melting ice and the boiling heat of water. Iron... ( 0,0012534563 Brass.. | 0,0011896254 The length of the meter was determined to be 39,38102708 inches of the scale, which as the standard temperature of the English mea- sure is 62' Fah, gives the length of the meter in English inches. 39,3810^2708 English • 39,36861 1,6603152709 inches The two copies of meters give less 0,001, inch, but these were compared with both, the scale of Troughton in America, and that Avhich this artist himself uses in London and had upon both very nearly the same length ; whence it may be concluded, that both En- glish scales agreed very nearly. Thus accord- ing to M. H's comparison the meter is 39,36861 English inches, according to the comparison of two other copies by Kater 39,376,79. x\ccord- ing to volume the 3"^ of Base du Systeme Metrique, page 359 the meter platinum was 39,382,755 ; that of iron = 39,382,649 both measured upon the brass scale of M. Pictet, reduced to the temperature of melting ice, at a mean= 39,3827 which according to Borda's I — 55 - expansion for brass 0.601^783 by which the experiments made in Paris were reduced to the point of melting ice from a temperature 12^75 centigrade, at which they were made, gives 39,371,60, the two last comparisons agree very nearly, and their difference lies entirely within the limits of the uncertainty of thermometrical influence. The authentic meter of M. H. appears, however, really to be shorter, though it could be brought nearer to the others, by accepting other proportions to the expansion of metals. This, however, appears not to be allowable, when the re- sults of different comparisons are to be col- lected ; for the determination of the expan- sion is as important as the comparison itself; therefore each observer must remain an- swerable for that one which he adopts. I think it should be enquired whether two metals of the same chemical composition, have the same proportion of expansion ; or if a small chemical difference may not have a remarkable influence upon it : this investigation is more easy than that of the absolute expansion itself. It can be known only after a previous expe- riment of this kind, whether the results of the two observers must agree in the same metal ; or if it is really necessary to determine the expansion of each piece of metal in particu- lar ; I fear that without this inquiry there — 56 - must always remain an uncertainty in res- pect to the comparisons of standard mea- sures. Among the various copies of the toise which M. Hassler compared to the Enghsh scale, that constructed by Lenoir and compared by MM. Bonvard and Arrago appears worthy of being accepted as authentic. When both measures are at the temperature of melting ice, this toise measures 76,74192710 inches of the scale of Troughton. By the normal temperature of both. 1,0002036843 76,74192710 =76,72330 English inches 1,0003152709 As the meter is 443,296 lines of the toise base metrique tome III, page 433, the propor- tion between the English and French feet, according to M. Hassler will be by the 39,36861. Meter 12 = 10657063 443,,?96 76,73336 Toise 72 =10656411 According to Kater's comparison, it is = 1.06576411 It appears then that the different copies of the meter do not always agree together. M. H. deduced from several com- — 57 — parisons the value of the meter in parts of the toise^ but this I consider is not allowable ; for the ratio between the two is determined by a law^ by which, the meter has received its true definition ; and the earlier one, that it shall be the ten millionth part of the earth's quadrant, was lost. If certain copies of these measures do not agree together, it shows only that the law is not exactly fulfilled by them; and as it is much more difficult to transfer to another metallic bar 443,296 lines of the toise, the comparison of the meter is a circuitous and unprofitable way as long as the toise itself is yet obtainable as easily as it was at the time of the construction of the meter . The apparatus which Mr H. had constructed for the measurement of the base line, differs essentially from all that are known to me : therefore I will describe it somewhat more particularly,The ends of the bars are not planes but cut out so that viewed 1 from above they present over this middle- excavation the hair of the spider's web is stretched , which there- fore indicates the end of the bar : over each of the ends a compound microscope is placed, which stands upon a separate support, and therefore does not change its place when the bar is moved or taken away. When this mi- - 58 — croscope is placed over the spider's web^ the place of the end of the bar is determined by it : the bar then can be taken away, and the other end of it can be made to coincide with the point where the first had been before seen to coin- cide with the cross strokes of the microscope, which in the meantime has retained its position independently. The microscope has the follow- ing arrangement; the object glass consists of two half lenses of different foci, one of which makes in the focus of the eye-glass , an image of the spider's web of the bar, and the other an image of the two rectangular crossing black lines drawn upon an ivory plate, which is fas- tened to the microscope : this arrangement can be elevated and lowered , and moved in two horizontal directions at right angles to one another. In the use, the stand being first properly placed, the microscope is brought to that elevation in which the spider's web thread is distinctly visible, then it is moved until the thread appears exactly to cut the cross upon the ivory plate ; the bar is then removed and advanced one length forwards, the end of it is next brought into the proper position by the mechanism of the bar, and it is moved by it until the spider's web of this other end coin- cides again by an optical contact with the cross on the ivory plate. Of these microscopes there are three with all their arrangements ; the last — 59 — ones always remain standing during the next subsequent operation, that in case of any acci- dent the work might be begun again from them. The bar itself is a junction of four pieces, each of two meters in length, held together by iron clamps, the inclination of this bar to the hori- zon is measured by a sector, nearly as in Delambre's apparatus. When the work is in- terrupted during the night, the last position of the bar and the microscopes remain undis- turbed in their position until morning. The arrangement of the boxes in which the bars are contained and the mechanism of the move- ments appear to me very well planned. From what little I have quoted it may easily be seen that the paper of Mr H. deserves the attention of those who take an interest in the mecanical arrangements necessary in prac- tical astronomy and pendesy. It is to be la- mented that such a complete apparatus as that now on hand in America, has not been applied according to its intention and by its author. (Signed) F. H. Bessel. — 60 -- To use the heliotrope^ two condilions are indispensable, the attendance of an assistant at each signal station to direct it to the obser- ver, and its actual illumination by the rays of the sun. Had Mr Hassler's operation been in- tended to include no more than a net work of great triangles, the heliotrope might perhaps have been used as no more than two signals need have observed from each station, and two assistants might have sufliced for their management. But the survey being conducted with a wiew to its immediate application to geographical and hydrographical purposes, it would have been necessary to multiply the signals to such an extent as to have rendered it imposible to employ so many separate at- tendants. Mr Hassler's signals also answer well even in cloudy weather, if the other cir- cumtances be favourable, as frequenty hap- pens. The objection that two signals could rarely have shown an equally well defined image of the sun, does not hold good, when a fixed instrument observing without repetition is employed. We cannot therefore but think, that for all general purposes, the signals of Mr Hassler are preferable to the heliotrope of Gauss. The meter used by Mr Hassler in his com- parisons and which the Chevalier Bessel sus- pects to have been too short was an original — 61 - issued by the French commission^ and is there- fore far more authentic than the copies used by Kater. We are happy, however, to be able to state, that Mr Hassler has recently been engaged at Washington in further com- parisons, and will probably make his results public in a short time. They are said fully to confirm his former experiments. Copies of the meter have been made of pla- tinum, but it will be obvious from these re- marks of Bessel that it is by no means a fit substance for such a purpose inasmuch as it is both difficult to 'Work and too free from adventitious substances . New York American, Monday Evening July 20'^ 1820. Coast Survey — The paper which we ex- tract to day from the last number of Silli- man's magazine, and which is a translated review, from a foreign scientific journal, of Mr Hassler's plans for an accurate survey of the whole coast of the United States, will not be without interest to men of science . It bears ample testimony to the talent and skill of one who, from long and we may now hope 62 fixed residence among us^ may be claimed as a fellow-citizen ; and may have a tendency to arouse the government still to carry into effect the purpose heretofore entertained, and abandoned of completing this survey. Mr Hassler in now in the employment of the Custom House as guager. Would he were at the more appropriate labour of the Coast Svir- vey, for which he is so well qualified. ANSWER TO THE ATTACK OP VAN NESS BY F. R. HASSLER — 65 — 7k Nnr York 4ti» Jantiaiy-l^i^^ 'j^^^fl To the Editor 'lip. IHjb of the " New York Evening Post " Cornelius P. Van Ness Esq : mentioning me in the manner he does, in his statement in your paper of the 3'*^ inst. imposes upon me the duty of self-defence. I shall do it without descending into details, or into the lower regions of his language. His ^^captatio bene- volentioe" by saying first of all, that the man whom he was going to attack is sour and disaffected to him which he makes with great complacency to be shared by the gorvernment ; is a stratagem of low texture; whether I have any cause of praising the manner in which I have been treated by either, in the case he refers to, is a question completely different, easily decided by every reflecting man ac- quainted with the subject. The article which M. V. N. complains of, and from which he takes occasion to resort to personalities 66 against me though not verbatim mine, is made entirely upon my informations. I furnished all the materials upon observations of friends ; that being acquainted with the subject of the disputed part of the boundary line, which now excites so much interest ; and the obser- vation having been made that there must be a fault some where, it was proper in me, who had been engaged in it, to imform the public a little. An injured man often meets friends of good heart who take [an interest in him, and inquire into the causes of his mishaps. I find it a pleasure to acknowledge this, with proper thanks, to more than one gentleman : by such means truth gets gradually brought to light. M . Van Ness not denying a single one of the assertions of facts in my statement upon the transactions of the 5*^ article of the bound- ary line, it would be improper to entertain the public long upon it ; any person taking pecu- liar interest in it will, I presume, compare his answer with my statement and find that the assertion, that "^'the statement contains scar- cely a single thing that is true, and is made at random", is much more broad than deep. The manner in which the answers are constructed will prove it, by a few examples. M. Ellicott .^ijwas appointed to succeed me ", so says M. Van Ness. He knows as well as I do, that not — 67 - withstanding this, M. E. never followed the parallel as I said. He went to Rousse Point to test the accuracy of the determination of the latitude made in that neighbourhood by the British astronomers and my self in which we differed only one out of four tenths second to the great astonishment of the agents of the commission (who knew something about such matters) the order to verify results grounded upon several hundred observations made with two eighteen inch repeating circles of Trough- ton's best construction, by each of us separate- ly, and calculated each in his own way, and on his own principles, by a few observations with an inferior instrument, showed nothing but the impotent desire of finding me in fault if possible. From this glorious failure M. E. returned directly home using very different j | language from that he used in going there ; j i and a Cadet or lieutenant from West point, a clever young man, but of course neiw in the business whom he had brought as assistant, acted from thence as assistant to the British astronomer on the parallel, for he had no instrument to make observations parallel to his, as I had made. Captain Partridge ivas I engaged as the principle American surveyor, ^ true again, but he did not survey or lay out the meridian, he merely determined altitude by the barometer, as ordered and statedby me. 68 This is the general texture of the reply more knowledge of the details of these subjects^ I do not find it proper even yet to communicate to to Mr Van Ness notwithstanding it might be greater than he supposes. The value of the labors of this commission will prove itself by the light that they may have afforded the ne- gotiations in London^ or the use they may yet be of in the decision of the question at stake, and upon this my statement is no more than true. I pass to his personal accusation against me as being extravagant in demand and whimsi- cal. I dismiss the second as unworthy, merely thrown out to bias the world against me. The first is -positively otherwise. As stated in my letter to the Commercial Advertiser dated Newark n'* 5, 25th September, 1819, and print- ed ; the cause of my leaving the boundary line was '^ want of common convenience in an attempted contract ". Such must unavoidably be the case when it is proposed to any decent and honest man to acknowledge that he has given dissatisfaction, when from six to nine volumes of astronomical and geodetical ob- servations and calculations delivered to differ- ent departments of government prove mathe- matically to the contrary. Brought up and habituated to public busi- ness in Switzerland my native country from — 69 - the age of 17 to 35, when I left it to come to this country. I arrived in it with some expe* rience in that part. I was always fully aware of the delicacy of my position, when I obtain- ed the confidence of government for trusts of importance to this country. I pursued them in the most disinterested manner for the be- nefit of the country at large. Money was never my object, farther than the necessary care for my family in its peculiar position fully authorised. My letters, my plans of opera- tion, my exertions in their execution, the com- pensation I accepted for them all prove it equally. But this very circumstance imposed upon me a peculiarly delicate attention to the manner in which every contract or transac- tion was made with me or obtained . My first appointment which implied no peculiar expen- ses I accepted as offered. For my mission to London I showed grounds for an augmenta- tion, which was granted and acknowledged by Mr Gallatin secretary of the Treasury, judg- ing upon his own experience of the price of living in London, as Deputy for the Treaty of Ghent, as giving me barely my expenses. In treating for my compensation for the coast survey with the late Mr Dallas I stated my principles in the letters of the 5th and 11th of June 1816, of which the latter has certainly by mistake, met the disapprobation / - 70 — of Mr Adams, as Mr V. N. states. It began thus : '^ The duty of every man is to be honest and to do good, circumstances out of his con- trol determine the sphere of his activity. The independence of character of a man is the greatest means to exercise his activity accord- ing to these principles and forms the chief part of his moral existence ". This letter then proceeds to state the particulars of the intend- ed contract, and the reasons for them, which the Secretary of the Treasury informed me, on the 18th of the same month, had been assented to by the President, and formed the 1 basis of the contract made with me for the ^ coast survey f which in the 7th article stated ^n 4^.oO^>my compensation of £ 5,000 and £ 8,400 for expenditures specified which have since been proved by positive accounts to amount to much more. This letter, then the origin of my principal appointment, was far from preclud- ing me from all further employment; and I have not the least doubt but that Mr Presi- dent Adams, with the information and expe- rience he has had occasion to acquire since^ would neither disapprove the principles, nor pass the sentence quoted by Mr V. N. After my condemnation in that work in the manner the public is informed of by my paper in answer to Col. Roberdeau, inserted in the New York American of 30th of Januarv 1837, — 71 - President Monroe directed me to the boun- dary (art. 6). I worked in it from 13th of April 1818^ the date of my appointment signed by Mr Adams until the end of May 1819. Only in the latter part of this time when I was fully convinced (as I then said to my friends) that the operation of the 5th article could not he successfully ended. I met Mr V. N. in New York, to treat upon my compensation for the past and future. He had seen long ago my contract with government for the coast sur- vey. His manner of stating to me that I must submit to a reduction, from what had been my nominal compensation in the coast survey <&c. occasioned me to say to him, that I did not ■care for the money part (a reduction of £ 500, but for the manner, that the way he proposed it was such as to deprive me of an honoura- ble standing, to which I considered myself authorised. He answered : '^ That is just the aim of it ". Words too well impressed on my mind and memory, joining this transaction with that in the coast survey of fresh memory forcibly reminding me of the delicacy of my situation. I answered him that without his giving up decidedly the stated intention that this should appear in the contract I could not . yield. I proposed to blend it by a single state- ment for salary and expenditures &c, but he always refused. Where was the interest for - 72 — the government to discredit the man^ whom, as Mr Van Ness says, they so much wished to employ in an important business that had reference to a foreign country? A long corres- pondence followed, lasting even after having closed accounts, in which Mr V. N. says : *' Yet you would not be allowed the same compensation you had on the survey of the coast, because it was believed, and that on good grounds, that the nation was dissatis- fied with the amount you had received for this service ". To this, I answered : ^^ Every man acquainted with the subject is convinced of the contrsLvij ; many even see that the same work and advantages are not likely to be ob- tained again for the same amount of money. What men unacquainted with the subject say, cannot enter in lieu of proof : for this, as for every such subject, the nation consists of the men who know the subject fully ". An experience of ten years nearly has now proved at the e^xpenseofprobably half a million of dollars to the nation what the secretary of the Navy says in his last report to Congress, in this passage : — Nor can such surveys be made without the aid of the means contempla- ted by the act of 10th of Feb. 1807, to provide for the survey of the coast of the United States". The origin of which law is stated in my pa- per in the New York American, quoted — 73 — above, and the aim and view of which had been obUterated by tlie^hange of the adminis- tration at the time of the revocation, when it was j list in the most active operation. In the boundary Hne, the proof that the same work could not be got, neither for my price nor that offered to me, was made, by allowing the same to Mr Ellicott, in addition to his place — at West Point, was offered to me in full, __ — without any prospect of the future, except the certainty to be cast away in a year or two by a law in Congress, bestowing public disap- probation upon me, before I had been allowed to defend myself upon the first. Every man will allow that the law stopping the work of the , . commissioners would again have been grtJuOT^ dently asserted that Mr Hassler kept to him- self important facts ascertained in the survey. Such as a portion of the mathematical ele- ments of the work, in order to render himself . necessary to the government. ^ If the report to this effect which he (Mr C.) had repeatedly heard talked of was true, it would be reason enough for at once discharg- ing Mr Hassler from the service of the Govern- . ment even if the effect of this should be to lose the beneiit of all that had thus far been done ; for it would be insufferable that any per- son employed by the Government should thus assume to himself the acquisitions made at the Dublic expense and for the pubhc benefit and if he should be discharged he (Mr C.) did not believe there would be any difliculty in finding competent persons_, to carry in the work for there was no want of mathematical knowledge in the United States, nor was there any mystery in this business, since the various publications in France and elsewhere on si- milar works carried on in Europe afforded abundance of instruction on the subject, which any body might acquire and use who pleased . Mr C, distrusted any"mystery in matters of in which concealment of any sort ~ 195 — whatever was to his mind strong evidence of quackery, But if on the contrary, the reports on this subject were untrue, it was due to Mr^ Hassler and he most of all, ought to desire full \ and complete investigation of the subject in i order to disabuse the public mind concerning it, on the whole all that Mr C. asked for was inquiry; he wished this survey to be continued, and completed as earnestly as any member of the House could; it was preposterous to sup- pose that he could have any desire to stop the work along the Southern Coast. It was the ships and the men of the new England States which; most of all, were subject to be engulfed in the seas and stranded on the quicksands of tne souTnern coas and which beyond and be- fore all others needed to have that Coast thoroughly and speedily surveyed. What he propose to himself was to enaeavour to save money and to save time, in accomplishment of this great national undertaking, he had sub- mitted this resolution as the first step towards the attainment of these objects. When the infor- mation came in, it could be referred to a Committee and if nothing else would be the means of guiding thejudgement of the House in making future appropriations for the Coast Survey. Mr Holmes commented upon what he call- ed the extraordinary course of the gentleman — 196 — of Massachusetts (Mr Gushing) in making a I a premeditated attack upon the character, the ' science, the morals of M. Hassler and said that the gentleman had undertaken to slander the subject of his remarks, for the purpose of pre- judicing in advance the minds of the members of the House. Mr H. refuted the several posi- tions of Mr Gushing and maintained that science was not so perfectly simple as the gentleman supposed and as evidence of the assertion and of the scientific skill of Mr Hassler, he mentioned the fact that about eight years ago one of our engineers erected a fort -^ on the British side instead of on our own. The \ engineer was scientific but Mr Hasslar was more so. After one or two hundred thousand dollars had been expended on the fort, and before its completion through the agency of Mr Hassler the fort was withdrawn and thus was ultimately saved to the Government a million and a half of dollars. If the gentleman of Massachusetts instead of indulging a tirade against the Government had taken the trouble to inquire he would have been made ac- quainted with the truth. Mr Holmes ventured to say that the assertion made by the gentleman from Massachusetts that Mr Hassler concealed important facts ascer- tained in the survey was a perfect absurdity, it would be impossible for him to do, as the 197 oflicers engaged under him were men of science. Mr H. in the course of his remarks adverted in terms of high commendation to the signal service Mr Hassler had rendered to the country not only by furnishing us with the most perfect charts that had ever been made but in giving a uniform standard of weights and measures. Mr Everett said that he presumed tliero could be no objection to the passage of this resolution. It was a call for information most of which would no doubt appear in the annual report. He should have said nothing had not the gentleman from Massachusetts {Mr Gushing) made the resolution the occa- sion of a reiterated attack on the character of the gentlemen who had charge of the Coast Survey — of sending forth what he (Mr E.) deemed unfounded, umvarrantable and wanton slanders. He could not account for the course of the gentleman wiio professed to be in favour of the continuance of the Survey. He was not disposed to put an unfa- vouralDle construction on the gentleman's mo- lives, with them he had nothing to do, but he could attribute his course only to a want of information of what had been done, and to the promptings of some discontented Lieutenant. The gentleman complained that the Reports of Mr Hassler were too general. Nor does ho — 198 — stop there. He charges (continued Mr E.) and takes upon himself the responsibility of the charge, that they are made so general for the purposes of mystification and concealment of the information obtained; he goes further and says they were so made for the purpose of rendering himself necessary to Government. As to the generality of the reports what does the gentlemen expect more than a general statement of the progress and state of the work? Does he expect a geometrical detail of a work in progress ? As to concealment, is tlie gentleman aware that the details of this work are kept in duplicate for the purpose of pre- servation. That these are the property of the Govern- ment, and which, with the maps already made j and in progress are open to his inspection and \ that of any other gentleman who would take ' the trouble to call at his office to see them ! ' There is no shadow of foundation for the charges. Much time has been taken, much had been done and he (Mr E) beheved well done. The Coast from the east end of Rhode Island to New Jersey had been surveyed, the pri- mary maps made and which were now in progress of reduction for publication. The presses and plates for engraving had been procured, and in due time the maps would be published. Gentlemen could not expect that 199 these maps could be made with the facility with which a surveyor plats the survey of a township. They are necessarily the work of a single person. A number of persons could not be employed in reducing the Surveys. As to the time which had been taken he would say that a comparison of results with any other work of a similar character would be very favour- able to this work. The gentleman had originated the idea of the verification of the measurement of a de- gree of latitude was a hidden object of the survey, the idea was original, it belonged to him. But said Mr E. suppose such a verifica- tion should be one of the results, where would be the harm ? The gentleman says he is in favour of continuing the survey, he must however be sensible that the tendency of his remarks is to defeat it. Yesterday he was un- derstood by the House to say that the trian- gular survey could not be continued on the southern coast. He (Mr E.) was glad to see by the morning paper that he was misunder- stood. It could not be believed that any gentle- m^tn from the North after the Northern Coast had been surveyed could object to the survey of the southern Coast. For one, he thought the survey of the first importance to the commerce of the country, and he believed - 200 — that any person capable of appreciating tlie work who would take pains to inform him- self of the details of the work would bo satis- fied with its progress. Mr Gushing asked the yeas and noes ^ir \¥ise withdrew the motion. And tlie question being taken iho resolution \vas adopted. REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY LIST OF OFFICERS EMPLOYED / .— 203 27*'' Congress, Doc. N° 57. Ho. of Reps. 2"' Session. Treas. Dep*. COAST SURVEY Report of the Secretary of the Treasury , in reply to the resolution of the House of Repre- sentatives of 2^^ of June J IS^il, respecting the expenditures etc. for the survey of the coast of the United States. January 31*\ 1842. READ, AND LAID UPON THE TABLE Treasury Department January 25"', 1842. Sir, I have the honor to make the following report, in obedience to the resolution of the house of Representatives of the 24*^ of June last, at the commencement of the next session of Congress. A statement of the progress which shall — 204 — have been made in the Survey of the Coast of the United States, including the number, loca- tion, and length of the several base lines mea- sured for the triangulations, the stations occu- pied therefore, the observations made for, and the corrections applied to the same; the astro- nomical observations made for the determina- tions of the latitude or longitude ; the work done by each corps employed in the service ; and a descriptive list of the charts published, if any. Also, the amount of money expended on the survey of the coast, from time to tune, since its commencement, showing what sums have been appropriated for the purchase of instru- ments and books, the names of all persons employed upon the survey , distinguishing such as may have been of the Army or Navy, together with their salaries or other compen- sation, and by whom appointed to the service ; exhibiting as well the direct appropriations for the survey of the coast, as the indirect expen- diture upon it, by reason of the employment therein of the public vessels and officers. Also, the probable length of lime and amount of money required to complete the survey of the coast, in the mode heretofore pursued, with suggestion of any other mode of survey- ing the same, wliich shall have for its object the acquisition of the greatest amount of use- — ?05 — ful information in the shortest time, and at the least expense. As the report from the superintendent sub- mitted by the Department to the House of Re presentation on the 30*^ ultimo and contained in printed document N" 28 of the present session, gives probably as satisfactory infor- mation as it is in the power of the Department to furnish, in answer to so much of the reso- lution as relates to the progress and extent of the work already completed, and other details therin called for, I beg leave respectfully to refer the House to the report before mentioned for an answer to these portions of the resolu- tion. In addition, I take occasion to remark, in reference *^ to the probable length of time re- quired to complete the survey, that nothing definite can be given in answer to this inquiry. - But perhaps some approximation to the period of time may be reached by comparing the re- lative extent of the coast yet to be surveyed with that already executed, and the time oc- cupied in the completion of the latter. In insti- tuting the comparison, however, due allowan- ces must be made for many unavoidable delays incident to the commencement and proper or- ganization for such a work, such as procuring instruments and other necessary equipments needed for its successful prosecution. It will — 206 — be proper, also, in forming a judgment of the time required to complete the work, to bear in mind that many of the results already obtained can be used in subsequent operations; and due consideration, at the same time, should be given to the fact that important practical ^knoweledge and experience have been gained by the principal assistants of the super! nten- ^ dent, and others immediately connected with the survey. These together with the means already obtained, and the complete organiza- now existing throughout its various branches, would, all combined, no doubt tend greatly to accellerate the completion of the remaining portion of the work. A similar comparison of that portion of the work already finished, and the cost of execut- ing the same with that still to be performed, might, it is believed, furnish a tolerably cor- rect idea of the probable amount of the money required to complete the survey of the coast, provided the means and facilities be extended to the future operations of the work, as have been heretofore and are at present afforded for its prosecution. An augmentation of these means and facilities would doubtless expedite its completion, and probably diminish the expense. As, however, for the foregoing rea- sons, the Department could furnish nothing more than conjectural answers to these inqui- — 207 - ries, it is deemed most respectful and advisa- ble to refrain from the expression of an opinion based upon such uncertain data and depen- dent upon contingencies of the nature refer- red to . In regard to the ^' suggestion of any other mode of surveying the same, v^hich shall have for its object, the acquisition of the greatest amount of useful information in the shortest time, and at the least expense. " I w^ould re- mark that this department is not possessed of the requisite information to enable it to make any satisfactory suggestion on this subject, involving as it does both theoretic and prac- tical know^ledge of a branch of the sciences fo- reign from its appropriate duties, and to which its attention has not been specially given. But as stated in the report of the superintendent, before referred to, it would appear that this survey is conducted on the same scientific principles, with the benefit of modern improve- ments, as similar works undertaken by most of the Governments of Europe. It would seem that no new mode embracing the same scientific principles and accuracy of results, has, if discovered been yet adopted by those Governments. The accompanying statement N"" 1, prepared by the register of the Treasury, exhibits '* the amount of money expended on the survey of - 208 - the coast, from time to time, since its com- mencement, showing what sums have been ap- propriated for the purchase of instruments and books, the names of all persons employed upon the survey distinguishing such as may have been of the Army or Navy, together with their salaries or other compensation and by whom appointed to the service. " It is to be observed that the compensations of the superintendent, assistants and others employed in the work, have been fixed by the President for the time being. The pay from the coast survey appropriation of some of the officers of the Navy, as also of the lower grade of persons employed in the field operations, ceases during the winter months. The communication herewith sent, numbered 2, furnished by the Navy Depart- ment, is designed to answer that branch of the resolution calling for -^the indirect expen- diture upon it, (the Survey) by reason of the employment therein of the public vessels and officers. " On this head, it is deemed proper to remark that, as the laws providing for the Survey of the coast authorize the President to employ " such of the public vessels in actual service as he may judge expedient " and all persons in the land and naval service, and such astronomers and other persons as he shall deem proper. " — 209 — It becomes questionable whether these expen- ditures ought properly to be considered to their full extent, as chargeable to the coast survey. These, vessels, with their officers and men, would, if not employed in this special duty, liave still remained a charge on the service to which they belonged. Their transfer to the survey would doubtless increase the expense in some degree, but it is respectfully suggested whether this entire charge can be fairly thrown ;ipon the expenditures of the work under con- sideration . All which is respectfully submitted. Signed : W. Forward Secretary of the Treasury. Hon. John White speaker of the House of Representatives iV« 1. Statement of Money expended out of direct appropriation by Congress, and accounted for by settlement in the office of the First Auditor of the Treasury, for the Survey of the Coast of the United States, from its commencement, in 1808 to 1818; in 1832 and 1833, and from 1836 to June 30^^, 1841 ; showing what sums have been paid for the purchase and repairs of — 210 — instruments, and for books ; the names of all persons employed upon the survey, desig- nating such as have been of the Army and Navy, together with their salaries or compen- sation, and by whom appointed. Periods From July 27, to Nov. 1 — From Nov. 1, 1811 to July 1. First and Cfuarters of Expenditures by the, Hydro- graphic parties from April 22,1835, to May 17, 1841 Total.... Expenditures for the purchase of books and instruments and repairs of instruments. Agregate amoant i of «xpenditures. 1.105 62 54.869 21 3.824 16 16 485 91 39.704 95 90.702 62 86.120 69 87.023 62 67.857 97 34.031 94 1811 1818 Dol. 17.531 64 1832 » 136 75 1833 » 3. 844 84 1836 » 6 076 35 1837 » 785 25 1838 » 1.540 14 1839 )i 738 21 1840 » 460 91 1841 » 147 98 » 1 » » 1.745 23 Dol. 33.723 05 . 30.289 24 512.731 68 211 1 NAMES OF PERSONS SALARIES OR BY WHOM 1 EMPLOYED ON THE SURVEY COMPENSATION APPOINTED F. R. Hassler. 6,000 per annm. President of United States. James Fergu.son. 4.000 do Superintendent wiih E. Blunt. 4,000 do Approval of tlie President. C. M. Eakin. 3.000 do do do C. Renard. 3! 000 do do do W. M. Boyce. 2,000 do do do J. J. S. Hassler. 2.000 do do do John Farley. 2p00% do do do J. H. Genles. L5J}0\ do iLoos do do do H. L. Dickins. do do T. W. Werner. lVOO\ do ^1,000 psran.&b. do do S. Hein. Superintendent. L. MuUer. 800 peraoDin. Superintendent. W. Werdeman. 800 p. an. &b. do C. Flint. 50p. m.&b. do Thoma-> Mac Donnel. 600p. an.c&b. do W. Jc.cobi. 2.50 per day. do T. A. iM. Craven. 750 per annni. Super, with app. of President. T. J. Paore. 500 do do do T. A. Jenkins. 500 do do do T. R. Gedney. 627 do do do Richard Bache. 1 per day. Snper. witb app, of Treasury. A. A. Holcomb. 1 do do do Mid. Crawford (dead). 1 do do do Lt- W. S. Young. 1 do do do Mid. Patterson. 1 do do do Lt. J. B. Dale. 1 do do do Mid. K Jenkins. 1 do do do Lt. C. W. Morris. 1 do do do W. B. Whiting. 1 do do do L. T. Chan Her. 1 do do do R. Mitchell. 1 do do do J G. S. Blake. 627 per anum. Snper. with appr. of President. 212 - NAMES OF PERSONS SALARIES OR BY WHOM EMPLOYED ON THE SURVEY COMPENSATION APPOINTED D. D. Porter. 1 per day. Super. • ml\i oppr. olcsc. T;ejs. Lt. Todd. 1 do do do 8. C. Rowan. 1 do do do Lt. J. M. Bache. 1 do do do 8ur 283 — sense of public duty. But the Committee had made no report and although they had verb- ally declared, that in the opinion of a majority, Mr Hassler was both physically and mentally incompetent to his duty , they had not sub- mitted the reasons upon which the opinion was founded. In the courts when a trial turned on a question of marital competency, all the facts were stated in evidence, and the jury were permitted on those facts to form their own conclusion. The Committee had certainly not shown any failure to continue the prosecution of the work. When Mr L first heard the charge made, he had received the impression that it meant much more than he now found it did mean ; he thought the mental incompetency spoken of consisted in a want of that scientific knowledge which was requisite to a right pro- secution of the entreprise and he felt convinced that if such were indeed the case, a survey so prosecuted instead of serving as a beacon for the preservation of life of our mariners, was more likely to prove a sand bank or a rock for their destruction ; but he now understood that such was not the meaning of the Committee , but that they meant to say that the infirmities of age and inequalities of temper disqualified Mr Hassler for the administrative part of the duty entrusted to him. On that sub- ject it was necessary to have the opinion — 284 — of disinterested and competent witnesses , lest by a rash decision they should do injury to a great public work, and perpetrate a cruel injustice to an innocent individual. But even in this view of the subject he thought that they should not stop the work, but let it proceed,whilethe House conducted the requis- ite inquiry. As to the alleged errors in a part of the survey which had been referred to by the gentleman from New Jersey. ( Mr Aycrigg ) there was some doubt whether they had in reality any connexion with the work itself , inasmuch as they were found not in the chart, as drawn in the office, but in an engraving taken from a copy of certain portions of it. The explanation given seemed very credible, and likely enough to be true viz; that the individual who had taken the copy had affixed to it a wrong scale, a scale belong- ing to another map, and the engraver had copied what was put into his hands. It hap- pened in fact, that in the one scale the divisions were double those in the other. The copy was made by Captain Gedney for a particular oc- casion, and he had inadvertently fallen into thi^ mistake, a mistake however very easily detected and as easily remedied. Any one in the least acquainted with that part of the €oast, must readily discover that the distances — 285 — were just half what they should be. But be the error ever so fatal it was not the error of the survey itself, which was now correctly laid down in Mr Hassler's office, nor did it reach the question of his competency or in- competency. The other fact adduced to prove him incom- petent was the existence of a certain pamphlet containing four hundred admitted errors in two hundred pages; and when Mr I. heard the gentleman from Virginia (Mr Wise) say that this very acknowledgement proved the accuracy of the man, he must confess he felt some surprise; but on examining the book itself, as he had since done, he was convinced that that gentleman was right after all ; and nothing could more fully prove Mr Hassler's extreme and fastidious desire to be strictly ac- curate than the errata in that work. Of these four hundred errors which sounded so formi- dable not one was an error of a mathematical kind, not one affected in the least Mr Hassler's professional ability; they were errors of phrase- ology, errors of style, errors of the press, occasioned by Mr Hassler's imperfect acquain- tance with the niceties of a language not his own. A note appended to the work explained the origin of them all ; the work had passed un- der the hand of a friend for correction and 286 nothing would satisfy Mr Hassler s fastidious accuracy but the acknowledgement and correc- tion of every one of them. Mr Wise. Can that have been the book al- luded to by the gentleman from New Jersey, as proving Mr Hassler's mental incompetency to conduct a Coast Survey of the United Sta- tes. Mr Tillinghast. Yes, this that I hold in my hand is the book referred to. Mr Wise. Then I hope this Committee will mark well the fact. I call their attention to the sort of proof on which they are asked to pronounce Hassler's mental incapacity. Mr Tillinghast. There is no inquiring in the matter; not a mathematical error is here proved. Another ground on which the select committee seem to have relied, is their exami- nations of Mr Hassler in person. Of the weight of this every one acquainted with Mr Hassler's peculiarities will judge for himself. Mr I. said he had had much conversation with that gentle- man in his office, and he must confess , that at first he had much difficulty in understan- ding him ; but his singularities of manner did not touch his intelligence and eminent capa- city in his vocation. From Mr T's intercourse with him he was satisfied that he was signally competent to the duties with which he was en- trusted But the gentleman from Massachusetts — 287 — (Mr Gushing) considered him as incompetent mainly to the administrative duties of hisplace. Had they any report going to show that the fund for the survey had been wastefully expended ? Had any proof been submitted that the work might have been performed in less time and at less expense? He had seen none. He admitted, however that were the fact glaring and palpa- ble, it might be proper that the attention of Congress should at once be called to it. But this did not appear. As to Mr Hassler's late entrance into the field the last season, it was occasioned by the waiting for the committee's report. Duty to himself and to the nation, required that he should be on the spot, ready to give any ne- cessary explanations, or correct any misap- prehensions into which the committee might inadvertently have fallen. But the gentleman from Massachusetts had complained that the publication of the succes- sive parts of the survey did not follow their completion. That was true but it was not the fault of Mr Hassler. The law did not require this. It ordered the survey to be made as a means of constructing a complete and accurate chart of the entire sea coast of the Union. It said no- thing about the publication of the several parts or portions of the work as fast as it should be — 288 — done. Mr Hassler had received no instructions from the Executive to pubhsh any part of it; he had no authority to do so. The very fact of his having received no orders might be under- stood by him as proof that he had no such au- thority. He was placed under the discretion of the Executive. Besides what authority had he of his own mere motion , to select certain por- tions of his work and have these pubhshed in anticipation of the rest! What right, for exam- ple, had he to take the money appropriated to carry forward the survey into the southern States and apply it to publishing the survey of Long Island or the the coast of NewJersey? It was said that the work was so extensive that its management required a distinct bureau. Why so ? was it the expenditure of the appro- priation that required a bureau ? that part of the business Mr H. had put out of his own hands entirely, and the responsibility did not rest upon him. To avoid it he had expressly ordered the officer charged with this duty to account, not to him, but to the Treasury De- partment. If so, then the President through his secretary, had the complete control of the expenditure of the fund. Nor could there be any need of a bureau for the scientific part of the concern. Auditors and accountants were good and valuable in their place, but they were certainly not the fit persons to super- — 289 — intend Mr Hassler in the discharge of his duty. Mr I. in concluding observed that he had risen for the purpose of showing that the reasons adduced by the select committee in support of the conclusion to which they had arrived touching Mr Hassler's incompetency were insufficient, and were, in fact, nothing more than the mere personal opinions of a few gentlemen touching the administrative ability of an old man now in his seventy third year. No incapacity had been proved which could at all warrant the suspension of Mr Hassler's appointment as superintendent of the Coast Survey. He trusted the progress of the work would not be embarrassed by any such attempt. If he were incompetent the remedy was with the Executive, who had full power in the case. Something had been said by the gentleman from Illinois (Mr Rey- nolds) about the Lakes being of as much importance as the Atlantic border; but Wes- tern gentlemen should recollect that the Coast was the entire of this Republic to- wards Europe, whither and whence the whole of our foreign commerce must arrive and depart. Had the West no interest in this com- merce ? Whose wealth did it transport to the European Market ? Was it that of New Eng- land or the middle States only, or chiefly ? ~ 290 — No^ it was emphatically the wealth of the great West; the products of the vast Mississippi Valley. Every risk, every loss, to our foreign commerce, fell ultimately on the Western pro- ducer. Surely it was the obvious interest of the whole West to make the access to the Coast as safe as practicable. A work like this survey was eminently conducive to this end ; and if suffered to be ably prosecuted to its completion, would redound as much to the honour of the nation as to the safety and wealth of her people, whether on the coast or in the interior. The question was now loudly demanded when Mr Gilmer rose to offer an amendment to the amendment of Mr Aycrigg: Mr Aycrigg also rose, and said he had an amendment which would probably reconcile the views of all, and was about to read it, but ___^ Mr Gilmer claimed the floor. fl| He then went on to observe that the debate had not only taken a wide range, but had in his apprehension been wide of the real mark. He could not see what the merits or demerits of Mr Hassler had to do with the question. He might be the ablest and most scientific scholar ; and the most vigilant and effective administrative officer under the Government or in the world and still it might be improper — 291 — to make this appropriation Mr G. pretended not to be competent to judge of his quahfica- tions ; he knew in fact nothing of the matter; and it would ill become him to undertake to decide where '^ doctors " so widely dis- agreed. (A voice '^ Lawyers " you mean.) No : doc- tors and lawyers ( A laugh) congress had about as mucli to do with the works of So- phocles as with the mathematical acquire- ments or works of Mr Hassler. He regarded the present question simply as a question of appropriation. He was prepared to reduce every appropriation which would admit of reduction without great injury to the public service. He felt that this was the paramount duty of' Congress, it was demanded by the condi- tion of the country. He was for reducing this appropriation, and he believed that its reduc- tion would be attended by no injury public or private. He was prepared to go further: he was ready to reduce the army appropri- ations also still further, as well in the staff as the engineer corps. Mr G. here gave way to a motion by Mr Steenrod that the Committee rise. Strong objections were made in different parts of the House (which had been getting thin for some time) mingled with cries, ^' take - 292 — I the question to night, we shall only have a new batch of speeches to listen to next week. " And the question being taken he Committee refused to rise. Mr Gilmer resumed and said, that he meant by the vote he should give on this occasion, to express no opinion in regard to Mr Hassler, far less to pass any censure upon him. He was told that if this survey was suspended it would be productive of great injury, and why ? be- cause the field notes already taken could not be properly used but by those officers who had taken them; and that therefore much of the work already done would be lost. He admit- ted to some extent, the force of this argument, but not to its whole extent. The amendments he proposed to offer met and removed this diffi- culty. Could not the field notes thus far taken be worked out ; and the plotting done so far, and then the work be temporarily suspended ? He did not desire that what had been done should bo lost ; he desired that the work done should be completed, and that then the further prosecution of the survey should be suspended until the state of the Treasury should warrant its resumption. Its present state did not, in his opinion warrant this. Our expenditures exceeded our income and it was the duty of an honest people to bring their expenses within their income. It was purely a question of re- — 293 — venue. How was the necessary revenue to be raised ? Not by any system of taxation thus far levied. There would still be a deficit in the Treasury. We had borrowed till we could borrow no longer. It only remained that we should reduce our expenditures. He held it the duty of Congress to withold every appro- priation not indispensably necessary, and he considered this as one such expenditure. He granted that it was false economy to inflict injury on the public business by refusing re- quisite appropriations but he thought that this work might as well be suspended as many others. He was willing to grant ten or twenty thousand dollars. He did not know what pre- cise sum would be sufficient, there were others who could judge better. (A voice : '^ say twenty thousand "). Agreed : I move them to strike out '^ fifty *' and insert '* twenty. " This Government, I hope will last a long time yet, survey or no survey. His economy, was not to spend at the bung and save at the spigot. If the notes already taken must be sacrificed the pubhc would be a loser, to obviate this, he was willing to give a reasonable sum. The appropriation for years past had been 100,000 annually, this amendment would save dol, 80,000, this year and a hundred thousand the next : and when — 294 — the Treasury became able, let the work be resumed. This was his view of the matter. It was impossible to take such a step with- out some local and temporary inconvenience; but our interests as a people were so extensive and so diversified that it was impossible to advance them all at once in an equal degree. The great duty of the times, the duty of Go- vernment and the duty of individuals, was to retrench. This was the way to restore public and private credit — and the only way. Mr Aycrigg signified his willingness to accept of the amendment as a modification of his own. Mr Burnell obtained the floor but yielded to a motion of Mr Thompson of Mississipi, that the committee should rise. Which motion having prevailed the Com- mittee rose and reported progress. COAST SURVEY CHARTS The following charts have been published, under act of Congress , at the Coast Survey Office, and are for sale by agents in the prin- cipal parts of the United States : A chart of New York Bay and Harbour on a scale of 1,80,000 (about eight tenths of an inch to the mile with sailing directions, table of currents etc. price 75 cents. I — 295 — Four sheets of a ch-art of New York Bay and Harbour and the environs on a scale of 1, 30,000 (about two inches and one tenth to the mile ) to be completed in six sheets , price 25 cents per sheet. N" 2 and 4 contain the entrances to the Bay. N°' 5 and 6 the way up to the narrows, sail- ing directions , table of currents etc. N"" 5 and 6 of New York Bay and Harbour, are nearly ready for publication. Charts of Long Island sound and of De- laware Bay, of Fisher's Island sound of the Harbours of New London and New Bedford , of Annapolis and the Severn river are in the course of engraving. Coast Survey Office, 13*'' of September 1845. September 13"* (Union). A CARD Washington, December 24"^ 1842. I feel called upon in justice to Mr Hassler publicly to pronounce him free from all blame whatever in relation to the mistake made in the scale of the chart of Newark Bay (and which has been made to assume such impor- - 296 — tance) as not only was the error mine, but the chart was sent to the engraver by me, after my reporting it to be ready. It is also due to myself to say that the error in question is simply in the scale, and does not affect the correctness of the mathe- matical and topographical part of the work , and that the error in the scale was my over- sight , caused by hurrying it to the engraver. So soon as this error was discovered , it was confessed and as I thought explained to the satisfaction of Mr Aycrigg . Thomas R. Gedney, Commander U.S.N. SPEECH OF BURNELL AGAINST PROPOSED REDUCTION OF APPROPRIATION 1842 Mr MALLORY ON THE APPROPRIATION 1843 - 299 — Twenty seventh Congress Third Session. Thursday, December 22'\ 1842. THE COAST SURVEY The question pending when the bill was last under consideration was on the modified mo- tion to reduce the appropriation in the follow- ing item, from dol. 100,000 to 20,000. For survey of the Coast of the United States including compensation of superintendent and assistants, dol. 500,000. Mr Burnell was entitled to the floor and addressed the committee at some length. Mr Burnell said that when he rose the other day to address the Committee on the subject now under consideration, it was not his pur- pose to dwell at length on the question now before them. His principal inducement was to take notice of the line of argument adopted by the gentleman from Virginia (Mr Oilman) which seemed to him to require some atten- tion in relation to the Coast of this Country. This he conceived to be most natural and customary in the Committee on all occasions — 300 — when a member >vas similarly situated. The subject now under Consideration had grown in importance since it^ first came before them, every moment that he bestowed reflection upon it impressed him with, its importance to every part of the Country both North, South, East and West and looking at the question in this point of view, he confessed he was not a little surprised at the remarks of tlie gentle- man from Illinois (Mr Reynolds) in discussing the question the other day, what, he would ask, was the whole expanse of water that washes his — the member from Illinois' Coast and the Coast of that Country but a conti- nuation ot the great highway which first com- menced in the Western Country? The mariner that threw his net in the Gulf Stream, threw it into the waters of the Mississippi. It was the great Highway in which every part of the nation was clearly interested. It made no matter of difference whether the obstructions which existed in this great Highway existed at the commencement of the navigation of the Mississippi, at New Orleans, or any other point on their Coast, it was all one great Highway in the country, and it was therefore imperative upon them to remove these obstructions. We repeated then that there was but one interest in the question to the West as well as the North. The proposition was to abandon the survey — 301 — which they had instituted on the Coast and to cut down the appropriation billone hun- dred thousand dollars. The appropriation bilb provided a sum of dol. 100.000, but it was proposed to strike a fatal blow^ upon the survey now going on and abandon it upon the ground of economy. Mem- bers of the Committee had urged this argu- ment and talked about saving a hundred thou- sand dollars, but if ever there was a case presented to the House where there would be a loss sustained by the course suggested by those gentlemen who thus argue this question on the score of economy, it was precisely the case which he was now about to present to the Committee. In support of his proposition, he would mei^ly assert on general principles and put the case not as was the common course in some quarters to take abstractions, but he would ask the question whether the produce and property almost to an illimitable extent, which were daily going down the Western waters, and over every part of the habitable globe whether these should be abandoned and whether they ought to set their faces against protecting them with a view to put a few insigni- ficant dollars in the Treasury? He would also ask whence does the Treasury exist save in relation to what it receives from navigation and commerce ? The gentleman from Virginia — 302 — (Mr Gilman) has laid down the principle that no appropriation should be made when the Government could get along without it, What- ever may become of the people the Govern- ment could yet along; even if the Mississippi itself were choked up and strangled with snags, the Government could get along though every lighthouse on the Coast itself was ex- tinguised, most certainly they could get along without a survey of the Coast, but the argu- ment was for economy. Human life and trade of the greatest magnitude to be put in com- parison with a few thousand dollars in their Country ? What did they want a survey for ? What did they want snags taken from the Mississippi for ? Let them but look to the ac- counts from the West in relation to the des- truction of life and property from the neglect of the Coast in the West. He would consider himself prejudiced if he did not make an effort to see every one of these destructive implements removed, and that was the principal ground on which he stood before the Committee. For the last seven- teen mouths there were no less than sixty nine shipwrecks on the Mississippi. Steam- boats were wrecked there in consequence of the obstructions to navigation and yet the gentleman from Virginia talked of a loss of twenty thousand dollars to the Treasury ; but — 303 — it seemed these Steamboats were valued at one million and a half of dollars^ and yet that vast sum of money was to be put against eighty thousand dollars that were to go into the Treasury. National Intelligence February 27«t 1843. THE COAST SURVEY The item appropriating 100,000 dol. for the Coast Survey being under consideration. Mr Mallory under the instructions of the select committee heretofore appointed on the subject^ offered the following amendment. '' That the sum of 100,000 dol. be appro- priated out af any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated for continuing the Survey of the Coast of the United States, provided that this and all other appropria- tions hereafter to be made for this work, shall, until otherwise provided by law, be expended in accordance with a plan of reorganizing the mode of executing the survey - 304 - to be submitted to the President of the United States by a board of officers which shall be organized by him to consist of the present superintendent, his two principal assistants and the two naval officers now in charge of the hydrographical parts and four from among the principal officers of the corps of topographical engineers, none of whom shall receive any additional compensation whatever for this service and who shall sit as soon as organised; And the President of the United States shall adopt and carry into effect the plan of said board, as agreed upon by a majority of its numbers ; and the plan of said board shall cause to be employed as many officers of the Army and Navy of the United States as will be compatible with the successful prosecution of the work, the officers of the Navy to be employed on the hydrogra- phical parts, and the officers of the Army or Navy shall hereafter receive any extra pay out of this or any future appropriations forSurveys. Mr C. Brown to amend the amendment by reducing the appropriations from 100,000 to 45,000 and by adding a provision that the direction of the said Survey should be trans- ferred to to the Navy Department, and that, so far as practicable it should be carried on by officers of the Navy and the corps of topo- graphical Engineers. 305 The merits of this survey, the capacity physical and mental of the superintendant (matters which the reader will recollect were discussed heavily a few weeks ago and then reported in this paper) were spoken of by Mess'' Mallory, C. Brown and Everett. When without taking the question the Committee rose and reported. M" HASSLER'S DEFENCE AGAINST MALLORY'S and AYCRIGG'S ACCUSATIONS" — 309 THE SUN Baltimore, Wednesday, January ll"* 1843. United States Coast Survey. — Subjoinod will be found the letter of Mr Hassler in re- gard to some mistakes which had been attri- buted to him in the course of the recent de- bate in the House of Representatives upon this item of the appropriation bill. It really appears to us that Mr Hassler has entirely vindicateded himself from the special charges made^ and that the piquancy of his reply is altogether at variance with the mental and physical debility asserted to exist by some of the debaters on one side. This assertion, how- ever, gravely made on the floor of Congress, is a very serious thing to be determined, both as a personal matter to the officer and a public matter to the nation. It would have been a novel method of proceeding, and one on which we would now make more pointed stricture, that after solemnly appointing a Committee to enquire into alleged abuses, action should be had, taking the worst side, not only vdthout the report of said Committee, but while con- 20 — 310 — elusions vaguely and hesitatingly affirmed by the three fifths were being absolutely and warmly disaffirmed by the remainder, were it not that, last winter, in regard to a similar subject, our State Legislature thought fit to pursue the same course. With these two precedents, men of science who may hereafter be invoked by any of the native American Government , will know what they may espect; perhaps, in a few more lyears they will be ^^ used to it ", as eels are /said to be to another very unconfortable pro- Icess. In the other view how the House could be persuaded to adopt a conclusion upon such various statements of their own Committee, who seem just about as wise now as they were before, without having before them the data collected by the Committee passes our comprehension . In the absence of these data it is of course impossible for any oneto say precisely what are the grounds to be taken tojustify the course of stopping the survey of the coast; which talked about from the time of General Washington, commenced and then abandoned under very similar circumstances to the present, 25 years ago, has already, in less than 10 years, of its subsequent prosecution, more thanredeem- \ ed every promise of usefulness and honor J that could have been given in its behalf. But 311 from such lights as we have been able to pro- cure, it is likely that all the reasons against the survey may be included under three main objections. 1'^ The fonctions performed by Mr Hassler in the coast survey and in the construction of v^eights and measures, are supposed to be capable of division, so as to furnish comfor-i table and permanent places for at least two or' three incumbents. Of coarse, whatever the old song may say, people are generally begin- ning to be '^ on with a new love before they are off with the old, " and the urgency with which the position has been insisted on, that there are persons able and willing to exercise the superintendency of the survey, at least justifies the supposition that they are waiting also. A question of place of this kind is hardly worth the discussion ; it becomes in its solu- tion a question of feeling not of fitness. All that we shall say, therefore, is that in the present incumbent (who, leaving his sientific faculties and attainments out of view, is without con- troversy the only practical man in this business in the nation), we have something that has endured trial ; while by any changes, we are likely to go farther it is true but to fare worse. 2^ The work goes on slowly and is very costly. Upon this it is aflirmed, as we under- - 312 — standi by Mr Hassler and others, that more work in less time, of greater exactitude, and with proportionately less expenditure, has been done in this survey than in any other of the same kind elsewhere. This is a matter easily determinable ; any how, the investigation of it will teach to separate expenditure arising from management or mismanagement from that which is inherent in the nature of the work. Of course such a work must be absolutely costly; it isrelative costliness that should be the question now. As to the chrometric geography, which s proposed^ as an economical succedaneum, we apprehend it would require more science and mechanism than is just now available in America or Europe, to fix by chronometers points on the coast , whose possible error would not be enough to swallow up an Armada. Besides, this project is not new, it has been tried before, in 1818, and if it did not signally fail, it was because no signals were hung out. Itcosta great deal, (dol. 200,000 we beheve) and certainly never fixed one point. f 3* The publication of the charts is much ' retarded. Now even if this result was produced by the ministerial agency of the superinten- dent, it is not so plain that it is an error, a great many considerations, some scientific, others political enter into the determination of this point, and in England where social affairs I 313 of this kind may be supposed as well practi- cally understood as here, they have very deci- dedly adopted the policy of reserve and delay. In point of fact the decision for publication does not rest with the superintendent, but with the Secretary of the Treasury or rather with the President of the United States. It having been thought fit to publish some por- tions of the work we learn that iliG engraving is going on with as much rapidity as is con- sistent with the proper and creditable execu- tion of it. We did not purpose entering so much at length into this subject, and we terminate for the present with the expression of a hope that a work so useful and honourable to the coun- try will not lightly be laid aside. That the organisation of it is perfect we do not pretend to affirm; but we trust that all attempts to change and better it, will be proceeded in Congress by the acquisition of full information, so that the changes may be really for the better. — 314 — The following is the letter oj Mr Hassler referred to above. SURVEY OF THE G04STS OF THE UNITED STATES Further rectificatiou of facts alleged in the discussion of Congress, in December, 1842. 1 . To avoid the length which the repetition of the allegations would occasion^ I shall only state the facts in their exact truth, the com- parison with the accounts given in the discus- sions or retained from recollection^ will be sufficient to find out to which allegations they refer as rectification. I follow the order of date omitting all personal references. 2. The mathematical principles upon which the survey is carried on, and the methods of observation, of my own invention, used are the full proof of its accuracy they have been stated as such by the men of the highest standing in that branch of mathematical and physical sciences. 3. It is due only to the accuracy in the prin- ciples of acting on land^, that it is possible to make any discoveries under water^ because this determines the place where the lead is thrown, which the simple sounding operation is incapable of indicating. 4. The make of the land decides how far the — 315 — topography must go inland, to follow the windings of a creek or river costs much more time and work, therefore, also money, than the sweeping survey of the whole country in which they lie, and all the Highlands etc. that may be seen from the water in any way, must be presented by the chart to the aspect of all seamen. 5. The money spent under my direction in the Coast Survey, is just about half what has been stated ; that sum, quoted wrongfully, is much nearer to what the navy spent between 1818 to 1828 without having any map whatso- ever to show for it — accounts will show that, if called for. 6. The number of officers and other persons employed at any one time, is far less than stated, those named by the Treasury Depar- tement's report are all those ever employed for longer or shorter time in the work ; their sa- laries have never been considered as overated by the men of science knowing the work to be performed. 7. Arrogance is only when a man pretends to what he is not able, what a man knows, and is able to do, and the standing he has proved himself to have filled satisfactorily, he has the right, and, as a man of truth, the duty to state without deserving the reproach of arrogance. — 316 — 8. What may appear eccentricity to a man standing at a distance from a mass of infor- mation, may not be eccentric at all in reality, therefore, eccentricity is entirQly relative be- tween the persons concerned. 9. The business of engraving stands as fol- lows : the maps published in this country hitherto, were all without what is called topo- graphical drawing, in the present conventional, generally accepted by the methods now used, are required to give a miniature likeness of the country, which is evidently not the case either in the sea charts, or in the maps of the States, in this country. Therefore, it became necessary as I stated in proper time to the Treasury Department, that the seed to thiS\ part of engraving should be now imported./ The engraving of real land maps divides itself in various branches, the numbers, the outlines, the topographical drawings, the lettering, the views, etc. are all to be done by different hands, the work is divided by its kind, not by the plates. It must all be done in the very office in which the drawings and general execution of the maps is done, under the same direction; officers of this country who have visited for instance, the Irish survey, will be .ible to give account of the mode of proceeding there. Without such an organisation, all accuracy is lost, and the principal quality of the work is — 317 - destroyed^ which of course, is wasting what has cost so much care, labor, and expense. In this branch the establishment for the Coast Survey is as yet only begun, there are now four engravers, each in a different branch, at work upon six copper plates, each of them in his special line, two new imported, two from Philadelphia, they progress more rapidly in proportion as they become more habituated and acquainted with the speciality of their work. 10. Of the procuring of the copper plates, the following is the true historical statement in full. The good quality of the copper for large map engraving is a very essential requi- site, they ought to be able to bear the largest number of impressions possible , in that lies the main economy^ as the expense of engraving is always very great, the more it is extended to a greater number of copies, the more the eco- nomy in it is obtained. It is well known, that no copper mine has as yet been found in this country that has encouraged its working. Therefore copper had at any rate to be obtain- y ed from abroad. It is equally well known that Hungary has the best and most abundant copper mines of different varieties; upon these grounds I consulted with the former Austrian Ambassador, Baron Marechal and got from him a special recommendation to his friend — 318 — General . . . Chief of the Polytechnic School in Vienna, to order and procure copper plates of the required dimensions^ of the best quality. The money part of the commission^ and the forwarding being cared by M. Schwartz, the well known and amicably serviable Consul of the United States in Vienna. The plates arrived in due time before the engravers were ordered or even needed. How- ever , when they were tried for use , they proved not good, notwithstanding no man can deny that precautions enough had been taken to procure the best quality. To satisfy the anxiety shown for the beginning of the engra- ving, I sent immediately the engraver to Phi- ladelphia , where a copper plate publisher, Keim, made two plates, which were somewhat better, but such large plates are specially diffi- cult to get of sufficiently good quality, it is not the same thing as making small plates for a Hkeness or such. These plates were therefore, also not fully satisfactory and it became necessary to procure real good plates from Paris direct, where my friend Mr Beautems-Beaupres , Chief of the Bureau of the Depot de la Marine, had the kindness to havo some constructed for the Coast Survey, which have now begun to be used. Thus after trying the nearest, and what had at first been considered the best, without — 319 — the expected success, I succeeded by the third trial only, but now well . 11. The chart of Newark Bay was given to engrave by Congress, before even any idea of engraving for the Coast Survey in general had been thought of, therefore the engraver from Hamburg now present, had not yet even been thought of, and the work was taken away from the office. 12. The letter of Mr Mallory requesting me to give the map of New York to Mr Stone, to exainine , (please consult Johnson's dictionary for the real meaning of this word) an opera- tion which would require, of course, a good mathematician conversant with the principles and practice of the Coast Survey. I felt it very hard to be subjected to the examination of a man whom I know incompetent for that task. I even told him directly, ^' you are not capable to put this map upon copper, he immediately -answered : " I know that very well ". The map was however shown to him imm^e- diately in presence of several assistants, and he measured it with a two foot rule, as if to order the coffin for it of proper size. Those of my assistants,vwho were present at the time, were as much displeased at the circumstance as myself, and I found it necessary on that occasion, to state a limit which I had hoped — 320 — would not be stepped over : Stone himself felt that he had overstepped his limits. 13. My report of last IS**" of November, and the 9 above shows the principle, upon which the engraving is to be carried on, if it shall not destroy the work itself by its inaccuracy, for such work only there can be responsa- bility expected from the Coast Survey Office, for any work done out of it, and given out of it in any other 'way, under whatever order it may be, it is impossible to conceive the slight- est responsibility on the part of the office, its chief or any person in it. 1 4 . Many years ago, when I was in no way connected with the Coast Survey or the Go- vernment, I tried to join a map of the coast from Northern and Southern State maps, at the request of a friend, but at their junction no coincidence could be obtained ; this was a transient subject of conversation only with Mr Mallory, but in no way whatever connect- ed with any thing relating to the Coast Sur- vey; there was no result possible to draw, from the want of coincidence, which I found, thence nothing could even have been publish- ed ; the idea of the work was abandoned by that friend. 15. From the principles of publication of such w^orks as result from the Survey of the Coast. I have made mention in proper places. — 321 — and the examples of other countries stand before the public. In all of them the main triangulation had been given by some 'pre- ceding scientific work long before any map was either thought of or asked for. I, on the contrary am requested to give maps before the main triangulation can possibly be finish- ed ; this inversion of the order w^hich nature and science dictate, can not otherwise but give to the work a turn^ at the same time over laborious and often disappointed. 16. Individual harbors^ bays, passes etc., may be published, as have been delivered constantly, upon every call for them, but the connected map of the coast cannot be given before the chain of triangles upon which it shall be grounded, is completed between two Cases. To publish other specialities or com- municate other data from the work would be giving it up to spoliation and disgrace. Any demand of that kind can be guided only by improper private interest, and is not to be gratified. It is for that, purposely stipulated in my contract, that no results shall be given otherwise but by the call of the Government ; under whom the whole mass of this work, constitutes a -property of the Whole nation, in no way claimable by a single individual. 17. What relates to the new channel at the entrance of New York bay, has been com- — 322 - municated to several public officers in ma- nuscript^ preliminary to the full publication of the map of New York, now engraving ; the public usefulness of the channel is in full activity ;, it is buoyed out so that no delay can be reproached whatever. 18. The Case^ for which a small steamboat is proposed, is not that which can apply to the Coast Survey^ except perhaps in some indivi- dual cases for short times. There never have been twenty barges employed in the coast survey as is well known to save 100,000 dol. annually, out of an appropriation of just that amount, is a problem not yet solvable ma- thematically. 19. As the money transactions are not of my Department, I cannot be quoted as au- thority for what balance may be on hand, I, myself, ask for this information in the Trea- sury Department, when I need to know it, for the purpose of regulating my plan of operation according to the means on hand. I never make any disbursements. That the work and especially any personal party, is conducted with the strictest economy and, at less ex- pense than has ever been done in any other country propritionnally to the price and mode of living, in this country and in others, would certainly prove itself by any comparison of facts, (not one spring seat sofa will be found in any of the bills). 323 20. My age dates from of 6*' October 1770. It is with life or age^ like with all other things, it lasts the longer and remains the longer effective ; the better it is used and hus- banded. 21. It is a direct injustice to reproach to the officers issuing from the Mihtary Academy of West Point, and from the Naval Schools, their not being competent to take the lead in a work which they are not instructed the first principles of, nor provided with any means for. The thing is impossihle for them, I must state my own experience. Immediately after President Jefferson had approved my plan of operation for the Coast Survey in 1801, from among the tliirteen plans handed in, and examined by the Committee held in Phila- delphia he also decided the postponement of the execution of the work, on account of the warlike appearance of affairs with Eng- land. At the same time the first Professorship of Mathematics and Natural Philsophy of West Point was vacant ; Mr Garnett a private gentle- man of New Brunswick, N. J. w^ell known eminent Mathematician, and Colonel Williams chief of the Engineers and of the Military Academy, proposed me for that Professorship, which I occupied 1807, — '8, — '9, to such satisfaction as letters in my possession, and - 324 - the opinion of students of those times may show. I attempted to give some (then new) Lieu- tenants just dismissed from the Academy, some practical information, in a direction leading to works of the nature in question. I even wrote upon it, but they found them- selves entirely unprepared, I could do only little, and they soon left. During the time I was there, and one of rny friends (who afterwards died in Arkansas) there was some teaching in this line of the science, which was ever since interrupted until, as I have just been told, it was again begun last year, — but it requires longer years of instruction and practice to acquire proper proficiency in that branch of science. In 1808 I made a plan for the studies and organisation of the Military Academy, which may still be found in the War Department. What they are not taught in the Academy, the students cannot be expected to bring out ofit, their future practice alone can put them in the possibility of acquiring it, according to the special duties they may be placed into, which is entirely a chance of circumstances. The Naval schools are well known to be only for practical seamanship, without sufii- ciently enteringinto higher branches of Mathe- matics, as are required for works similar to 325 the Coast Survey. I made also for a Naval Academy a plan in 1832, w^hich may perhaps be found in that Department it is well known that no change has taken place in this respect, therefore, also the Naval Officers are entirely innocent of the accusation lanced against them. 22 When in 1833 a Bureau was proposed to direct the Coast Survey, a meeting of one half hour proved the inadequacy of it completely. 23. I was in London for the instruments from fall 1811, to fall 1815, under the disa- greeable situation of an alien enemy , by the then war with England. 24. The state over whose territory the Coast Survey has the most extended is New Jersey, therefore also in that State the most money of the coast survey expenditure has been dis- bursed . 25. I arrived in the United States in Octo- ber 1805, but had been in public business in Switzerland before, since 1786, though there engaged in the archives and as a member of Courts of Justice ; always however applying to mathematics and Natural Philosophy as sub- jects of predilection. In April 1807. I entered my first appoint- ment in this country, at West Point, as stated above. 26. A suspension of the work of the survey — 326 — now, would be attended by very great direct loss, as well in work, as in objects on hand for its continuation ; and principally because it would most likely not be possible to bring it up again within more than a man's age, as the interval lost between 1818 and 1832, may easily lead to conclude under existing circum- stances. 27. It must be evident to any reflecting mind, that a scientific work changing hands, loses the advantages of the experience and practical skill, acquired by the operators, and loses the character of a systematic work. 28. Since the resolution of 24*^ of June 1841 so much of my time has been taken up by the polemic disease, pressed upon me first from Congress, which has, of course, other disa- greements in its consequence, that, actually more than one year of my work was lost, which I would, with immensely more satis- faction, have appHed to the forwarding of the interesting and valuable works which I have engaged for with the Government. F. R. Hassler. Washinhton City, January ^ 1842. , ^JL — 327 — COAST SURVEY OF THE UNITED STATES ^;^ 1. In the last discussion upon the appro- priations^ it has pleased Mr Aycrigg , and one more of the members of a Committee of five representatives in Congress^ to throve out the broad-cast accusation, that I was mentally j and physically incompetent to that task which \ I have now performed for ten years, with full approbation and even praise , on the part of the men of science of Europe, and of this country. 2. This statement was made not only with- out producing any proof, but also in full con- - tradiction to abundant facts , and without producing the report which the Committee is bound to make to Congress with the documents in support ; namely the examination of myself and assistants upon the Coast Survey, and my report asked by the very member upon my works for the establishment of uniform weights and measures for the United States. 3. As it is impossible that an assembly of the representatives of a whole nation should possibly be guided by mere empty words without any proof, it appears not necessary to go into an actual refutation of an assertion the nullity of which can be well dismissed, and — 328 — will be proved by Congress calling for the examinations, etc., quoted under 2*^. So much the rather, as luckily my well known state of mental and physical capacity cannot possibly depend upon the decision of a Committee of Congress, and are now in full good state , as they have been observed by the gentlemen who have favoured the Coast Survey Office with their visit. 4. I will therefore limit myself here to two statements made under the denomination of facts, but which are related in a manner com- pletely different from what they actually are. 5. The wrong scale upon a map of Newark Bay, Lieut. Com. Gedney. The fact stands thus. 6. When Lieut. Gedney was sounding Newark Bay, he communicated uncautiously, without any communication with me, and against the regular order of the work, a chart of his soundings, to some persons pressing him for it. When informed of it, I had to recall to the regular order of the work*, that nothing should be delivered unknown to me, and without orders previously obtained from the Treasury Department; to get this caused some delay, while local contending interests in Newark were impatient. This Mr Aycrigg reproached to me, in the committee, that he had so long to ask for it. When the whole - 329 — summer's work was brought in the bureau, Lieut. Gedney had a map made as desired, and more extensive, under his direction, wherein the fraction of the scale was mis- taken which map was never exhibited to me until at the time of the committee, when he complained to me that such a great crime tvas inade to him out of an accidental miswrit-' ing of a fraction by one of his subaltern offi- cers. I believe he then told me that the error was corrected ; I properly remonstrated with him that this accusation was the reward for his hurrying a work with unreasonable im- patience, and without any communication with me. Mr Aycrigg who takes up this sub- ject as an accusation against me, is completely aware of every particular, as Lieut. Gedney explained it all to him, he can therefore not be otherwise but perfectly aware that he does me a wilful injustice. 7. Mr Aycrigg accuses me of having made in a pamphlet of 200 pages, 400 errors, which I myself corrected. I had no idea that I should have to reveal to the public the errors of some learned men, by being forced into self-defence by a misapplication of the fact against the actual statement made on the face of it . I do it reluctantly, but as the full proof can be administered, I must give it as follows. 8. When the Coast Survey broke up in 1818, — 330 — and after my return from the Northern Boun- dary Survey, I gave in 1820, under the title '^ Papers upon various subjects relating to the Survey of the Coast of the United States", to the Philosophical Society of Philadelphia, the descriptions of the instruments, the method of operating and observing, which I had partly used, partly proposed to use in that work. Old Dr Patterson then its president, the gen- tleman the most acquainted with the work, and its various first plans, etc., proposed it as a great National work, and upon the report of a committee, it was the 30*^ of March follow- ing ordered to be printed. But the Philoso- phical Society, being short of funds, the exe- cution of the printing was delayed so long, that in 1822, the Philosophical Society of New York, where I then was, desiring to see a work, which they considered so honourable to the country, published, asked the manuscript from Philadelphia, but was refused it, — see the opinion of Professor Renwick of New York, in the syllabus of his lectures on natural philosophy. 9. All at once, without the slightest notice given to me from Philadelphia, the volume of the Philosophical Society's Transactions con- taining these papers, appeared in 1825; but with the sense in science so terribly distorted that I complained of it, and asked for my — 33i — original manuscript, which I had requested to be preserved ; and then found that Professor Patterson, now Director of the Mint in Phila- delphia, and Mr Nulty a good theoretical mathematician, both members of the Philoso- phical Society, who had never been in, nor seen, or studied any particular part of mathematics bearing upon a work of that nature, had un- dertaken to correct, (as they called it) the language of my papers. Now it is well known that it is impossible for a man knowing no- thing of a subject to write upon it with propriety of expression ; thence, the most absurd errors crept into the printing. I was obliged, in self- defence, to print immediately corrections which rendered the mistakes less absurd, though they do not bring the expressions back to my original manuscript. All the men of science acquainted with the subject of these papers acknowledge my lan- guage in manuscript proper, but not the one introduced in lieu of it in the printing, and all the subjects of the papers were highly ap- proved, in German, French, and English publications equally. 10. The complaint against my language is new and is affected, merely arising from want of acquaintance with the subject. Already in 1806, people in good society in Philadelphia considered my language as very appropriate V 332 in expression, and as Jefferson called it very clear, one of the best public editors of the country declared it very precise and perspi- cuous, In England, and by Enghshmen, it was always approved as expressing such very well, though it was not of the common street character. I was in that compared with an eminent lawyer of London, and I got at diffe- rent times acknowledgements of a good and very clear expressive style of English. But I am not alone in having observed that in this country the English language actually varies from the English of England, and from one State to the other. As I wrote books in New York and in Virginia, I have had sufBcient experience to see some of my expressions ap- proved in the Southern States and condemned in the Northern . But always the main diffi- culty was the unacquaintance with the subject upon which I wrote, and not the language itself. 11. If there should be any part of the accu- sation of errors of print tried to refer to my Logarithmic and Trigonometric tables, pu- blished stereotype in New York, I must state as follows, — they were in the first appear- ance considered as containing far less errors than commonly occur in first editions of such works. They were instantly all corrected, and an edition of 1.000 was made for Admiral — 333 - Krusenstun, chief of the Russian Naval Aca- demy, as most appropriate, (who not long ago offered me to be recommended to the Emperor for a decoration). They were sufficiently approved in England, so that they immediately were published there quoting their origin from me. 12. 1 have written a number of other books, which were well approved in Europe, and in this country by the men acquainted with the science to which they relate, I rely upon that public which is the only one that can be acknowledged competent for the ultimate deci- sion of the case. F. R. Hassler. Philadelphia, 2Z^ of December 1842. A^ \ ^ M" HASSLER'S ANSWERS ON EXAMINATION QUOTATION FROM CONDORCET &c. — 337 - The « New World. » New York, Saturday, April 1"* 1843. THE COAST SURVEY. It is not often that a Congressional docu- ment affords food for merriment ; but we scarcely know a richer treat of this kind than has been afforded us by Document n° TGt. All the world knows or it ought to know, that a Coast Survey has been in progress for some years, and that a million of dollars have been expend- ed upon it. To those unacqnainted with such matters, a few words of explanation may be necessary. A complete and accurate survey can only be done by what is called triangulation. To do this a line of from five to ten miles is actually measured on the surface, by the most careful and often repeated processes ; this is called the measured base. From its two ends a common third object is observed by the proper instrument. We have then a side and two angles of a triangle ; and from thence — 338 - by trigonometry we get the lengths of the other two sides; we then take one of these and make it the base of a third triangle^ and so go on till the whole country is covered by these triangles. This is called the primary triangulation and is the basis of the whole. Those in the slightest degree acquainted with the work, will understand that , if a base is measured in Long Island and another in Georgia, when the large triangles from the former approach the latter, the last measured base will form (if the work is perfect) exactly the third side of the last triangle ; hence this last is called the base of verification. It must also be understood that other parties go on measuring smaller triangles within the larger, until the whole country and coast become coverd with these smaller triangles, by which the locality of every spot is determined. This is called the secondary triangulation . Of course in a complete scientific survey the latitude and longitude of every chief point, together with its compass bearings, from the others , should be included. Thus far there is no joke, but we now come to the farce. An old Swiss named Hassler, who writes a miserable jargon, which he calls En- glish, and scolds like a fish fag, was, in an evil hour, selected as chief surveyor. He has been engaged in this for thirteen years at the rate of — 339 — 6,000 dol. per annum^ and as the results are not forthcoming, Congress very naturally wishes to know what he is about.This has often been done but the only answer hitherto has been abuse mixed up with an unintelligible gibberish which he intends shall pass for science. To the question why cannot the primary^ trian- gulation be carried on except under your su- pervision? he answers, Because there is no- body to do it ; nobody attached to the survey can do it. Question. — What objection is there to the publication of extracts of your work ? Answer. — 1° No base of verification has yet been measured; S'' We are uncertain as to the difference in any meridian in this country, and any in Europe, to a minute and a half in lon- gitude; S*" We have not yet determined the elipticity of the earth ! Question. — Is either of these things neces- sary to .'give practical utility to the soundings and distances in particular bays and harbors? Answer. — Perhaps not, but the superin- tendent will take care of his own character as a man af science I Question. — Do you think that under the most favourable circumstances the survey can be completed in twenty years ? Answer. — Perhaps ! } - 340 - Question. — How long before the survey will meet Cape Hatteras ? Ansiver, — It is impossible to say; it is too vague a guess. Question, i-^ Cannot American engravers put on copper all map engraving which can be put on paper? Answer. — No ! Question. — Are the measures in the survey taken in French metres^ and why ? Ansiver. — Because it is the only absolute standard but the results are given in yards and metres both Question. \ l-lAn what parts of yards ? Answer. — In decimal parts only ! At last it was determined to address him a letter asking for information about the mea- sured base line^ which, it appears^ was not ac- tually measured throughout its whole length, nor had it a monument at each end, to mark its true place. The answer contains such sen- tence as the following. The contradictory re- ports which you have received are, what all contradictory reports are, untrue : for truth is but one^ and in mathematics there is no possi- bility of cavil with its decision — unless you should think that I have no right of self defence, which belongs by natural right to all, even the dumb creation, and I therefore shall not give up, having so plenty means for it on hand 341 — you cannot but see that the subject you attack (namely the accuracy of the base hne} belongs to the scientific worlds which is not limited by the boundary of the United States, even as settled by the last treaty ; that mathe- matics furnisli means to ascertain, which even jjoliiics cannot (for even the decisions of large assemblies by plurality of votes, has been de- cided by mathematicians. ( See Condorcet. « Probabilite cles decisions par la plurdlite des voix. » This is decidedly a stumper for the Commit- tee, it is surely too much to expect a member of Congress to be a mathematician, but when it comes to reading French besides, it becomes a manifest absurdity. The redoubtable old Swiss thus annihilates the Committee at the conclusion of the same letter. ^^ Besides, please to observe that every stroke you may think to do at the Coast Sur- vey by raising doubts upon its accuracy and reviling it, may be also a stroke at some vessel, bearing perhaps a friend or relation of yours, wiiose groans will cry vengeance upon you for having prevented , or discredited, the exe- cution of an accurate survey of the coast upon which you may be long in search of a corpse ! We have gone through the report of ninety- three pages, and fully adopt its conclusions. 22 — 342 — 1. The original object of the work has been lost sight of. 2. The longitude of the different parts of the survey have not been obtained. 3. That while Delambre and Nuchain had 115 principal stations in three years, or about 38 annually, and Col. Mudge 12 annually, our Swiss friend has had only 20 in thirteen years. Now if Mudge was engaged 19 years on En- gland alone , Hassler may be supposed to complete the United States in the year 1997- 4. That the only published chart of this survey yet examined, had no compass bear- ings, no latitude^ nor longitude, with a scale making Newark Bay 118 miles long, that a corrected scale makes it 5, 82 miles. 5. That although the secondary should follow, because it mainly depends upon the primary triangulation, yet it is actually in advance of the latter. These are a few of the conclusions to which the Committee have arrived : With all ima- ginable modesty we suggest a few others. 1. We shall read Condorcet's doctrine of probabilities to ascertain when the survey will be completed. Having ascertained that tp the part of a decimal, by the standard yard at the temperature of 32'' we should conclude, 2. To dismiss Hassler and all his cousins- 343 german, break up his machine shop, and dis- charge his German engravers. 3. Put the work under the charge of one of his principal assistants, whose only extra work should be to write intelligibly, and an- swer questions courteously. 4. Run a fringe of secondary triangulations along the coast and as fast as the points were determined , give them to the water-parties, verify them every one or two hundred miles. If there is an error of the sixteen thousandth part of a metre, allow for that and even more. 5. Publish the work as fast as it is com- pleted, and let it be in good honest American feet and inches. LETTER FROM NULTY — 347 — THE MERCURY AND EVENING-JOURNAL Philadelphia, Wedaesday of 5tli April 1843. Mr Hassler late of the Coast Survey, and the American Philosophical Society's Transac- tions of 1825. We received yesterday, a communication from Eugenius Nulty Esq'* in reply to Mr Hassler's paper of Dec. 23"^ 1842, referred to in our leader of the of 9'^ Feb. last. As it touches on a scientific subject, and contains a justifi- cation in relation to some charges made by Mr Hassler, we conceive it our duty to pubhsh it in extenso. Mr Nulty it is hardly neces- sary to add, is one of the ablest mathemati- ^ans in this or any other country, and in the higher branches of the science, at least equal to any gentleman that has enjoyed a high mathematical reputation on this side of the water. We have, from the first taken the ground that no extensive knowledge of the pure mathematics is required in any survey . ~ 348 — t— a few principles in Plane and Spherical \ Trigonometry answering all that purpose — * so that while we do not conceive Mr Hassler's talent as a practical mathematician as positively equal to witchcraft, we can easily imagine that Mr Hassler's mathematical paper in the Philosophical Transactions does not contain more than four pages that evince a know- ledge of the higher and more abstruse branch- es. Still that is no proof that Mr Hassler's actual acquirements do not go beyond it. He is certainly one of the ablest '^practitioners" and has been acknowledged as such in some of the best mathematical papers published in Europe by Gauss, Zach and otliers. Neither need the American Philsophical Society feel concerned as to the many topographical oi^^ other alleged errors in the publication above referred to ; when it is known that the Tran- sactions of the Royal Society of London and Edinburgh contain a serious paper '^ on the geometrical construction of the square root of \ rainus one," (Mr Nulty will know where to fmd it ) which the Patron Duke who is the author of it, conceives to be and ordinate, raised in the centre of a circle^ perpendicular to the diameter ; because it is a mean proportional between plus one (the radius) and vfiinus one (the radius measured in the opposite direction.) We trust that this will prove a consoling, — 349 — offset to the ^* four hundred misprints found on two hunderecTpages " charged by Mr Hass- ler to tlie gentleman who corrected his ma- nuscript. We here submit Mr Nulty's caustic coramunication : To the Editor of the ^^ Mercury Journal". Sir, I lately received, through a friend, a paper dated Dec' 28^ 1842 and written by E. H. Ilassler Superintendent of the Coast Survey of the United States. This paper is, I presume, the original document on which are based the charges alluded to in your article Feb. 9*^' last. Had it come under my notice sooner, I should have had the opportunity of making an earlier statement of my part in the subject of Mr Hassler's reluctant disclosure. In the year 1825, or perhaps 1824, when engaged as Actury of the Life Insurance Company of this city D' Patterson, the present Director of the Mint showed me a manuscript of Mr Hassler's on the Coast Survey of the United States. He told me that the Ameri- can Philosophical Society had at some pre- vious time, resolved to publish it in their — 850 — next volume of Transactions ; and he wished me to assist him in the removal of some extremely awkward, if not ambiguous^ phra- seology, which might bring discredit on Mr Ilassler as a writer of our language and also on the litterary character of the Philosophical Society. At the time of D' Patterson expressing this wish^ I regarded him as the chairman of the committee to whom was referred Mr Ilass- ler's paper. Who the tw^o other members of that committee were I never inquired. That the Society appointed me as one of them I have no reason to believe ; and I feel as cer- tain as impressions at so distant a period admit, that I was not at the meeting of the Society when Mr Hassler's paper was pre- sented, nor when it w^as accepted for publica- tion. These circumstances are here mentioned to show that I am altogether clear of any ima- ginary ambitious interference in the paper of Mr Hassler. To D"" Patterson's request I cherfully consented ; and at his directien and in accordance with his judgment and approval, I made my share perhaps more than my share, of the ( c omparatively few changes not mis- prints or errors,) introduced into Mr Hassler's manuscript as published in the second Volume of the American Philosophical Society's Trans- actions 1825. When acknowdeding the part taken by me — 351 — under the circoumstances now stated^ I would be distinctly understood, that I repel as un- founded, any assertion that may have been made, as to liberties assumed by me in regard to what may be* called Mr Hassler's mathe- matical labors. In above one hundred and eighty quarto pages ^ devoted to his paper in the transactions already mentioned, there are scarcely four that bear the slightest evidence of mathematical knowledge beyond that of the humblest kind. These four pages I believe remain untouched by me ; and are in the original manner of Mr Hassler. They have, therefore no claim on my apology. The remai- ning I am not at present disposed to dwell upon. They contain plans — descriptions of ins- truments — their adjustments — their pecu- liarities — and such like matters : and are generally in Mr Hassler's hes± English style. If they have suffered any diminution of their importance from my labors, I much regret it. To ascribe it to a want of mathematical know- ledge sufficient to comprehend his paper, where in upwards of one hundred and seventy-five pages ; not a symbol of that science is found, or was requisite, looks hardly sound, and somewhat more than ungenerous. I here take a long leave of Mr Hassler we can never interfere in the theoretical Way. — 352 — The practical in which his good fortune has now placed hini^ he cannot consider me so ambitious as to envy. I am Mr Editor yours wjth great respect, EUGENIUS NULTY. Philadelphia, S^^ April 1843. ON THE IMPORTANCE OF THE SURVEY & STANDARD WEIGHTS & MEASURES 355 SURVEY OF THE COAST AND PREPARATION OF STANDARD WEIGHTS AND MEASURES To be delivered to the Custom Houses of the respective States of the Union Believing that a brief sketch of the object and progress made in these two great nation- al works may prove interesting to gur rea- ders and the community generally, we have taken some pains to procure accurate infor- mation from authentic sources on these sub- jects, The following contains the result of our inquiries. SURVEY OF THE COAST The attention of Congress was first invited to the subject of a survey of the entire coast of the United States by President Jefferson in 1807, and a law w^as accordingly passed in that year authorising and requesting the Pre- sident ^^ to cause a survey to be taken of the coasts of the United States,in which shall bo designated the islands and shoals, with the roads or places of anchorage, within twenty 356 leagues of any part of the shores of the United States, and also the respective courses and distances between the principal capes or head lands, together with such other matter as he may deem proper for completing an ac- curate chart of every part of the coasts with- in the extent aforesaid . " The act further authorised and requested the President, ^''for any of the purposes afore- said to cause proper and intelligent persons to be employed, and also such of the vessels in actual service as he may judge expedient, and to give such instructions for regulating their conduct as to him may appear proper accord- ing to the tenor of this act. " The duty of carrying this law into effect de- volved on the Secretary of the Treasury Mr Gallatin. Accordingly, in March 1807, a cir- cular was issued by that officer, requesting the suggestion of the outlines of a plan of the contemplated work, ^^ to unite correctness and practicability. " Various plans were presented, and one submitted by Professor Hassler w^as adopted by the President ; but, owing to the situation of the external relations of the coun- try at that period, the President deemed it best to postpone commencing the work, and in the mean time, directed Mr H. to furnisli descriptions of the scientific instruments re- quired for the prosecution of the work. — 357 — These preliminaries being settled, and it appearing that the necessary instruments could not be procured in the country, it be- came necessary to send to Europe for them, whither Mr Hassler was instructed to proceed for that object. He accordingly embarked for England in the year 1811, and had the neces- sary instruments prepared under his imme- diate direction and inspection. Before this commission was accomplished, however^ the peace of the country was inter- rupted, and Mr Hassler was thus prevented from returning to the United States, with the instruments until towards the close of the year 1815. In 1818 Mr Dallas, then Secretary of the Trea- sury with the approbation of the President engaged the services of Mr Hassler, who en- tered on the undertaking as superintendent of the entire work, with authority to employ offi- cers from the corps of engineers and from the navy as assistants, and to provide the neces- sary equipments etc. for the sucessful prose- cution of the work. After the preparatory reconnoitring and surveys, a baseline was established and duly ratified by careful calcu- lation in New Jersey in 1817, and sundry primary triangulations projected and com- pleted during said year. The work at this pe- riod was interrupted by the omission of Con- 23 — 358 — gress to make the necessary appropriations, presumed to have been owing to the urgent demand for funds to meet payments on ac- count of the heavy national debt then due by the Country, and other important objects of a pubhc nature. Matters thus remained until the passage of the act of 10*^ of July, 1832, entitled an act to carry into effect the act to provide for a Survey of the Coast of the United States, *^ by which the act of 1807, was revived, and requiring the survey to embrace the Coast of Florida. This act also authorises the President, in the execution of the law, all persons in the land and naval service of the United States, and such astronomers and other persons, as he may deem proper. " Mr Hassler was again appointed by the president to make the survey under the su- perintendence of the treasury department on the same terms agreed upon in 1816. Under the fostering care of Congress this great natio- nal work has been prosecuted with as much vigor and activity as the nature of it would admit of, and many highly important results have already been realised, and amongst them the discovery of another channel into the harbor of New York, of sufficient depth of water for the safe passage of vessels of the largest class in and out of that port. The superintendent has under his direction I — 359 — several able assistants and officers under them, engaged in the topographical part of the sur- vey, and are divided into separate corps for accomplishing the main and secondary trian- gulations and the plane-table operations. Be- sides there are four vessels employed in the hydrographical portions of the work, in mak- ing the necessary soundings and examination of currents, shores, bays, harbors, etc., on the coast. These operations are conducted by intelligent and experienced naval officers (under the immediate direction of the supe- rintendent) where determinations are ground- ed on points and results first established by the topographical parties on the land and thereby giving them mathematical precision and cer- tainty. From a casual examination of the report of the superintendent, made to the secretary of the treasury and laid before Congress at the last session, it appears that the work has been completed in all its details throughout that part of the coast and adjacent waters lying between the eastern extremity of Long Island Sound to the neighbourhood of Long Branch New Jersey, and the necessary triangulations to pursue the soundings of the Delaware, the outer seashore and Barnegat Bay, have been extended southerly to the vicinity of Cape May, and towards the north to Mount Carmel 360 in Connecticut. Sounding parties are now engaged in completing their operations be- tween the points indicated. Accurate charts and maps of the respective portions of the work, as it progressed have been prepared, and whenever directed by Congress to be pubHsh- ed, will, no doubt, furnish highly important information, and prove of great practical public utility, and especially to the maritime portion of the community. STANDARD WEIGHTS AND MEASURES In December 1819, on the motion of Mr Lowndes, of South Carolina, a resolution was adopted by the House of Representatives, directing the Secretary of State * ^ to report to this House what information he may be able to obtain as to the regulations and standard for weights and measures in the several States, and as to the proceedings in foreign countries for establishing uniformity in weights and measures; together with such a plan for fixing a Standard of Weights and Measures for the united States, as he may deem most proper for their adoption". In compliance with this resolution, a very able and interesting report was made by the — 361 — secretary of State (Mr Adams) in Fb. 1821 detailing many important facts, and exhibiting a remarkable difference between the weights and measures used at the respective custom- houses. No further proceedings seem to have been taken in the matter until May 1830, when a resolution was adopted by the Senate of the United States, on the motion of Mr Wood- bury then senator from New Hampshire, di- recting the secretary of the Treasury ^^to cause a comparison te be made of the standards of weights and measures now used in the princi- pal custom-houses in the United States, and report to the Senate at the next session of Congress". In obedience to this resolution, the required comparison was commenced under the imme- diate superintendence of Mr F. R. Hassler whose high reputation for scientific acquire- ments generally, and in this branch especially recommended him as peculiarly qualified for the undertaking. It w^as conducted on the best established scientific principles, and the result exhibited such remarkable disparity in the weights and measures used in the different custom-heuses, as to demonstrate the urgent necesstiy of providing standards for their re- gulation, to insure uniformity throughout the United States. Reports were accordingly made 162 by the Secretary of the Treasury to the Senate in 1831 and 1832 accompanied by a detailed statement prepared by Mr Hassler^ showing the mode of conducting the comparison and the results obtained. In some cases the bushel was found to differ quite six quarts, and the twenty eight pound weight to differ be- tween two and three ounces. The yard stick differed less, though it was usually too long. As the general collection act of 1799, requires a periodical examination and trial of the weights and measures and other instruments used in ascertaining the duties on imports, to be made with standards to be provided by each collector at the public expense '\ The Treasury Department forthwith gave directions to have the necessary standards prepared ac- cording to authentic units ascertained and recommended by Mr H. to wit : The Avoirdupois pound (which is the pound of commerce) to be derived from the Troy pound of the Mint by the legal proportions of 5,750 which constitute the Troy pound of 7,000 grains Troy, which constitute the Avoir- dupois pound. The liquid measure to be the wine gallon of 231, cubic inches, and the dry measure the Winchester bushel of 2150,42 cubic inches, according to the standard of 36 inches adopted as the English yard. " Brass beino; decided to be the most suitable - 363 — metal for the Standards, and it being impor- tant to have it of the best quahty, it was ac- cordingly prepared from American zinc ore and the purest copper to be obtained. The result has been the production of brass of a very superior quality, prepared in the city by the superintendent and his assistant. The Standard Weights have already been delivered to the respective Custom houses, and the Measures of capacity and of length have been mostly fabricated and are now undert- going proper comparison and final adjus- ment, when it is stated that the scales to test the weights can be turned by a hair, and that the thinnest silk paper can be detected on the end of the yard. By a joint resolution of Congress, approved the U*'^ of June 1836, the Secretary of the Trea- sury is directed, '^ to cause a complete set of Weights and Measures adopted as standards and now either made or in progress of manu- facture for the use of the several custom houses and for other purposes to be dehvered to the Governor of each State in the Union, or such persons as he may, appoint, for the use of the States respectively, to the end that a uniform Standard of Weights and Measures may be established throughout the Union. " We understand that Standard Weights have already been completed for the respective — 364 - States, and the Executives thereof duly advis- ed of the fact. In many instances they have been dehvered, and in others the Department is awaiting the receipt of proper directions as to their dehvery and transmission. The preparation of the weights and mea- sures as well as their distribution has at all times been under the general superintendence of the head of the Treasury Department, then in charge of Mr Woodbury as Secretary. In 1835, after that gentleman was placed at the head of the Treasury Department; the Survey of the Coast was again put in charge of the latter Department where it still re- mains. We cannot conclude this hasty sketch, with- out again adverting to the great importance of these works in a national point of view, and according our humble meed of praise to those distinguished men who conceived as well as those who countenanced and supported the undertakings. By the first mentioned work all the prominent points in our extensive sea coast, with the numerous bays^ harbors, shoals, currents etc. together with the location and bearing of the respective light houses and beacons will be established with scientific exactness and precision, and by the last the no less important regulation of a system of weights and measures throughout the Union. — 365 — These facts cannot fail to recommend the work to the favourable consideration of the American loeople, as they will tend to exalt our national character, and be deemed lasting memorials of the age and of the institutions under which they were matured and accom- plished. REMARKS ON THE SURVEY BY COL. SWIFT — 369 — This article was published by Col : Wil- liam Swift of the U. S. Topographical Corps, during the debates in Congress, when the last attempt was made by a few members to put a native born American in the place of M . F. R. Hassler as Superintendent of the United States Coast Survey. 1843. REMARKS UPON THE SURVEY OF THE COAST OF THE UNITED STATES 1. The law authorising the survey of the coast was passed Feb: 10*'' 1807. 2. Circular letters were adressed by the Treasury Department to various scientific men in the United States asking for a plan of ope- rations. Thirteen such were received, and submitted to a Committee of learned men in Philadelphia, with the late Professor Patter- — 370 — son at their head. After full consideration^ the plan proposed by Mr Hassler was adopted . 3. From the passage of the law until 1811, no active steps were taken, in consequence, principally, of the unsettled state of the country. 4. In August 1811, Mr Hassler was sent to England to procure instruments, in accor- dance with the plan proposed by him in 1807, These instruments had all to be constructed; and for the purpose of superintending the same, he remained in England till 1815, at which time he returned to the United States, with all the instruments and appendages re- quisite for the work. The war, want of remit- tances for payment of the instruments pur- chased, the difiiculty of procuring suitable artists to construct the same etc., conspired to protract his stay in England nearly two years beyond the time which he had allotted to this part of his labor. 5. In August 1816, Mr Hassler was ap- pointed to superintend the Survey of the Coast, under the law of 1807. The necessary preparations for the work including recon- noitring etc., consumed the time between August 1816, and April 1817. At that period a proper locality for a base line was discover- ed in New Jersey, and in July of the same year the actual triangulation was commenced. — 371 — 6. April 14^^ 1818, that part of the law which authorised the employment of persons others than those belonging to the army and navy was repealed and thus was Mr Ilassler's connection with the Coast Survey closed. 7. Up to this period the whole amount expended for the work was 55,694 dollars ; of this amount 37,549 had been expended for instruments and the expenses of procuring the same, leaving about 18,000 for the cost of the survey, equipment of the field etc. 8. In 1819, Mr Hassler presented to the American Philosophical Society of Philadel- phia his papers upon the Coast Survey, des- cribing the method and means by which it had been designed to conduct the work, to- gether with full descriptions of the instru- ments, with drawings of the same, examples of the journals of observations, etc. These papers were published by the Society in their volume of Transactions for 1825, and are now in the Library of Congress ; they contain much valuable and interesting information on the subject. They were reviewed by the principal astronomers of Europe, Bessel, Struve, Schu- macher, Fernsac, Francoeur, Krusenstein etc., all uniting in the opinion that the plan of Mr Hassler w^as of the first order, and that the instruments were in every manner adapted to the purpose for which they were designed. I y — 372 — 1832 a distinguished astronomer of France now emloyed by the United States, declared that the instruments planned by Mr Hassler for the Coast Survey and executed under his \jl own eye^ were when constructed, tfj^enty If years in advance of the science of Europe. * 9. In 1827, the Survey of the Coast, after a lapse of ten years, again excited public atten- tion. The Secretaryof the Navy (Mr Southward) in describing certain surveys which had been made by naval officers for an especial purpose, stated in his annual report '^ the time within , which it was supposed desirable to make / them (the surveys) and the means granted by / / the appropriation, did not permit them to be so / made as to furnish perfect surveys and charts /; of those harbors; nor can such surweys be ' { made without the aid of the means contem- \ plated by the act of 10^^ Feb : 1807, to provide \ for surveying the coast of the United States " . v- In 1828, the Committee on Naval Affairs, addressed a letter to the Secretary of the Navy (Mr Southward) asking information in reference to the Survey of the Coast, to wit : whether it ought to be made? the best plan for making it ; what progress had heretofore been made, etc. In reply he proceeds to say, after referring to a list of maps and charts, of the whole of the maps and charts in the possession of Government, it may be remarked that they I — 373 ~ do not furnish a satisfactory Survey of the Coast, for the following reasons : *^ 1. They exhibit detached parts uncon- / nected with each other. . [ ^'2. Are generally confined to the shore^ and do not extend sufficiently far into the ocean. \ ^' 3. Were many of them made by incom- petent men^ with incompetent means. I '* 4 They were governed by no fixed and \ certain principles in ascertaining the latitude \ and longitude of the principal points and posi- tions. '^ 5. They do not embrace the whole coast. \ For these and other reasons they are unsafe \) and in many cases useless and pernicious ". 10. In answer to the question. *' Whether in the opinion of the Department, such survey ought to be made ? " The Secretary replies : Upon this point no doubt is entertained. It is called for by regard to our commercial and naval interests, and to our means of na- tional defence. I do not understand that you require a statement in detail of the reasons for this opinion ; they will readily suggest them- selves to every mind. " 11. July lO^'^ 1832, the law of 1807, was re- vived, and the employment of such '^ astro- nomers and other persons " as the President should deem proper was again authorised. 2i — 374 — 12. At the request of the Treasury Depart- C^y. ment, Mr H^ssler submitted a plan of opera- tions for the work, being in fact the same which he had proposed in 1816. On the 9*^ of August, of same year, he was again appointed to the Survey, and to carry into effect the law of July 10*''. Prior to this period he had been employed by the Treasury Department in mak- ing comparison of the various weights and measures in use at the several custom houses, with a view to the construction, of uniform standards of the same for the Union. 13. The two works of the Coast Survey and that of the construction of standard Weights and Measures, being by their nature, intimately connected, and the means of accomplishing each being in many instances the same, Mr Hassler was charged by the Treasury Depart- ment-with the execution of both ; and, since the period referred to, the two works have received his whole attention. 14. Since 1832 the survey bf the coast has been diligently prosecuted. The remainder of the season, between August and December of that year, was employed in reconnoitring and other preparations ; and early in the follov/ing year 1833 , the triarigulation was recom- menced, and has been making steady progress from that time to the present. In 1834 a new base line was measiu"od on Long Island, and — 375 - the secondary triangulation , hydrographical work, and plane-table surveys, have also been in active progress, pari passu. 15. By the official statement of the Secre- tary of the Treasury ( Doc. 57. A. R. Jan. 31^* 1842) it will be seen that the aggregate amount expended from 1808 to SO*** June 1841, is dol. 512 781, 68; of this sum, by the same statement , dol. 33,723 05 has been expended for the purchase of *^ instruments, books, and repairs of instruments. " This with various sums expended for five surveying vessels, twenty boats, with all the requisite accom- paniments, and the necessary equipment for the several parties engaged in the secondary triangulation and plane-table work , makes a gross sum which exceeds dol. 120,000, for objects of a permanent nature, now the pro- perty of the coast survey. This v/ould reduce the amount expended upon the Vv^ork itself to dol. 392,781 68; if to this sum be added the vvhole amount of the estimate of the Secretary of the Navy, for difference of shore pay and sea pay of the officers, and for pay and rations of the crews of the several vessels, from 1834 to 1841 (doL 114, 584) we shall have a totdl sum expended of dol. 507,315 68 for about eleven years of actual work or about dol. 46,000 per annum. 16. When the operations of the Coast Sur- — 376 - vey^ under Mr Hassler, were suspended in 1818, by the repeal of a portion of the law, the system which he had adopted was also suspended , and thenceforward detached por- tions of the Coast were assigned for survey to naval officers, from time to time. Indeed , this same system , which was condemned so tho- roughly by Mr Southward in 1828, and for which the sound reasons quoted from his report, at the 4*^ page of this paper, were given, is still pursued — at what expense exactly we have not the means of stating. An approximate estimate may be formed, however, from the following facts : the direct expenditures, as exhibited by the printed sta- tements in the office of the Register of the Treasury from 1818 to 1841 ; are dol. 63,520 20; the incidental or indirect expenditures do not appear, but perhaps an idea of the extent of the same may be formed upon the following data : In 1832 dol. 5,000 were appropriated for the survey of Narragansett bay, in Rhode Island. There were employed in this work, 1 post captain, 3 lieutenants, 5 passed midshipmen, and 18 seamen, for one season, say six months. This appropriation of dol. 5,000 in nearly 1/13 of the whole amount of direct expendi- tures. Adopting the same principles in com- -- 377 - puting the cost of the work chargeable to the naval establishment, which the Secretary of the navy adopted in stating dol. 114,584 as the amount properly chargeable to the Coast Sur- vey for difference between sea and shore pay, and subsistance of officers, and pay and ra- tions of seamen, we shall have a gross sum, for six months, of upwards of dol. 4,000. Therefore for every dol. 5,000 expended directly for the work, we should add dol. 4,000; and this, for the dol. 63,520, 20 amounts to dol. 50,800. I infer also that nothing is in- cluded in the above dol. 63,520 20 for purchase or repairs of vessels, equipment etc., those being provided, as usual , in the general ex- penses of the naval establishment; on the contrary both purchases and repairs of ves- sels, boats, furniture etc., is chargeable upon the Coast Survey fund, for all which now belongs to the work. Here, then, we have a sum of dol. 114,320 as the cost of some deta- ched surveys of portions of the coast. Surveys of this nature , and those which are executed upon proper principles, are so unlike in character that they do not admit of compa- rison. We proceed now to state briefly the prin- ciples upon which the survey of the Coast is conducted. The principle upon which the Survey of the — 378 — Coast is conducted is, essentially, that which is known as the trigonometric method. By the relations which subsist between the sides and angles of a triangle, we are enabled from certain known data, previously deter- mined by actual measurement, to compute certain other parts which are unknown. For example ; in a given triangle, by measuring one of the sides and the angles, the two remaining sides can be determined by com- putation. These computed sides then serve as bases for other triangles, and subsequently by measuring the angles alone in the triangles thus formed, the work is extended ad libitum. This is called a triangulation, and may be made upon any part of the earth's surface upon which a line of a given extent can be measured. A triangulation may be complete in itself, and, when the necessary corrections have been made for the figure of the earth, the actual distance between two points can be accurately determined. But this, alone is not all that is required ; it is necessary to ascer- tain the true position of the district or coun- try triangulated upon the earth's surface — that is to say, its latitude and its longitude. The first of these is independent, it being simply its distance from the equator ; while the second is not independent, but refers to the position of some other point on the earth's surface, and under another meridian. This latter place, or meridian, may be as- sumed at will; and the question then to be determined is simply the difference in time between the two places of observation; and this being converted into degrees constitutes the longitude, or rather the difference of lon- gitude between two places. For these determinations, observations upon the heavenly bodies must be resorted to. It is not necessary however, that celestial ^observa- tions should be made at every point deter- mined by the triangulation, on the con- trary, a few well determined positions ascer- tained by a long series of observations, often repeated, are sufficient, the connexion between the same being determined by the triangula- tion; hence the survey of the coast, as now conducted, is made by combined or mixed geodetic and 'astronomical observations. Here, then, is the essential difference be- tween a survey by triangulation and astrono- mical observations, or even the so-called ^^chronometric survey", (a misnomer by the way as it is not a survey). One consists in a connected work, carried on upon the earth's surface, and made by means of an uninterrup- ted series of triangles while the other is com- posed of a collection of observations upon the — 380 — celestial bodies, made at detached points each place of observation being independent of the other. In the first method the connexion is complete, while in the others there is no connexion whatever. To the question whether the mode of making the survey of the coast by triangulation is better than any other, it may be said to be the only truly correct method which can be pursued. It is the only method by which a connexion in the work can be preserved. Of its accuracy the proofs are continually before the observer, and an error need not be extend- ed beyond a single triangle. The three angles are measured in every principal triangle of the work; and, as this is all the measurement which takes place after the base is determined, it is obvious that the observer has his proofs of correctness continually at hand. There can be no cooking of observations, as is sometimes practised in astronomical determinations. An idea of the exceeding accuracy attain- able in works of the nature referred to may be formed by referring to the account of the measurment made by the French astronomers of the arc of the meridian between Dunkirk and Cabrera, for the determination of the figure of the earth, being 12 degrees of latitude in extent. After a great number of triangles had been measured and an extent of about 500 - 381 — miles upon the meridian determined, (between Melun and Perpignan,) a base of verification, as it is denominated, was measured at Perpi- gnan. This verification consisted in measuring with the greatest accuracy one of the sides of a triangle in the series which had been pre- viously determined by computation from the original base. The difference between the computed side and the actual measurement was less than two feet. In the work of the survey of the coast, the secondary triangulation now encom- passes the southern part of the State of New Jersey from Staten Island to Cape May : one series of triangles was carried around on the east or Coast side, while a second was carried down the Delaware River and Bay uniting near the southern point of the State. The length of the side of the triangle which was common (on both sides) to both series was, of course, determined by each chain of triangles — one by the coast, and the other by the Delaware Bay ; the difference between the two determi- nations was two metres or about, six feet. In the primary triangles this difference will, from present appearances, be less than one foot. Surveys of all the countries of Europe have been or are being made by the system of triangulation, to wit : Austria, Russia, Sweden, 382 Denmark^ Hanover, Prussia, Serbia, Bohemia, and the states of Germany generally, Italy, Naples and Sicily, Switzerland, France and England, the British possessions in India, and the French colony in Algiers. Europe is covered with well connected series of triangulations from the south of Sicily to the polar circle ; from Ireland through En- gland, France, Germany, to the interior of Russia; from Bordeaux to the frontier of Tur- key and in all the intermediate parts; Some of the practical benefits which have resulted from the Coast Survey are abready apparent. The discovery of the ship channel into the harbour of New York, the better determinations of the channels into Delaware bay, and the detection of the grossest errors in the existing charts of that bay constitute a portion of the advantages which have already been derived from this work. The engraving of the chart of the bay and harbourof New York, with the country adja- cent to the same within a circuit of twenty miles is now in progress ; two sheets, embracing the entrance to the harbour, with the channel delineated thereon, are already in a state of great forwardness, and in all probability, will be completed by the 1** of June 1842. To the question, ' ' Whether no other mode exists by w^hich accurate results can be ob- — 383 — tained within less time than they can be fur- nished by a trigonometrical survey, " the answer is, No. There is no short method by which these results are attainable. It is not the ^'quantity" of triangles alone which determiners the industry or skill of the observer, but the quality . To make the triangulation of a given district of country with the least possible number of w^ell condi- tioned triangles, is one of the important pro- blems to be solved; quality, again, and not quantity, is the essential requisite. Usually, the experience of the world is justly considered when any great object is to be attempted or affected. Why should it be excluded from the category, in judging the merits of this magnificent work? We have the combined testimony of all the sciences of Europe in favor of making surveys by trian- gulations, and in fact, the positive assertion that it is the only proper method, why should we not adopt the conclusions of nations which to say the least, are older in these matters than we ourselves are, rather than to resort to methods which are a century behind the age we live in. Why, with the great advantages which the chronometric system is said to pos- sess, it is not adopted by those who are best capable of judging it by its merits. Rather let — 384 — the whole work be destroyed, than to suffer it to be done discreditably. If we can not make it in a manner which shall bear scrutiny of the scientifical world, let it rest for another fifteen years. Sextants and chronometers are invaluable instruments in their proper sphere, but they certainly do not furnish the means by which triangula'ions are to be made, or cor- rected, or superseded, as some would seem to desire. ORGANIZATION OF THE WORK 1 . The main or primary triangulation,upon which all the work depends, is made up of triangles having sides of from 10, to 15 miles in extent. The angles in these triangles are all measured by Mr Hassler. 2. Within these main triangles, smaller triangles are formed ; this constitutes the se- condary triangulation ; the sides of these vary in length, from two to 10 miles. The angles of these triangles are measured by the assistants of Mr Hassler, two and sometimes thre par- ties are engaged in this part of the work ; usually they enter the field in March and April, and leave the same for the calculations etc., in the office in December. 3. The secondary triangulation, in turn, forms the basis of the plane table or topogra- — 385 — phical surveys ; these include all the details of the ground outline of the coast or shore, courses of bays, rivers, roads, etc. This por- tion of the work is distributed among 5 or 6 parties, each having a district of country allotted to it. A party consists of 1 assistant and 5 or 7 hands, according to the nature of the country to be surveyed. These parties usually take the field in April and May, and return to the office, to make up their plottings and maps of the work of the season, in No- vember. 4. The hydrographic determinations are made entirely by the naval assistants of Mr Hassler. Points on shore are furnished by the triangulation, both main and secondary, to- gether with the coast or shore line from the plane table surveys. By this means the sound- ing parties are enabled to determine the true position of their soundings, by measuring the angles subtended between stations previously established upon the shore. Two parties are engaged in the hydrographic part of the work, each being furnished with the necessary assis- tants from the Navy, and with vessels, boats, etc., belonging to the Coast Survey. These parties are engaged in their labours upon the coast from April or May to November, accord- ing to the character of the weather ; in the winter months they are employed in laying — 386 — down their charts the results of the work of the season. The triangulation now extends from Narrangansett bay , Rhode Island to Cape Henlopen, Delaware, on the coast, and from the neighborhood of New York to the head of Chasapeake bay, covering an area of about 11,000 Square Miles. The hydrographic surveys cover 5.600 square miles, and the topographical or plane table surveys 4.200 square miles. This work is re- presented upon upwards of 200 maps and charts, of various scales, according to the nature of the work, from ^^ to ^^ ; that is to say, one foot in extent upon the map will represent according to the scale used, 5.000 feet or 100,000 feet upon the earth's surface. The actual length of coast line, (including Long Island) already determined and laid down upon the map, is 631 miles Do, of the largest bays, rivers and islands 697 y> Total of shore line, coast, bay, etc. 1 . 328 CLASSIFICATION OF THE EXPENSES The whole amount expended for the Survey of the Coast from the appropriation therefore, for the year 1841, was 76,174, 58 doll. 387 1 . Of this sum the general expenses of the work^ including the main triangulation, com- pensation of all persons employed therein, instruments and books, and all expenses not enumerated in the items below, amounted to doll. 32.671 06 2. The secondary triangu- lation, including compensa- tion of persons therein em- ployed, 3 parties » 19.352 06 3. The hydrographic Sur- veys, including the cost of repairs of the vessels and boats, etc., and allowances to oflicers, for expenses, 2 parties and 4 vessels » 25.459 67 4. Plane table or topogra- phical Surveys including com- pensation of all persons em- ployed therein, 6 parties » 18.692 67 Doll. 96.174 98 The conclusions which are deducible from the preceding remarks may be summarily stated thus : 1. /Availing ourselves of the experience and practice of all European nations it is just to conclude that the Survey of the Coast can' only be made (if it shall be accurately executed) by a triancrulation. — 388 — 2. Conceding the ground that it is by a triangulation alone that exact results can be obtained, it may be shown, by a reference to the history of similar works, that the methods pursued in executing the Survey of the Coast of the United States are in principle and in details, in accordance with the best of those adopted by other nations. Washington, February 25^, 1842. LETTER FROM GEN. SV/IFT TO P. E. HASSLER 25 391 - EXTRACT OF A LETTER FROM GENERAL SWIFT A RETIRED OFFICER OF THE U. S. ARMY TO FERDINAND EUGENE HASSLE R Dear Sir, I have your letter of the 10*^ of July on the subject, as to whom should be attributed the original idea of the United States Coast Sur- vey. No doubt the imperfectly known Longi- tudes of the headlands of our Coast had caused that subject to be common to many and especially to Admiral de Barres wjio commenced the survey in 1777, as his excel-' lent maps indicate : Your Father's right to be deemed the projector and first operator of that survey which is still in execution none can doubt, who knows of the relation that existed between him and President Jefferson, Mr Gallatin, etc., etc. Professor Patterson the Eider with all whom your Father had com- menced a correspondance from the Winter of 1806 or 7 onward embracing objects of science beyond the mere geodetic establish- ments of Longitudes and Latitudes on the — 392 — Coast. My first acquaintance with tlie subject commenced in 1807, when your Father as Professor of Mathematics and Natural Philo- sophy at West Point made me acquainted with his triangulation in Switzerland, and with the hopes of commencing that of the whole of the United States; in the summer of that year he read to a Meeting of the Mili- tary and Philosophical Society at West Point his memoirs of that survey. Which memoir was the basis on which that survey w^as com- menced and advanced with interruptions to the day of his death in 1843. The intimacy between your Father and myself to which you allude, commenced at West Point in 1807, where there were oc- casional meetings with the astronomers, D*" Garnett of New Jersey and Professor Patter- son, the Elder of Philadelphia; the intimacy- remainad unbroken through Mr H. R. Hassler's undeserved vicissitudes to his death. March 31** 1843. Memorial of the Chamber of Commerce of the City of Boston setting forth the impor- tance of a complete hydrographical Survey of the Coast, approving of the Method pursued by Ferdinand Rudolph Hassler and praying — 393 — Congress to make appropriations for its speedy accomplishment. Memorial of J. Ingersoll, Bowditch and others, Officers of the Marine Insurance Com- panies, Shipowners and Shipmasters, of Mas- sachusetts, approving of Mr Hassler's Survey I i as far as it has gone, setting forth the impor- - ^ tance of its being extended along the whole Coast and praying that the necessary appro- priations be made for that purpose. LAST REPORT OF F. R. HASSLER — 397 LAST REPORT OF F. R. HASSLER. Report of F. R. Hassler as superintendent of the construction of Standards of Weight and Measure and the Coast Survey, upon the pro- gress of the works in the construction of Stan- dards, since December 1842. The call of the Committee of Congress upon the Coast Survey and the works upon the Standards of Weight and Measure of June 9*^' 1842, had produced a full report from me upon all the questions put to me upon that subject^ including the history as well of former tran- sactions, as of the works executed by myself and under my direction, with the full list of all that has been delivered ; I expected this full report would be laid up in Congress; this not having been done I refer here to the re- port for the nearer details, which may be de- sired (I can furnish printed copies of it) I join from it here at the end of this report only the final list of the works delivered untd then, with the addition of the works delivered since. — 398 — In April last there were thirty brass half Bushels finally adjusted, delivered to the Trea- sury Department, with their box, and packing boxes, which were forwarded to the States, and some Custom ?Iouses and communicated with each of the Standards, stating in each the accurate standing of the half bushel which it accompanies, which were all accurate within imperceptible limits. The general report handed into the Treasury Department, containing the standing of each half bushel might perhaps be added to this report, as a general information for the use of all the States. Standards of Weight and Measure form not only a general means for distributive justice in the country, they are equally one of the elements of the mercantile connections with one another ; by their being the unit upon which all tariffs are grounded; they are an essential determining item of them. Thence most standards have been compared mutually in different countries in a similar way as I have done, by special direction of Congress and reported upon in 1832 those samples that I could procure. A proper collection and an authentic com- parison as I proposed in 1832 would evidently enable to give distinct rules for the reduction of the foreign weights and measures of the — 399 — envoices presented at the custom houses, it would be a proper economical measure i n the application of the tariff. The conflagration of the Parliament House of England, having destroyed the original stan- dards of the country, which were deposited there; the presentation to the British Govern- ment of a full set of the standards of this coun- try, which have their origin in England, and have lately been carefully executed in the present establishment according to the com- munications from the best origin, procured from England would be expected to make an ageeable present to the British Government. Thereiore a good resolution of the last Ses- sion of Congress directed such a set to be forwarded, which was accordingly done, and Mr Everet, our Ambassador in London, has communicated the letter of Lord Aberdeen, British foreign Secretary, acknowledging un- der date of 19^^, of June with thanks the recep- tion of these standards, wihch were then deli- vered to the British Treasury. To this sending I have added a full de- scription of the principles that shall guide a systematic establishment of Standards , and how this principle has been apphed in the con- struction of the Standards of this country. Of the balances for the States, those of the largest size are mostly brought to the state — 400 — of having the numerous pieces worked out until near adjustment, and six of them are now under full finishing adjustment; consi- dering the number of pieces which an accu- rate Balance requires^ and the extreme nicety of the final adjustment, the necessary equili- bration of all the pieces, it strikes at once ; that I his operation is as time consuming as laborious. All the rest of the half Bushels are finished in their mechanical work ; their packings are finished, and they are approached to some- what above their proper legal size, prepara- tory to their full adjustment, which will be begun as soon as the somewhat lower tem- perature will favour that work. I understand that the whole of the Standards that had been delivered previously, and since some years have been forwarded to their destination. The apparatus of Mr Kessel's construction from Mr Kaumann in Berlin, will be used comparatively with the scale of Troughton, belonging to the Coast Survey, upon a number of Yards yet remaining in the Office to deduce from it principles for the future comparison of Standards of length by contact, which may prove easier than by microscopic comparison. The balances made for the use of the esta- blishment, will be preserved for the use of — 401 — comparisons of the Standards of Weight and Capacity measures. Upon other subjects which are yet proper to be attended to, I have given statements and views in previous papers, it is therefore not here the place to repeat any thing upon them. The notices upon the work of estabhshing this uniformity of standards, and the account of the works themselves , being distributed througli the numerous papers that have ac- companied the deliveries, and my annual re- ports, it will be proper to make a general report of the final close, presenting the whole system and work in all its bearings, as a guide for its more ready and useful application, and the foundation of the credit, and confidence, which the whole must enjoy of the public. A tabular statement of the works executed for the system of uniform standards for the United States from the beginning of the year 1836 to Juno i84>>, with their stale at that epoch and the additions made until 1843. 402 - Full sets of Weights from 1^^. Troy to 50^^^ Avoirdupois: 5"^^ in cwt. pieces. Delivered to the Treasury Depart- ^'^ "^^"^'^^ merit for the States and Custom houses in two interior boxes each 200 10 2.000 Delivered to the Treasury Depart- ment for the Office 1 10 10 Delivered to the Treasury Depart- ment use of the Sub. Treasury. 2 10 20 D* Patent Office authorised by the Treasury Department 1 10 10 D" Old Point Comfort, upon direc- tion of the Treasury Department 1 10 10 Kept in the Office for necessary comparison 2 10 20 207 2.070 Set of Ounce Weights. Delivered to the Treasury Depart- ment for the States from ^ to 10 ounces 29 27 733 D» D» D« for the Patent Office .... 2 27 54 Delivered to the Treasury Depart- ment for the Office boxes up to 10 ounces and l^'' 1 12 13 — 403 — D* D" D* for the Sub Treasury up n<» total to 100 ounces 1 35 35 Delivered to the Treasury Depart- ment for the Sub Treasury from 10 ounces down and subdivided in their boxes 2 40 D' to the mint of Philadelphia, boxes from 100 ounces down.. 2 25 50 D" adjusted for the branch mints. 2 19 38 D* unadjusted ounce weights up to 1,000 ounces 4 5 20 D" Office of the Sub Treasury one ounce ad. up to I''' 1 8 8 Kept in the Office my original to guide the work 1 25 25 D* Do Full sets for the future com- parisons, by combined weighing 5 19 95 S [Am Standard capacity yaeasure. Just packing for delivery, stan- dard of liquid Capacity mea- sures 54 5 270 D" D** D° Gallons besides the above 71 1 71 There are besides gallons mecha- nically executed, ready for final adjustment 19 404 No T0TAI> One whole Bushel to be deposited in the Treasury Department not yet adj usted I Halt' bushels ready for adjustment 157 Each of the capacity measures has a t^Iass cover to adjust its ful- ness 518 1.036 Standard long measure. Yards delivered, fully adjusted, each consisting of yard and me- ter 41 2 82 Yards mechanically executed , ready for the last repeated com- parison 110 2 220 Apparatus for comparing yards with micrometer microscope etc. 4 4 155 306 Brass Balances. Large balances made for use in the Office of about 40 inches di- stance of suspension Largest balance described for the adjustment of the half bushels. Balance dehvered to the Sub Trea- sury — 405 — Smaller balances of 13 and 27 in- no total ches distance the knife edges. . . 2 Balances begun for the States 30 One brass balance beam, given to the mint of Philadelphia 1 39 Single Weights and measures and accessories to the Stan- dard Weight box and others. Furnished to the Sub Treasury one box with 3 pounds and 2 forks 1 5 5 D° D° D"* three boxes with single pounds weight and forks 3 2 6 Furnished to the Frankfort Arse- nal near Philadelphia, l^'' avoir- dupoids 1 1 1 Kept in the Office for use in fu- ture comparison, single pound weights 55 D** D*" the original adjusting weights , for my use above , 1'^ weight 25 Delivered to the Committee of Massachusetts. Legislature 1^^ Troy, and 1'^ Avoirdupoids 2 Four sets of weights for adjusting capacity measures 4 6 24 26 - 406 - For the gills, which were however N" "to^al omitted to be made 4 1 4 Every box of large weights has two separate boxes, each having 2 forks and, 4 serew holds 207 12 2 . 484 The ounce weight boxes have tongs and forceps of different sizes the full set each three 44 3 132 One foot measure to Frankfort Arsenal One yard Brooklyn New York ... One yard Lieutenant Th. Gedney U. S. N One yard Captain W. H. Swift U. S. Army One yard Lieutenent Glenn U. S. Navy One yard to the Land Office One foot measure Lieut. Glynn U. S.N 2.745 Boxes with fittings for the above standards. For 207 sets of large weight stan- dards 3 boxes for each set 201 3 621 For the sets of ounce wei^rhts 49 - 407 For the accessory weights given out % No ToTFL 9 For the full set of liquid capacity measures delivered For the additional Gallons deliv- ered 108 71 For the Gallons on hand For the half Bushels 19 157 For the yards delivered and those yet in Office 151 1.185 Outside packing boxes of the StsLudaxds delivered. For the large weights delivered. . 207 For the ounce weights 29 For the liquid capacity measures. 125 For the yard standards delivered. 41 402 Objects of StsLndards forwarded to England. One Standard yard of brass 1 2 2 One full set of large standard brass weights 1 10 10 Do D" D° of ounce weights of brass 1 27 27 — 408 — D'^D*' Liquid capacity measures ^^ '^<*'^^^ of brass with glass plates 1 10 10 One half bushel standard with glass plate 1 2 2 Mahogany boxes for the same. ... 7 7 Balance of the largest size com- plete 1 many 1 Packing boxes for all the above covered with oil cloth 9 9 Dry capacity measures. Half Bushels with glass covers, delivered to the Treasury De- partment in April 1843, and dis- tributed to the States and Cus- tom Houses Mahogany boxes for the same 68 Packing boxes 30 2 60 30 1 60 30 1 60 120 COMPARISON OF EXPENSES UNDER HASSLER & BACHE - 411 — The '^ Semi Weekly Times. November 23'% 1858. THE COAST SURVEY To the Editor of the New York Times, The nature of civil government is in a cer- tain degree a monopoly^ and however much may be obscured under institutions which in theory are free, the Executive Department will nevertheless be to all intents and purposes a monopoly. When all the places, under what- ever Government, are filled it will be found that the ins, in point of number bear no compa- rison with the outs, and that to the ceaseless struggle between such as hold and such as seek office there is commonly added another to create additional departments in the pubhc service . Propositions to that end are sure to re- ceive the contunance of all who covet the public money and all who covet power, and also of that large and rapidly increasing class, which seeks in the ease of pubHc service. — 412 — to avoid the diligence demanded by private employment, and its opportunities, the chance to grow ^* fat upon the drippings of unclean legislation. " The popular features of our system have proved no safeguard against governmental extravagance or ofTicial rapacity. It may even be doubted w^hether any other Government has existed which increased the Government expen- diture in an equal ratio with equal impunity. The subjects of the most staid Monarchy in Europe were goaded into rebellion and de- posed the reigning family chiefly on account of exactions to support or enrich an army of governmental officials, which exactions ex- ceed but little those practised under our own Government for the same object. Seldom indeed have the ruled exhibited such indiffer- ence to the cost of ruling. The earlier admi- nistrations did not escape arraignment for alleged extravagance of expenditure for the public service; yet they are marvels of fru- gaUty, contrasted with those which have suc- ceeded them. The country went through the MexicanWar under an expenditure of fifty- three millions for its most expensive year which was held to be monstrous, and perhaps w^as wasteful. It would be curious if a prosecutor of the Administration of John Quincy Adams for prodigaHty could bring his action now - 413 — into a Court sitting under an Administration which has absorded one hundred and seven milHons for federal purposes in a year of profound peace. This enormous increase of federal expenditure has not happened with- out notice to the nation. Faithful and honest men in and out of Congress, have day by day, called public attention to the fact ; but ears that once tingled at the trifles of the ^^ East Room" are not touched now by disclosures of the greatest importance. A few promises of economy made in view of elections, repeated at inaugurations, and regularly violated thereafter is all that has come of earnest protest and sage warning. Now, however, that prophecy has become fact, the economist will have a more attentive hearing. The imminence of a direct tax for the support of the general Government is likely to arrest attention and unless the jobbing interest has a perfect control of the people, as it has of the Government, the people will not merely consent, but demand of their repre- sentatives that the expenses of Government be reduced and that an end be made of the plundering which disgraces almost every branch of the public service, to the corruption of public morals and the impoverishment of the nation. If popular instruction and moral suasion shall equally fail to set the next ~ 414 — Congress at work to stop leaks in the public treasury/ it requires but ordinary sa- gacity to see that it can scarcely escape being stoned with it. Whenever that body shall adress itself to this business it will be found that few shot of greater magnitude have penetrated the treasury below the water line than such as have been fired from that Paixhan of extravagance^ the Coast Survey. The object contemplated by Congress and by the people, understood to be the aim of the Coast Survey is laudable enough. Exception is taken only to the mode in which it is pro- secuted and to the incongruous and unworthy purposes it is made to serve, which have caused a shameful waste of the public money and a more shameful abuse of official patro- nage and authority. To present the matter fully, access to public documents and to the departments is needed, neither of which courses are available for this occasion ; but from some stray publications a few statistics have been gleaned which excite rather than gratify curiosity, concerning this most powerful and costly appendage of the Government. The entire appropriations by Congress to the United States Coast Survey prior to 1832 amount to dol. 73,000. 415 — Subsequent appropriations i832 Dol. 20, 000 1833 20, 000 1834 30, 000 1835 30, 000 1836 80, 000 1837 60, 000 1838 90, OOO 1839 90, 000 1840 100, 000 1841 100, 000 1842 100, 000 Total 793, 900 The total of appropriations for this purpose from 1807 to 1842, as will be seen is dol 793,900. In the latter year the present superintendent was appointed , under his auspices the ap- propriations have been as follows : 1843 Del. 100, 000 1844 80, 000 1845 100, 000 1846 Ill, 000 1847 146, 000 1848 165, 000 1849 220, 000 1850 421, 000 — 416 — 1851 310, 000 185-2 406, 000 1853 386, 000 1854 386, 000 1855 445, 000 1856 500, 000 1857 546, 000 Total 4,312, 110 It is doubtful if our language can furnish words which will so well [describe the pecu- liar talent of the superintendent or so well illustrate his skill in applying it as do these figures. Means are not at hand to determine whether the appropriation of dol. 100,000 in 1834 was made upon his requisition or upon the estimate of his predecessor, but the mo- dest 80,000 of 1844 was undoubtedly of his own projection. How the appointing power must have felicitated itself upon the acquisi- tion of a superintendent who seemed to pro- mise improvement upon the economy of Hass- ler! In 184*2 the select committee of Congress asked that distinguished man. Do you think that under the most favorable circumstances and with a continuance of a yearly appro- priation of dol. 100,000 the Survey of the Coast can be completed in twenty years ? He replied •* — 417 — « Perhaps : The progress is slower at first, and the means increase as the work pro- ceeds, " Mark how the theory of Hassler and the practise of the present superintendent repel each other ; and how the one has mis- used the place conquered by the other for the coast Survey. It was at that session Hassler indicated the utility of a survey of the coast with such power that even the manage- ment of the present superintendent has not as yet neutralized it. ^^ The progress is slower at first, and the means increase as the work proceeds ; " is the rule of the founder of the work, and the ablest administrator ever connected with it. As the work proceeds and the means increase, progress is slower, and the cost increases — is the mode of his succes- sor. The show of economy and retrenchment began and ended with 1844. Year by year, as he was able to entrench and fortify his posi- tion by increase of the patronage of his own department and by procuring the control of the patronage of others, the appropriations of the Coast Survey have grown until, after fifteen years' increase of means the important ele- ment in Hassler's estimate, half a million no longer serves for the expenses of a single year, * and during his term Congress has granted to the Coast Survey the enormous amount of dol. 418 4,812,110. Mr Everett speaking of the Coast Survey says : The entire work, I need scarcely say, is one of practical astronomy . The head of it therefore may be deemed and taken to be an astronomer. The popular idea of the character would show to us a man of science, abstracted from secular affairs, much given to looking upwards, surrounded by instruments and ap- paratus upon which the unlearned look with wonder always, and sometimes with awe. See Who sits now in the chair of Hassler, An as- tronomer with a salary of dol. 6,000 per an- num, called the superintendent with the fol- lowing staff. 1 Assistant at Dol. 3, 000 per annum 2 do 2, 500 » 2 d« 2, 300 1 d« '.. 2, 100 1 d<> 2, 000 » 1 d« 1, 800 2 do 1, 700 3 do 1, 500 » 1 do 1, 300 » 7 do 1, ^00 1 Sub assistant 1, !^00 » 4 d« 1, 000 » 9 do 800 »> 2 do 600 » 2 Competers 1,600 » — 419 — 1 do 1, 500 2 do 1, 200 1 do 1, 100 )) 1 Draftman 1, 800 » 1 do 1, 600 )> 2 Draftsmen at Dol. 450 and Dol. 3, 70 per day 13 Engineers, eight of whom receive 13, 400 and five wages by the day or hour. 1 Instrument maker at 2, 000 1 Electralpist at 2, 000 1 Disbursing agent at 2, 500 2 Clerks at 1, 400 1 Clerk at 1, 200 1 Clerk at 1, 100 An astronomer with such a retinue might prosecute ^^ practical astronomy " upon a scale which would leave him little leisure for enter- prises not connected with his science or his ofTice^ but the superintendent is an astro- nomer sui generis. His penchant is to survey every thing, an then to be Monarch af all he surveys. He determined to survey the Light House system of the United States, and op- posed though he was by eminent and efli- cient Members of Congress, they shared the fate of all who have hitherto opposed him, and the chair of Hassler; is, to this day the throne of that system and an astronomer dictates the building of Light Houses, contracts for oil and — 420 — divers other matters, which may be appreciated by footing up the cost of the system under his regime, and contrasting it with the cost under the old one. The Smithsonian Institute was an estabhshment which from its design might be invested and taken by an astronomer for the sake of science. ^^ And in spite of all opposition like the Light House system it be- came and remains practically a mere appen- dage of the Coast Survey, and the will of its venerable founder is falfilled by making it an Intelligence Office for the diffusion of knowledge of certain professors among men ". With the sharpness of vision common in prac- tical observers it was discovered that an ac- cession of patronage was possible under the form of publishing a Nautical Almanac. Con- gress, as usual, registered the decree and au- thorized the publication of it in 1849. It serves as an apology for paying some employers of various grades annually; and beyond that it is not known to serve any purpose whatever, It is not in use among navigators while a ship would as soon be sent to sea without charts as without the English Nautical Al- manac, prepared by ''' that fellow Hind " as he is courteously denominated by Professor Pierce one of the Editors of the discarded publication. By means of such and kindred appliances — 421 — the superintendent of the Coast Survey has become beyond all controversy the most pow- erful functionary under this Government. This very secretary, whose subordinate he is, in law, is by no means his equal in power and influence. Congress may fail the secretary, it never does his subordinate. He is beyond the reach of the soaring and plunging of the party which unhorses Presidents and Secre- taries; and under whatever Administration, he is the same serene and plausible leech upon the Treasury. There is not a square mile, in- habited , under United States Jurisdiction which does not hold a portion of his own, or of some member of the cordon which defends his position. Bishops, Priests and Deacons in the Church: Presidents, professors and tutors in colleges whose relations to the press are suitable and who are likewise members of a notorious so- ciety which boasts of its control over every scientific appointment of value in the country; oil and cod dealers, artisans and contractors for supplies and materials of various sorts, are every where on guard to repel by force, or degrade by abuse every attempt by whom- soever made to reform the Coast Survey to the pattern after which it was devised and estab- Hshed by the law of 1807. Efforts to that end have been made by legislators like Benton, 27 109 Mallory, and Cashing, when they were poU- tically in the ascendent, and the result demon- strated that in point of strength and efficiency the Coast Survey was superior to the highest abihties, supported by great popularity, in po- sitions of dignity and power. I shall pursue the consideration of this sub- ject in another letter. Yours B. B. LETTER F. E. HASSLER 425 Saturday June 15^^,1850 Congress To the Editors. Washington, June 14'^1850. Mess" Editors, In the ^' National Intelli- gence '' of this day is an Editorial ^as I sup- pose) upon the Coast Survey the rapidity of its progress, etc. I rarely take notice of any criticisms upon this subject. As far as regards the increased number of observations, the area in square miles of reconnoissances and of triangulations made in the last years over former periods, there exists to my knowledge no data upon which even an approximate guess as to the amount of work done at different periods can be esti- mated, much less to equitably compare it to any earlier period of the Survey, I would ask first — was there a triangle measured — or an instrument fit to measure one with belong- ing to the Coast Survey in 1807, or any pe- riod prior to 1816? I believe not; still it is stated by the table that reconnoissances had — 426 — been made comprising 560 miles square^ and Triangulation for 460 square miles from 1807 to 1819. The Law only passed 1807. My Father returned from purchasing the instruments in Europe late in 1815; was appointed to the Coast Survey in August 1816 ; Consumed from this time to April 1817^ in preparations and reconnoitrering, the square miles of which were never to my knowledge computed by him. In July 1^17, the triangulation commenced and continued to April 14*^,1818, when the law authorising the employment of my Father a civilian) was repealed, consequently his ef- forts were dispensed with. — We note that the actual work of triangulation commenced July 1817, ended May 1818 making in all ten month's actual field triangulation work with- out making any deductions for the severe Winter mouths of November, December, Jan- uary, and February leaving from three to four months for work, all of which time it must have been more or less delayed by the state of the weather. — In lieu of twelve full years, as noted by your table for actual field work, my data has reduced your table to less than as many weeks — So much for the work executed between 1807, and 1819 — _„In 1819 my Father presented the American Philoso- phical Society his papers upon the Coast — i::/ — Survey, which for some reason, or other, and that best known to those who had them in charge, were not pubhshed until 1825. From 1819 to 1832, my Father's time was occupied in different capacities, sometimes as Author, others as United States Guager. and in the comparisons of Weights and Measures, under the Honourable Mr Ingram, Secretary of the Treasury and although this period is not indicated by your *^ Table, " as one of those in which the Coast Survey is considered as in operation, why, I cannot say, for the law which dispensed with his services placed the wjork^iaJhe hands of the Navy Department, which if I mistake not, had partial surveys made in every ocean bound State there is in the Union, which would evidently, if carried on, connected and found to agree, make a United States Coast Survey. — As regards the table concerning the opera- tions from 1832 to 1844, I will defer my re- marks thereon until another day, when my time will permit my fully examining the ne- cessary documents for the material for my answer. Hoping you will give this an insertion. I am, Sir, your obedient Servant Ferdinand Eugene Hassler. EXAMINATION OP M« HASSLER — 431 — Evening star Washington City Monday Afternoon July 2""^ 1855 WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP. The Coast Survey. — We have had on hand the following communication for some weeks : a pressure of ^ Copy - having prevent- ed us from sooner spreading before our readers we do so now, because in our original article that called this forth it might be in- ferred that our design was (as it is not) to reflect on the manner in which the predeces- sor of Professor Bache; discharged the duties committed to his charge. To the Editor of '' The Evening Star " Sir^ Your paper of the 18*'' contains an arti- cle on the Coast Survey which deserves from me a little notice^ not that those who know the work are not aware of the almost overwhelm- ing difficulties connected with its creation but that many who do not know it will take for proved as correct, that which upon an investigation would be found to be an error. — 432 — The portions to which I shall confine myself are first. — ** Before he (Professor Bache) was called to this important branch of the public service, the work is said to have been prosecuted on a single base line, requiring the labour of nearly all engaged on the Coasts of one or two states only for some twelve years. Thus its progress was slow and unsatisfactory evi- dently, to the navigation interest of the coun- try. He (Prof : B.) however adopted the plan of having many base lines, connecting and veri- fying them as required. " I quote from Report n. 43, House of Repre- sentatives 27*^ Congress S^^ Session. Select Committee on the Coast Survey. Committee — Hon : Mess" Mallory, Cushing, Wise, Aycrigg and Holme. — m Thursday, March 24''' 1842. Examination of F. R. Hassler continues. Question n. 4. Is there any objection to the publication of definite and successive parts of the work as they may be completed, as the 433 Map of New York, now in the engineer's hands ? Answer. No, not in the least so soon as the engraving is finished. Q. 5. — Is it necessary to complete the Survey of Delaware bay before it can be prac- ticable to publish a chart of Long Island Sound ? Answer ; No. Q. 65. — You have said that the latitude and longitude of Cape Hatteras were erro- neous in the charts. How did you ascer- tain it ? A. — By having attempted in 1828 to make an union of the northern and southern maps which join in that place. Q. 76. — What is the object of the second base line ? A. — The verification of the whole w^ork which is in the system of such works. Q. 77. — If the object be to verify the Survey and suppose it does not agree, what is the consequence ? A. — That the error, if any, is to be inves- tigated. Q. 78. — It is stated in one of your Reports that the Survey extends over 11,000 Square Miles ; is that mapped ? A. — Yes to be sure. — 434 — Q. 82. — What distance from the Coast, have they carried the soundings ? A. Until they Avere out of sight of land. I mean the points given them as these points were made to be seen as far as possible. We elevate signals 30 feet or more. Q 83. — You have sounded from Point Judith to Egg Harbour along the Coast. Have the soundings been extended as far as you intended ? A. — They are complete for the detailed maps, but they have not been carried out so far as I intend. Q. 84. — How^ much further do you intend to carry the soundings ? A. To the Gulf Stream. Q. 96. — Do you regard the Survey as a great scientific enterprise embracing delicate problems of Geodetic research beyond what is necessary to an accurate survey of the coast for nautical purposes ? A. — There is not a single movement in all I do, which is not necessary for the honour- able and faithful execution of the work. Cannot the survey of the bays and rivers be postponed without injury to the general work, till the survey of the coast proper is complet- ed ? A. — It is impossible, because no security could be got for the coast. — 435 — ^* Professor B. we hear is obtaining charts, the results of the labours of his many assis- tants and subordinates^ much faster than they can be published owing to the scarcity of suit- able engraversj in the Uuited States". Q. 105. — How many engravers do you employ ? A . — Two I would have more if I had the money. Q. 108. — Cannot American engravers put on copper all map engravings, which can be put on paper ? A. — No. Q. 120. — Do you think that under favour- able circumstances and with a continuance of a ready appropriation of a 100,000 dol. the survey of fhe coast can be completed in twenty years ? A. — Perhaps, the progress is slower at first and the means increaseas the work pro- ceeds. It will appear from public documents that the whole amount of appropriations during the creating of the Coast Survey from August 1832, to November 1843 (the date of my father's death) was say 820,000 dol. averaging for eleven years, say 75,000 per year the present annual appropriation applicable to purposes forming a part of the Atlantic Coast Survey : — 436 Appropriation for 1853 say Dol. 230, 000 D« 1854 266, 000 D° 1855 266, 000 Egual to 762, 000 direct appropriation, including emoluments of officers of the army and navy and petty officers and men of the navy employed in the v^ork. Granting that from July 1844 to July 1853 there was not over dol. 100,000 annually voted, we have From 1844 to 1853 Dol. 900, 000 From 1853 to 1855 762, 000 1.611, 000 Which shows that of the twenty years du- ration of the work at dol. 100,000 per annum sixteen years have been expended in thirteen years. There is this year 315,000 appropriated equal to the whole amount given in 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39 which was 310,000 six years of the eleven of my Father's superintendence. In making these remarks. I do not wish in any way to detract anything from the valua- ble labours of all or any, now engaged in the — 437 — Coast Survey employ : but deem it my duty, when an error in print arises which may reflect upon my father's reputation to correct it, and believing such must have been the tendency of the article in the '^ Evening Star ", of the 18**^ inst. I submit these remarks for publication. Yours etc. Ferdinand Eugene Hassler. May 23^ 1855. TABLE OF EXPENSES UNDER BACHE — 441 — THE COAST SURVEY To the Editor of '' The New York Times''. If the appropriations by Congress covered the entire cost of the Coast Survey, it would be enough to demand a review of its expen- ses with a view to abridge them and if the amazing increase of cost in the latter years be considered , investigation would seem indis- pensable. They comprise however only the sums appropriated directly to the Coast Sur- vey. Its indirect levies upon the public property and funds are believed to be much greater. Its agency in swelling the cost of the public printing must be [serious from the na- ture and copiousness of its documents ; but in ignorance of the items of the public printing it is impossible to define its extent. Besides the current printing there seems now and then to be some special appropriation for printing results. One of dol. 12,000 for that purpose is observed in 1845. — 442 -- Another of 20,000 in 1854 and still; Another of 15,000 in 1855. They do not include the pay and subsidence of the numerous Army and Navy officers and engineers detailed for the service of the Coast Survey. The secretaries of those departments can upon the call of Congress readily furnish the amounts. That they are considerable is evident enough from the numbers of officers and men detailed. The dol. 500,000 of 1856 for example was not used for the relief of either of those departments ; yet in this very year, besides Captains first Lieutenants and 2"** Lieutenants from the Army the Navy contributed as follows : Commanders 3 Lieutenants Commanding 8 Lieutenants 25 Masters 5 Assisting Surgeon 1 Assistant Surgeons 2 Professor Mathematics 1 First Assistant Engineers , 4 2"^ Assistant Engineers 1 3'"'^ Assistant Engineers S The pay roll of these offiicers amounts to dol. 78,600 per annum. If to this be added the wages and rations of crews for six steamers — 44^ - and five lugs and schooners — 440 men, at the rate of ordinary seamen, at rations at twenty cents per day, the cost of officers and men alone would be dol. 184,100. The number of men estimated will probably fall short of the actual number employed and paid and the same is probably true of the estimated rate of wages. The cost of vessels of all sorts, of repairs and alterations of the same, wear and tear and fuel and oil for the steamers will probably exceed the cost of officers and seamen. The ofHce of Superintendent of Weights and Mea- sures was held by Mr Hassler as it is by Mr Bache, in connection with the other appoint- ment, but the labour of average and assist- ment had been completed by the former and left little or nothing to be done by his suc- cessor, but to distribute the patronage. The proposition to change the Light House system was vigorously opposed in Congress, but the Coast Survey influence was not to be resisted and under the form of committing it to a board of nine members, it was committed substantially to the Coast Survey, and with the usual result as the figures prove. The Act was passed Aug: 31'* 1852 and the expen- diture of that year was probably under the old system. The expenditures during the five — 444 — years which precede the change are as fol- lows : Expenses P¥ew Erect ions 1848.... Del. 506, 204.... .. Del. 143, 828 1849.... 470, 60J 244, 911 1850.... 411, 856.... 475, 720 1851.... 529, 265.... 296, 877 1852.... DOL. 625, 627.... Del. 689, 180 Total 2,551, 553 1,850, 216 The five years following 1852, under the auspices of the Coast Survey, the same bran- ches of expenditure absorbed as follows. Expenses IVcav Erections 1853.... Dol. 807, 092 Dol. 381, 860 1854.... 901, 561 1,516, 712 1855.... I,9p4, 696 275, 000 1856.... 1,161, 010 1,423, 658 1857.... 1,258, 814 202, 785 Total Dol. 6,083, 173 Dol. 1,800, 015 Old system 2,551, 553 1,850, 216 Differ. Dol. 3,513, 620 Dol. 1,941, 799 There is a notable difference in these items of expenditure. It is not to be denied^ that if, in the matter of New Erections, the superintendent has been • — 445 — enterprising enough to increase the customary expenditure about clol. 2,000,000, in five years, the country still possesses the structures and they may be worth the cost ; but no such alle- viation is possible in regard to the current ex- penses. The increase of that item by more than three millions and a half during the same term demands explanation. Who can wonder at the powder of an agency which controls dis- bursements of such magnitude ? Every light on the Coast ought to indicate to the statesman, caution as it does to the mariner, seeing in every lighthouse a monument of the power of the Autocrat of the Coast Survey, The superintendent's army of employers is reinforced by his powers over the Light-House board, by 1 Clerk at Dol. 2, OOO per annum 2 Clerk 1, 000 1 Clerk 1, 400 1 Clerk 1, 200 » 1 Messenger 600 » 1 Labourer 576 » The Superintendent and Prof. Henry are of the auditing Committee, an employment about as germane to the professed purposes of the Smithsonian Institute, as it is to the objects of the Coast Survey. But the internal fitness — 446 — of things is regarded, the Superintendent being a regent of the Smithsonian as well as a member of its Executive Committee, and with his kinsman Senator Pearce, it is believed, now constitutes a majority of the committee which centrols the disbursements of the institution amounting to some 40,000 per annum. The Nautical Almanac autorized 1847 is un- derstood to be under the superintendence of Prof. Winlock, late assistant of D' Gould; in doing- what is not easily ascertained. He has the valuable aid of Prof. Pearce, who receives therefore a valuable salary. Cf course no such publication would be possible without the assis- tance of the '^ American Bessell". D" Gould is therefore employed upon it, but at what com- pensation is not known. Congress has appro- priated to this object thus : 1850 Dol. 12, 870 1851 17, 400 1852 17, 400 1853 13, 400 1854 20, 880 1855 20, 800 1856 25, 735 1857 26, 880 Total Dol.... 165, 445 — 447 — It would be gratifying to know the propor- tions in which this is distributed among the fabricators of the Almanac. It is manifest enough that this matter of ^* practical astro- nomy " called the Coast Survey, has come to be one with which astronomy theoretical or practical can have but little to do^ so far as the Superintendent is concerned. The work was planned by Hassler and the duties of its head were first defined and then performed by him. In his contract with the Government he bound himself to execute the more difficult portions of it himself, and neither his fidelity nor his capacity has been questioned to this day. This feature of the plan, it is believed, has not been changed, however much the practice may be ; yet if that able and dili- gent man could be reinstalled in his place the multiplied relations of the Coast Survey of to day, would suffer him to take neither latitude nor longitude nor soundings of any thing, but the United States Treasury, and it would task his industry severely to rescue time enough from the cardinal pursuit to attend to the conclative one in the lobbies of Congress. It will become the Everett to amend his voca- bulary, if he again undertakes to characterize the Coast Survey. It was not surprising that an organisation which has shown itself able to subdue to its purpose administrations and — 448 — statesmen of all political parties, and the Congress of the United States however cons- tituted politically has found it easy to rule with a rod of iron an association mainly composed of simple-minded men of science with no aspirations but such as became scho- lars, and free from all design to deplete the Treasury of the United States as they are full of zeal to replenish the treasury of know- ledge . The Zouaves of the Coast Survey in the Na- tional Association, united by the cohesive ^^ power of public plunder " have become the scourge of the men of science in this country, and the scorn of the same class everywhere else. Tyrannical, contemptuous and unjust at home, they are insolent and supercilious to the brotherhood of science abroad , the cour- tesies of the country are declined and its ter- ritory is avoided by the most distinguished astronomers of the old world because their science has such representatives here. Known and derided under the apposite name of the Mutual Admiration Society by men of sense throughout the length and breadth of the land, such is the power of the Coast Survey, the capabilities for mischief of so mean a society are kept by it unimpaired and unabridged under universal contempt and disgust. - 449 - It is intolerable that the Church, the Army and the Navy, Art, Literature and Science, the Commerce, the Mines, the Fisheries , the Ship Yards and the work shops of the country shall be longer subsidized at the public Cost, to the support of a clique insignificant in num- ber and contemptible in character. If the scientific status of that society requi- res the aids now used, Congress will find it less burdensome to the treasury and more just to the people to declare by joint resolu- tion that it is what its parasites affirm it to be — the depository of what science there may be on this side of the Atlantic, and no extent of acquirement or of achievement shall establish a reputation for any man unless he holds its dispensation to that effect. At all events the power to punish insubor- dination, as all independant opinion is called, without even the formality of a drum head Court martial should no longer be maintained at the public expense ; in the hands of one who had certain notions of loyalty, as ease and unmanly submission is called " Ground into him by a West point Mill Stone " Some- thing is due to the infirmity of human judge- ment and the obtuseness which fails to apprehend , in an inflated professor who has discovered nothing, the superior of a modest one who has discovered ten asteroids or to — 450 — discern Bessel redivious in an American Coun- terfeit , may deserve pity but should be spared punishment/' I have always kept my prin- ciple , which is this " — to live and die the vicar of Bray". Twice a papist and twice Protestant in four reigns says his annotator — That wise eclesiastic did not live in vain. The superintendent has kept the same prin- ciple^ and the vicar "" still lives ". The anomalies which make the Coast Sur- vey odious and expensive are not chargeable to any political party, but it is of all parties to destroy them . The present administration must sanction and continue them before it can be fairly held responsible for them. The approaching ses- sion of Congress will furnish an opportunity to demonstrate its sentiment in regard to a reform of the abuses of an establishment which has contributed largely to increase the pecu- niary embarrassments. The occasion will be a fit one for the Secre- tary of the Treasury to express the views of the Administration upon the whole subject in his annual report. Mr Benton speaking of an attempt to re- form the abuses of this establishment says : Under the British Government not remar- kable for its economy, the survey of the coasts is exclusively made by naval officers, and the — 451 - whole service presided over by an admiral of some degree-usually among the lowest, and these oflicers survey not only the British Coast throughout all their maritime possess- ions, but the coast of other countries where they trade, when it has not been done by the local authority. The Survey of the United States began in the same way, being confined to the Army and Navy officers and costing but little, now it is a civil establishment, and the office which conducts has almost grown up into a Department under a civil head and civil assistance costing a great annual sum . From time to time efforts have been made to restore the naval superintendence of this work as it was when it was commenced under Mr Jefferson and as it now is and always has been in Great Britain. At the session of 1842-3 this effort was renewed: but with the usual fate of all attempts to put an end to any unnecessary establishment of expenditure, upon this occasion Mr Charles Brown of Pennsylvania urged the restoration of the Coast Survey to the care of topogogra- phical and hydrographical Crimeans to be prosecuted exclusively by military and naval officers belonging to the service, under the general supervision of the secretary of the navy; of the proposition advanced by Brown, Mr Benton says : > - 452 - '' These were wise suggestions and un- answerable : but although they could not be answered they could be prevented from becoming law. Instead of reform of abuses, reduction of expenses and speedy termina- tion of work all the ends intended to be reformed went on and became grater than ever and are still kept up upon the same arguments that sustained the former. It is worthy of note to hear the same reason given now for continuing the civilian Mr Bache at the head of this work^ which was given for thirty years for retaining Mr Hass- ler in the same place, namely that there is no other man in the country that can conduct the work. But that is a tribute which servility and interest will pay to any man that is at the head of an establishment and is always paid more punctually when it ought to be abo- lished, than when it ought to be preserved ; and for the obvious reason that the better one can stand on its own merits while the worse needs the support of the incessant adu- lation. ^ In 1848 another effort was made to confirm the Coast Survey to the original form in prac- tice as well as in theory. Every consideration in its favour urged in 1843 was greatly strength- ened by additional expense.. The cost of the concern had increased and the number of — 453 — men in the public service competent to con- duct it had also increased. In every aspect of the case it was a propitious time for the purpose. But neither the aggravation of the necessity nor the increase of means to con- summate the reform were equal to the power of the vicar of Brey. The superintendent him- self was a standing refutation of the prepos- terous assumption that recourse to civilians was indispensable to the work : yet in the face of it the pretence was made available. Much of the work was then and had been per- formed by officers furnished by the Army and Navy and so their capabilities stood. The very education the results of which the super- intendent was selling to the Government at dol. 6,000 per annum as a civilian, he had acquired as a cadet, at the cost of that very Government. Himself a graduate of West Point, the fitness of other graduates to do what he professed to do was denied ; as if the capacity of such as continued in the service of the Government which educated them, was by their honourable fidelity made less but might be enlarged by entering the same ser- vice in a civil capacity at a high salary ! The absurdity of this pretence is glaring enough to make it important against common sense, but the affectation of belief in it may give baneful potency to the evil practice upon 39 — 454 - which the fallacy is founded. The pratice deserves any thing but encouragement at the hands of Congress. Experience was not lost upon Mr Benton who again urged committal of the work to United States officers. He said : ^^ I know that officers wish it — that they feel humi- liated at being supposed incompetent to it — and if found to be so are willing to pay the penalty of being dismissed the service. Incom- petency is the only ground upon which a civil superintendent and a list of civil assistants can be placed over them. And is that objection well founded ? Look at many whose name is synonom of practical and astronomical know- ledge. Look to that Dr Locke once on the me- dical staff on the Navy, etc . And are we to presume our naval officers incompetent to the conduct of the Coast Survey, when it has produced such men as these, when it may contain within its bosom we know not how many more such? In 1807 we had no Navy, we may say none, for it was going down to nothing. Then it might be jus- fiable to employ an astronomer. In 1832 the navy had fought itself into favour; but Mr Hassler the father of the Coast Survey was still alive, audit was justifiable to employ him as an astronomer. But now there is no need for a civil superintendent and the whole work — 455 — should go to the Navy. We have Navy schools now for the instruction of officers, we have officers with the Candelle ambition to instruct themselves. The American character ardent in every thing is pre-eminently ardent in the pursuit of knowledge In every walk of life from the highest to the lowest, from the most humble mechanical to the highest professional employment knowledge is a pursuit and a laudable object of ambition with a great number. We are ardent in the pursuit of wealth equally so in the pursuit of science. The Navy partakes of the laudable ambition, you will see an immense number of the naval officers of all ages and of all ranks, devoting themselves with all the ardour of young students, for the acquisition of knowledge; and are all these, the whole naval profession to be told that none of them are able to execute the act of 1807, none of them able to find shoals and islands, within twenty leagues of the Coast, to sound a harbour to take the distance and bearings of headlands and capes and all this within sixty miles of the shore? Are they to be told this ? If they are, and it could be told with truth, it would be time to go to reducing. But it cannot be said with truth. The naval officers cannot only execute the act of 1807, but they can do any thing, if it was proper to do it, which the — 456 — present Coast Survey is engaged in, over and beyond that act. They can do anything that the British naval officers can do; and the British naval officers conduct the survey of that great Empire. We have many that can do anything that Admiral Beaufort can do and he has conducted the British survey for twenty years and has stood examination before select Committees of the British House of Commons, which have shov^ed that no civil superinten- dent was necessary to guide them. If this Coast Survey needed retrenchment and reform, the urgency for it now is greater by ten years further illustration of its abuses and by at least as many millions more of cost. The States not on the sea board do not feel the value of the work to an extent which will allow their forbearance towards the present ar- rangements of it to be counted on much longer. It is not apparent to tliem that expenditure and patronage wholly dispensed outside of their limits is of any advantage to them, and the continuance of the work under any sys- tem whatever is jeopardised because while the benefits are not felt there, its evils are, in the increase of public burdens, and by mean persecution and prescription from that quar- ter, of their men of science whose reputation is dearer to them, than is the Coast Survey. Besides the work itself has not escaped criti- — 457 - cism of a sort which imperatively demands that the justness of it shall be ascertained. The correctness of charts has been inipeached in high quarters, and new surveys have been found necessary because contractors could not erect structures from points established by the Coast Survey. The Mexican War as well as the recent embroilment with Utah^ demonstrates that the familiarity of our people with the use of arms insures us at all times the possession of material for an army, while their spirit and patriotism make it certain that we need no standing army : the supply of volonteers has always been more than equal to the occa- sion. The same experience which proves no lack of troops does however betray a want of properly educated officers. Our noble spirited volunteers should not again be sent into the field under command which digs ditches on the wrong side of the embankment. The true policy is to keep our military and naval schools in the highest state of efficiency, and to secure it at all times an educated staff for our Army and Navy. The country will be compensated for the entire cost in the first campaign of the next war and a more valuable compensation will accrue to it still in times of peace if it shall commit the survey of the Coast and kindred enterprises to the accomplished — 458 — men who annually graduate in our own aca- demies. This feeble presentation of an enormous public wrong, productive of a more private injustice and oppression than any other abuse practical under the Government cannot better be concluded than in the last words uttered by Mr Benton upon the same subject matter near the close of his life. He said : ^'The friends of economy in Congress when once more strong enough to form a party will have a sacred duty to perform to the country, that of diminishing by nearly one half the present mad expenditure of the Government and the abolition of the present Coast Survey estabUshment should be among the primary objects of retrenchments. It is a reproach to our Military and Naval officers and besides untrue in point of fact to assume them to be incapable of conducting and performing this work. It is a reproach to Congress to vote an- nually an immense sum on the civil superin- tendence and conduct of this work when there are more idle officers on the pay roll than could be employed on it. B. B. 4 DEBATE ON THE COAST SURVEY SPEECHES BY WASHBURN & COMINS 1859. 461 35"* Congress 2"^ Session 28''* Februarj 1859. CIVIL APPROPRIATION BILL Mr Washburn of Wisconsin. I move to strike out from the 7*^ to the 11*^ lines inclu- sive, as follows : '^ For continuing the Survey of the Atlantic and Gulf coast of the United States (including compensation to superintendent and assistants and excluding pay and emoluments of Officers of the Army and Navy employed on the work 250,000dol. " Mr Chairman I regret that the House should determine to close the debate on this bill without allowing it to be discussed at all. Here, sir is a bill which involves an appro- priation of many millions of dollars, which you have refused to have discussed, except in the meagre and unsatisfactory way which it can be done in a five minutes speech. We have heard much lately about ^^ retrench- ment and reform, " and the Country expect- ed that Congress would not adjourn without — 462 — taking some step in that direction. A short time ago the distinguished gentleman from Georgia (Mr Stephens) proclaimed in the House^ in the discussion of the consular bill, that our expenditure could easily be reduced to dol. 40,000,000 per annum. This sentiment was published approvingly far and wide in the country, and it was hoped that that gen- tleman would have pointed out some place wherein the expenses could be reduced : but, sir, instead of doing so he indicated his opi- nion that, upon that particular bill we should be more liberal in our appropriations. Now, Sir, I was desirous of obtaining the floor that I might show wherein we could re- duce in one item of this bill nearly half a mil- lion dollars, without detriment to the public service. Notwithstanding all that has been said about retrenchment and reform; not- withstanding that the pubHc is becoming clamorous because of your lavish and wanton expenditure of public money, I will venture to declare that your appropriations for this very session will not fall a dollar below the extravagant estimates that were sent in here at the beginning of the session. Now, sir, in good faith, I make this motion to strike out this appropriation for the Coast Survey, I make it because I believe that as now carried on, the country is deriving no — 463 — ad]^ntage_at alLcom^^ It may be alleged that I oppose this Coast Survey because I am a western man^ and my constituents do not derive any direct benefit from it ; but^ sir, I deny that Jam influenced by any such motive. If this Coast Survey is valuable to the country at all, there is no sec- tion of the country more interested in it than is the State of Wisconsin. The pretence under which this Coast Survey is prosecuted is. that it benefits our commerce, and conduces to the safety of those who go down to the sea in ships. If this be true it will readily be seen that the people of Wisconsin are deeply in- terested in it, when I tell you that two fifths of all our inhabitants are natives of the Old World, and have crossed the ocean. Their friends are constantly following them from their old homes in Europe ; and there is no passenger ship that founders upon our coast that does not carry desolation to some hearth- stone in my State. Who, then, is more interest- ed in the security of the lives of those who cross the ocean, than the people of my State ? So, too they are equally interested in the se- curity of property on the ocean and low rates of insurance. And when it shall be shown that by means of this Coast Survey one life has been saved, or the rates of insurance di- minished, I then may feel induced to alter the — 464 - opinion I now have in regard to the useless character of the work. Sir, this Coast Survey has been in progress over fifty years, with no prospect of comple- tion. The law by which the work is now pro- gressing was passed in 1807, though the work was interrupted appropriations were made to carry on the work. From that small beginning when the superintendent and only two assi::__ stsmtawere employed, the work has grown to such vast proportions as to fairly overshadow the country ; and I venture the declaration that there is no Department of the Govern- ment that has as much power or influence to- day as this same Coast Survey. Instead of a /modest appropriation of 20,000 a year, in the yyear 1832, I beg to exhibit the following table, showing the annual appropriation for the past five years : 1854 Dol. 386, OOO 1855 445, 000 1856 500, 000 1857 545, 000 1858 452, 800 and the appropriations for this work in this bill amount to 450,000. Now, sir, the question is, what benefit is the country deriving from these vast appropriations ? I say none that can at all justify such expenditures. — 465 — Here the hammer fell. Mr Howard. This Coast Survey is not a new question. If it was a new work to be commen- ced at this time, in the present state of the Treasury, perhaps I might be in favour of postponing it ; but it is a work in progress, much has been expended in gathering mate- rial and facilities for carrying it on ; and the question comes home to us shall we ever com- plete it ? If so, sound economy requires that we should go on now and improve the ma- terial and facilities which we have now on hand. Now, Sir shall we abandon the work ? I regret that it is not a new question. Shall we lose what we have done rather than go ahead with the work towards its completion ? Mr Chairman, to a very great extent, we are a commercial people ; we are courting the com- merce of the world; we are seeking to increase that commerce, and we wish to adopt a policy which will increase our foreign commerce. Now. sir, there is no civilized nation in the world that would not make attempt to survey the coast of that country to which the com- merce of that country is invited. To court the commerce of the world and at the same time to make no efforts to procure a survey of the coast to which we invite that commerce, would be to proclaim ourselves barbarians. — 466 — Much has been said here about the extrava- of this work. Sir, the whole world engaged in commerce are engaged also in surveying / their coasts^ there is no nation on the face of the I earth that has done so much work for so little ^ money, the proportion of expenditure to the work done in Great Britain is about five to one to that of the United States. Now that we have the means for carrying on this work and allow all the facilities to go to destruction and decay ? What sort of eco- nomy is that ? If the country is ever going on to finish the work shall we abandon it for this year ? I protest against it. I do not say that I would go for it as a new system, but it happens that it is more than half surveyed. The Atlan- tic coast is more than half surveyed. The Gulf coast is more than one third done, and the Pacific coast is in rapid progress. But what are the charges brought against this work? I un- derstand that , as a general proposition, we are doing this work more economically than any nation in the world thus far. Why should all this preparation be abandon- ed ? Do you mean to abandon the work or do you mean to complete it? (Here the hammer fell.) Mr Blair, I move to amend the text of the bill, which the gentleman from Wisconsin pro- poses to strike out, by reducing the appro- priation to 150,000. — 467 - Mr Chairman, upon this subject, I take this ground : that this Coast Survey, as carried on under this bureau, when we have officers of the Army educated for this precise purpose, who are excluded from the work, is all wrong. Sir, we pay for the education of topographical engineers; we pay for the education of our naval officers ; yet when it is proposed to place them in charge of this great work — for I readi- ly admit that it is a very great work — we are to be told that they must go, and that some one else must be put in their place. Well, sir, I do not pretend that the gentleman who is at the head of this work is not competent ; but I ./ ^ contend that while we pay for the education of 1^^ the officers at West Point, who are fitted espe: U^ ^ cially for this work, the work should be placed / in their hands. *-^ Now, sir, another thing : I maintain that the surveys made under this system are entirely i?^ MP.lftte. What do you want of a minute topographical survey of the coast ? All that you can make useful for the purposes of naviga- tion are the soundings and the headlands. That is all that is required . Now, sir, if we would expedite this work, we could do it at much less cost if we should do as the English do, and place the work in charge of the topo- graphical engineers and naval officers. Mr Howard. I desire to call the attention of — 468 — the gentleman to the system by which the Brit- ish Government are carryng on their coast surveys. Now, sir, I repeat that one dollar has gone as far in our surveys as one pound ster- ling has with the British. Mr Blair. That may be true. I do not pretend to be well versed in these things ; but I insist when we have men in the Army and in the Navy, for whose education we pay, we need not employ a corps of civil officers. They can do it just as well and cheaper; and then I con- tend upon the other point, that the minute topographical survey of the entire coast which is made, is entirely useless for the purposes of navigation. Do you make a survey of the coast for the purpose of navigating the ocean? A minute topographical survey of the coast, I repeat, is entirely useless. Mr Davis of Maryland. Mr Chairman the gentleman fromWisconsin has moved virtually to put an end to the coast survey. Upon what consideration on what view of public interest that should guide the conduct of a great com- mercial nation, the gentleman has not ex- plained. He desires by a hasty, inconsiderate amendment upon an appropriation bill to re- verse the policy which the Government has been pursuing for forty years under every administration, approved by every President ; conducted without the intermission of a year; — 469 — conducted by the first science of the day when it began, and now under the supervision as "Tiigh as this country or the world can afford . That my friend from Missouri or I cannot ex- plain the exact necessity of surveying so great a distance inland or not, I submit is not a fair ground upon which the House should act. Whether he is a scientific man or not, I do not know. I do not profess to be much versed in scientific matters, and I am not willing to say that, because I am not satisfied of the ne- cessity, in all their details of the scientific examinations approved in the conduct of the great work by the eminent men who have so long conducted it — because, in a word of my ignorance those examinations are all wrong, and that every preceding administration has been guilty of useless and wasteful expendi- ture, I do not think that in a debate under the five minutes rule we can safely or wisely revise and judge the work of forty years, and arrest what has been so often, so long, and so deli- berately approved by our predecessors. Sir, Maryland has no direct interest in any part of the Coast to be surveyed. She is to receive no benefit; all her Coasts are surveyed. But, sir, her ships are upon every sea and upon every portion of our Coast, and we are not willing to arrest a great work essential to the safety of our citizens and their property unless — 470 — there should be some adequate reason as- signed. What is the only one ? Utter incapacity, shameful dishonesty, or disgraceful extrava- gance. Why the stale cry of economy, always in- voked to eke out a bad argument against the Government institutions of the country ? The gentleman wishes to economise where the economy sinks more of the commerce of the country in any six months of the year, than will pay the whole amount of the expenditure year after year. Sir, it is not economy to stop great national works of necessity. It is economy to stop the leaks in the commissary's department or in the Quartermaster General's department, or the stealings in the navy-yards or the waste ful and extravagant expenditures under the name of miscellaneous, but it is not economy to stop the clearing out of your rivers and harbors, or the erection of our fortifications or the supply of our armaments ; still less is it common sense to darken our lighthouses, or to arrest the survey of the Coast. That is De- mocratic economy — a war on all that is useful in Government expenditure. These are economical expenditures which pay more in what they save, ten thousand times over, than Government expends in ac- — 471 — complishing those great objects. And if gen- tlemen see fit to invoke the name of economy, for the purpose of striking down first, fortifi- cations, and then the Army and then the Coast Survey, and leaving us v^ithout ade- quate protection, whether for the arts of peace or against the arts of war, then I think, we had better omit the pay of the President and the Judges, dissolve and abandon the Govern- ment which was created to afford the pro- tection they are not allowed to confer. The amendment to the amendment was rejected. Mr Washburn, of Wisconsin, I will with- draw my amendment. Mr Burnett. I object. Mr Comins. I propose to increase the ap- propriation dol. 10,000. I cannot agree with my friend from Wisconsin ( Mr Washburn ) in the amendment which he proposes. Mr Jones, of Tennessee. Let us take the question on the amendment of the gentleman from Wisconsin. If it is stricken out, that will be the end of it ; and if it is not stricken out, it will still be open to amendment. Mr Comins. I wish to make a few remarks before a vote is taken on the proposition of the honourable gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr Washburn) to discontinue this appropria- tion. I cannot agree with the honourable - 472 — . gentleman in his opposition to this enterprise. As a commercial man , representing a section of the country, deeply interested in navigation, representing an important district where a great portion of the revenue of the country is collected, I must protest against any reduction in the estimate for prosecuting the Coast Sur- vey, a work so eminently beneficial and national. I wish to see economy introduced into every branch of the Government ; into every department of public expenditure; I believe extravagance and perhaps corruption prevails in many of the departments of Government, especially those of a political character ; I wish to see these corruptions ferretted out, I wish to see these extravagances stopped; and will do all in my power to this end. But, sir, I will never lend my hand to strike a blasting blow to any of the great enterprises of my country especially those connected with the commercial and maritime character of the nation. The feasibility, the propriety, and the policy of establishing a system of geodetic and hy- drographic Survey of the American Coast was recommended to the attention of Congress by President Jefferson; in 1807 the act which authorized the President to cause a Survey of the Coast of the United States was passed. Mr Gallatin one of the ablest and clearest - 473 — headed statesmen who ever presided over the Treasury Department, issued a circular set- ting for^h a project for a Coast Survey and inviting the attention of scientific men to the subject. Mr J. R. Hassler a gentleman of ex-s tensive scientific knowledge was appointed/ to superintend the enterprise and visited Europe to procure instruments necessary to carry -the project into effect. Owing to various causes among which was the war with Eng- land the work was not commenced until 1807, indeed it cannot be said to have fairly com- menced till 1832. From 1819 to 1832 detached survey of .rivers and harbours wjere made . under the Navy Department — These surveys not being considered ;satisfactory, Mr South- ward Secretary of the Nav.yin 1828 in reply to resolutions from the House of representa- tives recommended a recurrence to to the Act of 1807, on the repeated representations of the friends of this scientific work, the Coast Survey again received the favour of Congress, and was re-estabhsed in 1832. Mr Hassler was again appointed superintendent and continued in that capacity until his death in 1843. 1 will not undertake to speak of the knowledge, skill, and labour required to overcome the various perplexities, difTiculties and embar- rassments in theway of a successful prosecution of the Coast Survey. Time will not permit me 474 to do it. I should like to speak an hour upon this subject. I should Hke to vindicate the dead and speak to the praise of the living. I Professor Hassler was the subject of severe criticism and Bache cannot expect to escape. Professor Hassler did not escape the jealousies of scientific competitors or the vigilance of ^congressional reformers. An investigation w^as instituted. A congressional committee after a severe scrutiny , indorsed and approved the administration of the survey. From 1843, to the present time the Coast Survey has been conducted under the direction of Professor A. D. Bache, subject to the direction of the Executive. These surveys are being sustained by the principal commercial Powers of Europe. Shall they be abandoned by the United States? I trust not. Now, Sir, let us look at the ad- vantages of this work in a commercial point of view. Let us see how it affects the interest of navigation. Let us see how it saves the loss of property and prevents the sacrifice of human life. And then we will see who it is that will strike down this enterprise; who will say that the annual outlay of a few hun- dred thousand dollars for the protection and safety of the vast commerce of a nation is an extravagant expenditure. In the years 1846-1847, fourteen thousand two hundred and twenty-nine vessels of an - 475 — aggregate tonnage of over three million ar- rived in the ports of the United States, and nearly fifteen thousand vessels with an aggre- gate tonnage of four million five hundred thousand cleared from the same. The yearly increase in the number of vessels is eight per cent, and the yearly increase in the amount of tonnage is ten per cent. A glance at the report of the Secretary of the Treasury will show that the direct ten- dency of the Coast Survey is to diminish ma- rine disasters. The percentage of loss of property on our Coast diminishes from year to year as its survey is perfected. In 1854, the loss of pro- perty from marine disasters amounted to dol. 25,000,000, while in 1855, it was dol. 20,370,000 During the six months of the year ending July V' 1856, the loss amounted to dol. 11,850,060, and in the six months ending July 1" 1857, to dol. 10,232,500. The percentage of loss in the number of vessels is equally favourable to my argument. In 1855, the loss of lives on our Coast was four hundred and thirty. From these data it will be seen that the cost of the Coast Survey sinks into insignificance when compared with the fearful losses of life and property. Many individual cases can be cited where 476 competent witnesses have testified that the Coast Survey information has saved^ in a single vessel and cargo, enough to pay the whole expenses for a year^ in that section of the survey to say nothing of the loss of Ufe. It can be established beyond doubt, to any reasonable mind, that its pecuniary value to the revenue of the country has fully justified its cost. The Florida reef, the terror to navigators has been rendered comparatively safe, by beacons placed there in accordance with recommen- dations of the survey and by anchorages found and charts presented to navigators. But my time will not permtt me to en numerate cases. Amotig the discoveries and development made by the Coast Survey up to 1856, inclusive which have come under my immediate notice, on the coast of New England, are numerous rocks, banks and shoals, whose position has been accurately located, characteristics fully determined, and positions distinctly marked upon charts, and thus rendered far less dan- gerous to navigation. I will name some of them. Determination of the position of a sunken rock, on which the steamer Daniel Webster struck in Casco bay on the evening of the 13'^ of October 1856. — 477 - Determination of the dimension of Alden's rock, near Cape Elizabeth. Maine 1854. Determination of rocks off Mar behead and Nahant 1855. A rock ( not on any chart ) in the inner harbor of Gloucester, Massachusetts, disco- vered in 1853. A bank, ninety miles eastward of Boston, with about thirty six fathoms of water, pro- bably a knoll connected with Cashe's ledge, but with deep water between it and the ledge 1853. Boston harbor: Broad sound channel tho- roughly surveyed, and marks recommended 1848. Several rocks in the fair channel way, in Boston harbor entrance 1854. A bank (Stellwagen's bank) with ten and a half to fourteen and a half fathoms of wa- ter on it , at the entrance of Massachusetts bay, and serving as an important mark for approaching Boston and other harbors 1854. Extention of Stellwagen's bank to the south- ward and eastward some sixteen or seven- teen square miles , inclosed by the twenty fathom curve 1855. A dangerous sunken ledge (Davis's ledge) to the eastward and in the neighbourhood of Mi- not's ledge 1854. Development of a reef extending between Minot's and Scituate light 1856. - 478 - A sunken rock, with only six feet on it at low water, off Webster's flagstaff, Massa- chusetf s bay 1856. A dangerous rock near Saquish Head, en- trance to Plymouth harbor 1856. Three rocks determined in position pretty bare at low water, off Manomet Point Massa- chusett's bay 1856. Determination of a very dangerous rock off Indian Hill, and four miles southward of Ma- nomet Point, Massachusetts bay with as little as six feet water on it 1856. Probable connexion of George's bank and the deep sea banks north and east of Nantuc- ket 1855. Non existence determined of ^' Clark's bank " and ^' Crab ledge " laid down on certain charts as distinct from an immense shoa^ ground off Cape Cod peninsula 1856. Nantucket shoals: Davis's New South shoals six miles south of the old Nantucket South shoals, in the track of all vessels going between New York and Europe, or running along the coast, from the eastern to the southern States, or to South America discovered in 1846. But time will not allow me to continue these detailed statements. I wish to call the attention of the House to the unanimity of opinion which prevails upon the importance of continuing this work. The New York Chamber of Com- — 479 — merce, the Philadelphia Board of Trade, the Faculty of Saint John's College, Maryland, the University of Virginia and almost every scien- tific institution in the country have spoken in an unmistakeable voice on this subject. Business men of all classes give it their approbation and justify the most liberal ap- propriations for its prosecution. The under v^riters of Boston not excelled for enlightened patriotism and for liberal views, yet governed in all their enterprises by strict economy, have witnessed with great pleasure, as stated in a closing paragraph in a Memorial to Congress, concerning the Coast Survey of the United States, the liberal support that has been given to this work, and believe that there is no public work more worthy of the patronage of Congress than this, which has for its objects to give facilities to trade, to enlarge the bounds of useful knowledge, and to protect human life; and trust that a liberal support will be con- tinued, and intreat Congress to take no action that will impair the usefulness of this impor- tant branch of the public service. Light houses and beacons are located, the phenomena of the tides fully and clearly discussed, variations of the magnetic needle determined, new chan- nels and the set of the currents carefully marked. In short all the great aids to navi- gation have been discussed in a manner which — 480 — has met the approval of the scientific and com- mercial world. We have abundant evidence to show, that the survey of the American coast has been conducted with greater rapidity and economy than that of any other nation. Compared with the costly coast surveys of Great Britain, France, Austria and Russia, the expenditures of the United States present ajavorable contrast. The total cost of the United States Coast Survey previous to 1832. was 55.000 dollars; \ from 1832 to 1843 the amount expended was ' 765.134 doll, from 1844 to 1856-57 the expen- diture amounted to 3.958.331 doll. The land work and hydrography of Great Britain has cost over twenty millions sterling, The land and hydrographic survey of France has cost over 10 millions of dollars; Austria has expended, during a period of seventeen years, in these surveys 8.500.000 doll. As it is stated by the Secretary of the Treasury these are instances which furnish a comparison most favorable to our Coast Survey as to cost. And for accuracy and ge- neral usefulness, the American Coast Survey charts hold, according to scientific men, the first rank ; and the scientific methods used, are in many instances, much in advance of those of Europe. With the greatest extent of coast-line, se- — 481 — cond to none other in the amount of her ton- nage, and with the most dangerous coast of any nation, comparative statements with re- gard to the time and money spent, and re- sults obtained^ show us that our Coast Survey has cost us far less than that of any other ma- ritime nation. To interrupt its operations at this time or interfere in any manner with the plan on which it has been carried on so far and so nearly to a successful termination , by cutting down the appropriations, would be as false economy as it is unwise and unstates- manlike policy. England spares neither time nor money in giving aid to commerce. Had she, she never would have been mistress of the seas. No vessel on the English coast goes down with its freight of life and treasure on unknown rocks and shoals. They are all accurately markedon her charts . Sir, I do not regard the United States as poor. We are not poor. I dislike the term ; and it is untrue. The country is rich. We are possessed of means enough, now, and at any time, to do just that which the interest and welfare of the country demand. National honor and reputation are involved in the completion of the public works, and, espe- cially, in a successful execution of this great work . Mr Washburn of Maine. I oppose the amend- - 482 - ment of the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr Comins) because I am in favor of the amend- ment reported by the committee of Ways and Means. I am in favor of continuing the Coast Survey because I beheve it is a work of great necessity. I am satisfied that it is of advan- tage to all the interests of the country ; not merely to the interests of the Coast, but also to those of the interior, not merely to the in- terest of the merchant, but to the interest of the farmer; and to the interest of every class ; and I am persuaded that under the present superintendence, it is being conducted v^ith singular ability, and with great economy . I have that confidence in the scientific attain- ments and abihty and incorrigible honesty of the gentleman at the head of the service that I do not desire to see it broken down or chang- ed in any respect. It has been proved and I could demonstrate that the work is being carried on in the most economical and expeditions manner of which it is susceptible. As the gentleman from Mi- chigan (Mr Howard) has said, one dollar is made to do under our Survey the work of five dollars under the English survey. This work if it is to be done, — and I am quite confidant every man will say it ought to be done, should be performed in the shortest time consistent with economy because we — 483 — shall then have the benefit of the results. It is therefore necessary and proper as well as economical that the amount appropriated for carrying it on should be larger than that appropriated in the early days of the work. The gentleman from Missouri (Mr Blair) desires that there should be some change in the superintendence ; that it should be trans- fered to the Army or the Navy. I am in favouj of keeping it precisely where it is. Officers of the Army and of the Navy are now connected with the Survey under the present superin- tendant; and my belief is, that the work can be better carried on under the supervision of a civil officer, than under that of an officer either of the Army of the Navy. If it were given to Officers of the Army there would very likely be jealousy on the part of the Officers of the Navy ; and if given to Officers of the Navy, there would be jealousy on the part of the Of iicers of the Army ; but under the super- intendence of a gentleman who belongs to neither, there are no prejudices or rivalries, and the work moves on steadily, and with the utmost harmony among those employed upon it. This question was submitted to the Secre- tary of the Treasury under the Administration of Mr Fillmore. Mr Corwin who was then at the head of the — 484 — Treasury investigated the matter and gave a detailed and able and thorough report^ giving arguments and reasons, which in my judg- ment are unanswerable, why the work should be continued under the civil superintendence. Gentlemen are talking about economy; but I beg to know where is the economy in strik- ing down this work. A year or two ago I voted to grant dol. 600,000 for an overland mail route from the Mississipi to the Pacific. To be sure the service has been transferred from the route where it was supposed it would be placed. But that amount was freely voted for the service, primarily advantageous to the west. Let me ask the gentleman from Missouri, or any gentleman if he believes that the advan- tage of that outlay of dol. 600,000, per aunum ; for overland mail service, woulcl equal, to the whole country, that of the dol. 450,000 for the prosecution of the Coast Survey? There is not one I am sure. (Here the hammer fell). — 485 — Note to Washburn's Speech It required a man of Mr Hassler's unquestionable ability and indefatigable industry to accomplish what he did in 12 years { including that of 1816 ) as superintendent of the U. S. Coast Survey with so small an appropriation. His successor soon saw the deficiency and the impossibility of doing what was expected of him under such circumstances. Now the question may be asked which superintendent did the most work in proportion to the amount of appropriation. At the time of Mr Hassler's death Dame Rumour said the whole coast should and would be mapped in 10 years. It is now 39 years since Mr Hassler's death, and it is doubtful if all the Coast will be mapped in 10 years more R. L. Hassler Norris. 1882. This proves that it required a few years only to convince the Nation that what the Rev. Dr Eliphalet Nott , President of Union College Schenetady wrote to the family in a letter of condolence at the time of Mr Hassler's death, was too true : " We have not such another man to die ". 31 2 LETTERS FROM F. E. HASSLER 1859 489 - LETTER FROM FERDINAND EUGENE HASSLER Washington, 19^*^ of May 1859. Mr Editor Your willingness to insert my letter of the 91*" inst. urges me to continue the memorabilia of the late Ferdinand Rudolph Hassler. Omit- ting many things of interest which happened during his stay in Europe, while he was getting the proper instruments made for the United States Coast Survey. I take a few in- struments dating from his arrival with the instruments in Pliiladelphia in October 1815. After landing the instruments and placing them under Dr Patterson's care, he proceeded with General Swift to Washington, after visiting, the Presidents Munroe and Madison and Mess" Crawford and Dallas , Mr Dallas Secretary asked of him ^^ A plan of the mode of operating in the Survey of the Coast ", as soon as possible; a day or two subsequently the plan was handed to Mr Dallas, who stated that he had asked dol. 75,000 as a new appro- — 490 — priation and a refunding of dol. 29^000 gone to the general fund. After some delay as regards arrangements for the past, as well as for the future, which were concluded 22°^ of January 1816^ he left for Philadelphia, at which place he was enga- ged arranging the instruments etc. When he received his appointment he im- mediately executed the plan of the Observa- tory and prepared to go to Washington to make the final arrangements which were shortly after accomplished^ 27*^ of July 1816, he then set off for Burlington New Jersey, and went the same evening to Major J. J. Abert of the Topographical Enginers, who had been appointed by the Secretary of War to accom- \ pany him. The 1'* of August, he and three Cadets ( Kirk, Newton, and Emmet) started reconnoitring on Long Island and Major Abert shortly after joining the Survey ( as also John James Scipio Hassler eldest son of Mr Hassler as volunteer ) he continued reconnoitring for a base line locality. Lieutenants Lambert, Mac Niel, Adams, and Winton joined also ; with this assistance only he proceeded, when Mr Crawford, Se- cretary called for a full report of what had been clone, claiming that little progress had been made. — 491 — Congress complained, and in iVpril 1818 the Coast Survey was annihilated by the passage of a Law : '^ Prohibiting being em- ployed therein, and the Law had never been referred to the Committee of Ways and Means, and passed without the knowledge of Mr Lowndes Chairman. The next epoch com- mences 1832. Yours respectfully Ferdinand Eugene Hassler. — 492 — United States, May 3^"* 1859. Washington City, District of Columbia. M^* Rosalie L. Norris born Hassler Paris {FrsLnce) . Dear Sister^ Believing that a correct synopsis of the History of the origin of the United States Coast Survey, of works for the construction of Weights_, Measures and Balances, for the gene- ral Government of the United States of North America if published could not be without in- terest to scientific men, I am induced to write you on the subject more especially as it is apparent from most of the articles lately pub- lished on the subject, as well as the Biogra- phical notes, are not correct, as I find by examining the ^^ Anecdotic Biography N° 1,1856 Appleton ". ^^ Allen's Biographical Dictionary Boston, etc., not deeming a state- ment from the family of one who devoted the best portion of his life to those works would be out of place, I will proceed. My Father was born at Aarau Switzerland 6*^ October 1770 (here followed his autobiogra- phy anterior to his arrival in the United States). From the fact of his having previous to his arrival in the United States been engaged in - 493 — geodetical surveys^ he very readily perceived the necessity this country had for a Coast Survey, and desired to promote not only the vastly increasing commerce, but to guard the lives of those whose province it is to follow commercial pursuits, and a seafaring life, reduce the ratio of casualties, and protect the most important interests of the nation, whether. Agricultural, Manufacturing, or Commercial of his adopted Country. Therefore on his arrival he formed the acquaintance of his Swiss compatriot Albert Gallatin, then the Secretary of the United States Treasury and through him sought an interview with Thomas Jefferson, then Presi- dent of the United States in which the sub- ject of the Coast Survey was discussed, its importance and corelatives duly weighed. The subsecfuent history of the Survey and our Father's connexion therewith will be found in the printed matters herewith N° 2. From 1807 to 1809, he was Professor of Mathematics and Natural Philosophy at the Military Academy of West point, New York and filled the same chair at Union College Skenataday, New York from 1809, to 1811, when he went to England for instruments for the Coast Survey. The Coast Survey being broken up in 1818, he accepted the situation of American Astro- — 494 — nomer to the North Eastern Boundary Line Commission, and while on that commission, he conclusively established the fact, that at the Treaty of Ghent, Rousses Point, New York, N"* 5 belonged to the United States, he claim- ing Heliocentric Latitude, the English Astro- nomer, Dr Tiarcke, the Geocentric Latitude, by the former the Point was a few yards south of the 45*^ parallel by the latter a few^ yards North, as subsequently conceded in the Ash burton Treaty. ^^eaving that, in the year 1820, he purchas- ed from Levesy de Chaumont land at Cape Vincent, New York, this land is situated on the Banks of the St- Lawrence River, a few miles helow the outlet of Lake Ontario; he purchased it with the view of establishing a Normal School and Agricultural College, and I actually farmed it himself for two or three Wears; his intention was to have made the ins- titutions of the same character as that founded at Havanna New York in 1857, known as the people's College of the State of New York, as also of those contemplated by an act of Con- gress donating Public Lands to the States, for the establishment of Agricultural Colleges which was vetoed by the President, apd pas- sed the 2°*^ series of the 35^^ Cojngress. But in consequence of the money difficulties and originality of the project for this country — 495 — surrounding the undertaking it was not suc- cessful (that is to say) was not commeuped, only a large house of sixteen rooms built[J He then went to Jamaica Long Island , New York, then to Richmond^ Virginia and gave mathematical lessons to sons of the pro- minent men of those States. Whilst in Rich- mond he published Elements of Geometry, of Planes and solids with four plates, his Ele- ments of analytical Trigonometry appeared in New York 1826. Subsequently he published his Arithmetic, Astronomy, Logarithms, and Trigonometric Tables with introductions in five Languages. His original papers entitled. " Papers on va- rious subjects connected with the Survey of the Coast of the United States by Ferdinand Rudolph Hassler ", are found in the second volume of the published Transactions of the American Philosophical Society Pennsylvania 1824, in which are detailed his Pyrometr ical Experiments made in 1817, at Newark, New Jersey, and form the Basis of all Standards of Weights and Measures, from which I extract a note by Dr Patterson of Philadelphia, he says : '' An excellent work on Natural Philo- sophy by *** received in this country since the communication of the preceding paper, contained an account of a series of experi- ments made on the same subject by Lavoisier — 496 — and Laplace in 1782, and which have not be- fore been given to the public ; according to these experiments the expansion of iron from the freezing to the boiling point is, 0,00122048, of its length and that of brass 0.00188-974 from these data we readily calculate the following statements. Proportional Expansion for 1% Fahrenheit according to Hassler ACCORDING TO HASSLER Tron Brass iassler . . . 0,00000676 = 0,000010509 ^avosier . . 0,00000678 — 0,000010498 ..aplace . . . Difference 0,00000018 == 0,0000000011 the correspondence of the result obtained inde- pendent of each other and by methods entirely different must be considered as very satifac- tory. " These paper wgyg received by Charles F. W. Bessel of Konigsberg in Schuhmacher's Astro- nomical Journal Hambourg n° 137 (see page 60, printed document herewith). He held the appointment of Guager in the Custom House in New York from 1823 to 1829. In 1834, he published at his own expense two sections of the United States Coast Survey. 1816 — '^ Principal Documents relating to the. Coast Survey of the United States, since 1816 ". - 497 — 1835 — Second volume of the same from Oc- tober 1834 to November 1835. 1836 — Third volume of same Documents on Weighs and Measure Works from No- vember 1835 to November 1836 also Do- cuments on Weights and Measures from March 1838 to November 1838, also Do- cuments relating to the construction of Uniform Standards of Weights and Mea- sures for the United States from 1832 to 1838. 1843 — Investigation upon the United States Coast Survey and construction of Stan- dards of Weights and Measures by a select Commitee of Congress. On the 29*** May 1830 under a resolution of Congress providing for the comparison of the different Weights and Measures used in the Custom Houses of the United States. The Ho- -nourable S. D. Ingraham called on my Father to do this work;, it was commenced December 1830 — the reports of the result are found in the reports of Congress, published by the House of Representatives, *^ Executive Docu- ments N" 299 — Session 22'' Congress 1832. 1831 — In June an act was passed for the con- struction of Standards of Weights and Measures — a Resolution was passed placing the construction of Balances for — 498 — the United States Government espe- cially in the hands of our late Father, who originated the whole Work. 1843 — A set of Weights et Measures and Balances were sent to England (before our Father's decease) under a Resolu- tion of Congress to replace those of that Country lost by the conflagration of the House of Parliament — they have pass- ed a thorough comparison in the plate construction of the British Standards and since his death similar sets have been presented from the same establish- ment to the Government of France, and are found in the Conservatoire of Arts et Metiers (Arts et Trades) in Paris — as appears from a report on Weights and Measures published by Congress 1857,3-^ Session of 34*^ 'Congress. 1857 — 3*^ Sessions 34*^ Congress — Executive Documents N° 27 Senate — These Works were solely under his charge, in creating the works as well as in car- rying then on. Should the contemplated uniformity of the Weigts and Measures of all the Nation of the World be car- ried out it would be a pleasant remini- scence for us that our Father's industry and acquirements used as amusements had controlled and was the Basis of it. — 499 - The Law reviving the Law of 1807, to estab- lish the Coast Survey was 10^^ July 1832, shortly after President Jackson gave the su- perintendence of the same to him, which, together with the works for constructing Standard of Weights and Measures and Balan- ces for the General and State Governments he after creating them carried out until his decease in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania 20*'' November 1843. Sister, these remarks are not intended to be any more than a synopsis of the life of oar Father and the history of the works in which he was engaged. I hope at some future time to find some scientific person to give a complete Biography in connection with the scientific manuscripts on hand that will bo published. Your affectionate Brother Ferdinand Eugene Hassler. LETTER FROM F. E. HASSLER IN ANSWER TO QUARTERLY REVIEW 32^ - 503 — '' The Daily Globe " Washington City, District of Columbia April the 1&'' 1860. Mr Editor I wish to make a few remarks and state facts in reply to an article in the North American Quarterly Review N° 187 April 1860, upon the United States Coast Survey, an old subject first mooted by my father fifty three years since, and whose plan of that day, it is believed is now carried out, with simply the variations that time and advancement may have caused in that branch of science, as they have done with those of steam, telegraphs, daguereotypes and their plans etc. the Article says : Previously to 1844, owing to circumstances long since buried in the past, the Coast Sur- vey though it w^as in active operation from the year 1832, had not been free from embar- rassment having had to struggle not only with the difficulties naturally attending the setting on foot so great an enterprise, of which — 504 — the advantages were not immediately appa- rent, but also with difficulties pertaining to its internal organisation which affected the atmosphere somewhat like a '^continual drop- ping in a very rainy day'\ But sixteen years of unremitting successful labour have wholly altered the aspect of affairs, This quotation requires to be analysed. Is it meant that the Coast Survey was not successful until the ap- pointement of Professor Bache, or that the Coast Survey and its principles are not car- ried out on those of the originator F. R. Hass- ler, or that if carried out under his plan it would have proved unsuccessful. This does not appear to be the case. ^' The death of the former superintendent of the Coast Survey Mr Hassler occurred in 1843, and during the same year by direction of Congress a plan for the conduct of the Survey and its organisation was prepared by a board of officers, (it should be officers and. civilians — James Ferguson and Edmund \ Blunt) the distinguished surveyor and hydro- J grapher, the senior assistant of the Survey for the last fifteen years) were members appoint- ed for the purpose, in which the scientific methods employed by Mr Hassler were fully recognised as the proper basis of the work. " This basis was his plan of 1807 excepting the two ohservditories. — 505 — Again: '^ While the details of its execution were carefully systematized and improved by the experience of the preceding ten years, the death of the gentleman who alone had con- trolled the operations of the survey up to this time took place. " Under these circumstances, who erected the whole of this basis ? not to say^ as the writer does : '' It was most fortunate for the country that a man of Mr Hassler's learning, ability, and suitable preparatory education, was pre- sent to give a right direction to the views of the Government when the Coast Survey was founded." Was it F. R. Hassler, D"" Patterson, or Professor Bache ? The writer goes on and says : ^^ The earliest step towards a more comprehensive scheme was to divide the whole eastern sea- board including the Gulf of Mexico, into nine sections. Let us look at F. R. Hassler's report for 1842, speaking of the difficulties he enume- rates : " The nature of ground and other causes have required increased attention; also the intermittent fevers that have more or less attacked every party of the work at different times. This latter difficulty, being local, and well known to increase in proportion as the work proceeds southerly will in a year or two 506 oblige me to change the time of the year to be used for field works^ approacking it always nearer the end of the winter season. This will, however, make but a slight difference in the organisation of the work. The nature of the changes that may arise from this or any other accessory circumstances belonging to the detail administration of the work are so much less to be detailed here as they are only pro- spective therefore as yet undeterminable." These quotations dispose of the extension southwards; and the junction with the Massa- chusetts survey will serve for the northern advances. Again : '^ Previously the work proceding eastward and southward from a single base measured on the south side of Long Island had been confined to a few of the central and eastern states that embraced no other inland waters than Long Island sound and its harbours, the waters connected with the City of New York and Delware bay and river." The writer omits that salient part of the Coast Survey which is found in F. R. Hassler s last Report of November 1843. (He died the 20*^ Nov). Executive Documents, House of Represententives, Twenty Eighth Congress, first session n^ 97 as follows : ^^ I had always thought desirable to establish some work — 507 — south of Chesapeake as soon as admissible, I had therefore, myself proposed in the board to establish some preliminary works this season, while for the northern parts the exe- cution of the maps in drawing, engraving and printing were carried on, so as to present fully executed works. The union of these to mea- sures of surveying in one section and printing the work from the other section which would in time alternate, appeared to me best adopted to the general interest of the country in the work of the Coast Survey, at the same time that it was executable within the limits of the hitherto habitual appropriation. In that idea I had been approved by several Presidents. An assistant was therefore directed to the south- ern part of the country to begin the prelimi- nary reconnoissances and other operations, but fear of sickness, of the southern regions determined him to continue the verification and further laying out a few secondary triangles in the Chesapeake during the Sum- mer, and to defer the works in the South till the beginning of October (see James Ferguson's report in same document.) This operation in the beginning of the changing of the field work in the South from the Summer to the Winter which I have quoted in my last report as natural consequences of the locality and climate. It is therefore expected and pro- — 508 — per that the party shall stay out all Winter and next Spring ^^which will be fully required to present some proper systematic begin- ning." After these quotations it will doubtless be useless to allude to ^'the adoption of this mode of enlarging the work to the southern coast formed one of its chief recommenda- tions." I shall call attention to a fact, that it is claimed no maps were printed before 1844. The word 'Sprinted/'' is used to obviate those of pre- pared for printing with title only to he placed on the plates,'" Upon this I quote from the same report. ^^ To continue the systematic order of bringing the results of the Coast Survey into practical utility, the maps of the neighbourhood of the beginning of the work have been continued to be reduced to the proper scale for publi- cation as had been begun last year, namely : New York bay and habour. Long Island and part of the southern shore of Long Island. The Delaware Bay and River will be taken in hand with the same view, as soon as the sur- vey is completed. The ouside shore of New Jersey must be delayed until some further junctions of it are executed by a triangulation across New Jersey. " On the maps so reduced for publication — 509 — there has been engraved the following eight sheets : ^M. A map (in one large sheet) of the Har- bour of New York, with its approaches, from as far outside as east of Rockaway in the east and below Long Branch at the south until to the middle of New \ork, and to the outside of Hellgate with all its inner bays. This map will be finished engraving so that it can be given to the pubHc this winter. It contains all the soundings necessary for navigation. 2. ^^ The detail maps of New York upon a large scale, viz : 1-30,000 containing all the minuter topography of New York, the Port, its entrances, all its approaches ; and the neighbourhood, which will cover eight sheets or plates, of which six are in a considerable state of forwardness "• 3. *' The first sheet of the map of Long Island southern shore, which is in a very ad- vanced state ". 4. I might quote here as results already given to the public, the maps delivered on calls of Congress some of which have been published : but the memory of them seems un- fortunately to be obliterated when results of the Coast Survey are called for. They were eight in number in 1841. They are however ; no less results of that work, which have cost time and labor and have come into pubhc uti- — 510 — lity at an early time, by which the steady progress of the work became always evident. Engraving, particularly of maps where mathe- matical accuracy is required, cannot go on rapidly like other fancy engraving. The task is arduous and fatiguing and the very minute care to be taken consumes of course a propor- tional length of time. This part of the work has in general been continued assiduously with the same means and systems as last year. *' It appears here to be the proper time and place to call for the regulation of the mode in which the maps resulting from the works of the Coast Survey shall be brought into public in a proper manner that will secure both the property of the nation in the work, and the public confidence which they must command by the authority with which they are pub- lished as well as by their well known scientific value and accuracy. It cannot be otherwise but fully evident the Government has the duty to secure both the above aims. I would take the liberty to suggest as a secure means to these aims. 1'*. That the final maps when ready to come into the public, be signed by the su- perintendent of the work, and stamped with the seal of the office. 2°^ '^ That there be always a number of copies — 511 — distributed to the collectors o'fthe seaports, by them to be sold to any applicant^ at a certain fixed price which shall be marked on the stamp for each individual map. ^^ That the price of the maps shall be deter- mined so as to cover the expense of printing and paper with certainty^ without any ulterior benefit in order to make them easily accessible to seamen particularly, and to prevent coun- terfeits as they could never be imitated at that price. To secure the best impressions of the maps, and at the same time secure the plates from deterioration, it was necessary to procure an appropriate press and the other necessary implements. This has been done. A well constructed copper plate press, with a paper roller, and with new and well calculated arrangements, has been put up in the office of the Coast Sur- vey, and also an appropriate paper press; they are ready for use, and have served al- ready as proof impressions such as we always needed to keep an account of the progress of the engraving ". " These statements will show that full pre- parations are every where made to cause the Coast Survey results to step properly into the public. To give them their proper standing, their final execution, in drawing, engraving, and — 512 — printing must necessarily bear the same stamp of science, care and assiduity which has been put in the direct mathematical part of the work, from the elements up to the determi- nation of all the results that are to be presen- ted to the public, no part can leave the eye which has watched over its beginning. ****** "To allow to each of the works the proper time, is one of the principle requisites. Pressing and hurry will actually delay the work. Steady and reflected work will alone produce the proper and creditable results in the shortest time. The laws of nature which dictate in all such works, cannot be set aside with impunity. '' With respect to the appropriation which it will be proper to propose to Congress for the next year, I believe that more than the (of late years) usual amount dol. 100,000 could ha^rdly be Mainable and that the arrangements of the work must be made to fit within these limits. ^^ This quotation also disposes of the prompt- ness with which the new chief did work, and issued charts, producing, as stated, " eight general and harbour charts . None were published, and the Survey of the Gulf stream was begun " — a thing that twelve years' previous work had not produced, as the writer ^' would suggest'' to his reader ^' The methods - 513 — proposed by F. R. Hassler to obviate the dif- ficulties of the southern Survey it is needless to discuss. Suffice it, that it may not be a credulous mind that would admit that the originator, had he survived, could have over- come them, and not have shown more bril- liant administration or scientific qualifications than by an inception of the whole work. Why not still further pursue the plan of Mr Hassler by having two superintendents, one North and one South ? The writer, speaking of the original base, says : * ' The difference in the original base of the Coast Survey, thus measured, might be about twenty feet, and, by a rough estimate, an error of twenty feet in this place would amount in one of the largest triangles, to about one tenth of a mile. " In reply it might be suggested that in mul- tiplying these long triangles from the north- ward and southward the base of the whole work would be found erroneous, and as is expressed by the language of the writer : ^^ What profit hath he that has laboured for the wind ? " At the hazard of a deviation in my reply — F. R. Hassler's Diary is as fol- lows : *^ On the 20*^ September l|32^ instruments previously purchased in London for the Coast Survey were received from the War — 514 — Department in a disordered condition and shipped for Baltimore and New York under charge of Lieut. James L. Henderson^ of the United States Navy, when Mr Hassler and D'' Howard proceeded by stage to Baltimore having, previous to their departure endeavour- ed to procure from the Treasury some funds to meet the public disbursements. And not succeeding and convinced a delay would cause the loss of that fall's work, on his arrival at Philadelphia, after having shown Nicolas Bi- delle. President of the United States Bank, and other friends, his letter of appointment as superintendent of the United States Coast Survey, given him by the President general Jackson, he, upon his individual draft at sixty days, received dol. 2,000, less discount. Pro- ceeding with these funds to New York is joined by Lient. James 0. Bomford of the in- fantry United States Army. Placing the instruments with proper per- sons for repairs, he with Lieut. Bomford and Lieut. Henderson, assistants (J.J. S. Hassler as volunteer) proceeded in the examination for the old station points of 1817. Not finding the Springfield Mountain , New Jersey Sta- tion, proceeded to Cranstown Mountain, and found readily the hole in the rock that had been made and filled with brimstone, as the centre of the station. On returning to New 515 York, found that Dr Howard United States Army, who was most fitted for the duties of assistant, could not join the Survey, having heen ordered to other duty. Lieutenants Bomford and Henderson proceed in recon- noitring and placing signals in the vicinity of New York assisted by J. J. S. Hassler as a volunteer who from previous acquintance in 1817, could render material assistance in pointing out localities. Mr Hassler proceeded to West Point to procure the instruments and books placed there for care and use of the Academy. JRoberfc Livingston^jiegheg^^ofjhe^ Secretary, joins as assistant.. The 1'' of November 1832 was principally used in endeavouring to procure money for ne- cessary Government expenditures, and receive same from Government next day. Lieutenant Mackay joins the Survey, and continues re- connoitring. On his returning to Washington in February 1833, it was proposed by the secretaries of War and the Treasury to estab- lish a Committee consisting of the Secretary of the Treasury, an officer of the War De- partment, and one of the Navy on the Coast Survey, which ^' he immediately declared impossible with him " Capt. Swift United States Army, and Lieut. Bell United States Navy, join the Survey. On the 27*^ March , he Wwith Lieut. Wilkes, makes an examination — 516 — for a locality for an observatory in' Wash- ington ; Mr Bluntand , Mr Ferguson join the Survey. The Coast Survey continues gradually ad- vancing under small appropriations , and in 1845, a Committee of investigation, on motion of Hon. Caleb Cushing is appointed; and after a thorough investigation a board was appointed to reorganize the Coast Survey. The faint paragraph of the plan of reorgan- ization reported by the Committee of verifi- cation^ consisting of Edmond Blunt, Thomas R. Godneyand William H. Smith, is as follow^s. : ^^ 1"* That the scientific methods proposed by F. R. Hassler Esq. for the Coast Survey described in the second article of his paper of the 21"* March, on rebuilding of the con- tract and organisation for the Coast Survey be taken as the basis of reorganization and be follow^ed in the execution of the w^ork ". The board consisted of F. R. Hassler super- intendent : James Ferguson and Edmund Blunt civilians and assistants : Commander Thomas R . Gedney Lieut . Commandant George S. Blake hydrographers of the United States Navy. Lieut. Colonel James Kearney, Major J. D. Graham, Major William Trum. bell and Capt. H. Swift of the topographical Engineers ( see Document 164 House of Re- — 517 — presentatives Twentyeighth Congress second session). This accepted plan now forms the basis of all operations thereon and is carried on by most of the older assistants. In a for- mer article published in the intelligence of this City I have spoken of the instruments and lately in perusing the astronomical lec- tures of Prof. A. Casnell of Brown University before the Smithsonian Institution I find when speaking of the Survey he says : In measuring the angles of the primary triangulation, theodolites of various sizes and construction are employed. The largest in- strument of this class belonging to the Coast Survey has a circle of thirty inches diameter. It was designed by Mr Hassler the first super- intendent of the Survey and constructed by Troughton and Simms of London. '^ The accuracy of this instrument is such that the probable error of a single measure of an angle is about one second and a quar- ter ". This will prove the value of the instruments F. R. Hassler procured in England nearly fifty years since. It is with reluctance the writer has in this case appeared before the public; still having seen publications of T. M. Grammer , City Surveyor , Brooklyn , New York, wiio says : '' Wooden bars were used in the Coast Sur- 33 — 518 — vey for measuring base lines but were, found impraticable, " and other statements of an erroneous character which have been widely circulated, he deems it his duty to disabuse the public in regard to the labours and proofs of his father's scientific works that writers hereafter may solely confine themselves to a true study of the subject about which the desire to write, and not place before the country a statement of prima facie facts which never existed and thus continue errors ? like a con- tinual dropping in a very rainy day. Offering the occasion as an apology for this curtailed and still lengthy reply to the article in the North American Quarterly Review, lam, Sir, respectfully. Ferdinand Eugene Hassler. Ferdiuand Eugene Hassler died, 15'^ of April 1869. He bought of his Co-heirs the Paternal Estate where he lived and died, leaving no Children. ACCOUNT OF A VISIT FROM BODISCO WITH NOTE BY R. L. HASSLER NORRIS - 521 - FROM THE BUFFALO DEMOCRACY A Monument worth while erecting Hassler, the mathematician, conceived in his home in Germany the ambitious project of converting the Atlantic seacoast of the United States of America into an imperishable monument of his fame and his labors. The communication of his desire to plan and execute for our government a complete sur- vey of its eastern coast, led finally to his en- gagement to do the w^ork. Hov^ he performed it, is well known to that portion of the public which takes an interest in navigation, and in the federal legislation, connected with the hydrographical bureau at Washington. To but few, however, is known the absorbing passion with which this dis- tinguished mathematician pursued his lofty purpose of erecting a durable monument to his memory in the American Coast Survey . In heat and in cold in rain and in shine — by night and by day — did he, bred to the best society and familiar with distinguished men - 522 — in his own and in this country, labor at his task upon the sea side on exposed headlands, in the broiling sun — exposed to swarms of insects, and the miasms of damp and unhealthy locahties. He was in the habit of correcting the work of his subordinates, and revising and gene- ralising their results, at his lodgings in Washington. Once, while thus engaged, the carriage of the Russian Minister, Mr Bodisco, came to the door. The footman rang, and the door was opened by a small, stooping man, with spectacles, and clad somewhat remar- kably in a green baize loose coat. '^Is Mr Hasslerin?" ^^ He is " — The Russian Minister would like to see him. " ^' Let him enter " — and the door was left open, and the green baize, and the spectacles and the stooping form receded into a large room . Mr Bodisco entered there alone, found the Surveyor surrounded with maps, charts, and written and figured memoranda, that covered all the floor. He introduced himself to Mr Hassler, and said that he had been commis- sioned by the Russian Emperor to offer him employment in his Empire, at any salary he might see fit to name — that if he had pecu- niary engagements here they would be paid — 523 - for him — but that his early departure for Saint-Petersbourg would be desirable. The german listened till he closed, and in simple lauguage told the diplomatist that he was not working for money, that he was building his monument upon the American Coast, and could not rest till it was done. To the suggestion, that he was receiving an inadequate compensation for his labor the mathematician replied, ^^ In money sir I do not get paid but I shall accomplish one invaluable labor for this America Republic that shall never ^ perish. That, Count, is better than money.'' How wise was his ambition — if ambition of possessing posthumous fame is ever wise ! The reputation conferred by wealth is as evanescent as it is vulgar. Only works of genius and benevolent utility endure the corrosions of time, and retain a place in man's memery. Long after the names of the Rothschildls shall be utterly forgotten in Europe and America. De Foe will be held in general honor for his Robinson Crusoe, and Hariett Beecher Stowe be revered and honored for the glorious huma- nity ofXJncle Tom's Cabin. On the Atlantic Coast the now dead Hassler is in affectionate mention among all seafaring men and dwellers near the beach. They speak anmiringly of his passionate, self-denying . — 524 — devotion to his great work. His veneration for landmarks, too, which sailors can so well appreciate, is often talked of. The navigators of the dangerous Delaware Bay will remember Listen's poplar, below Ready Island, and the Bomb Hichory, famous landmarks in those waters . These great and much cherished trees intervened in the survey frequently, and interrupted the observations. It never entered Hassler's head to cut them down ; but at great trouble he made a station thirty miles off, upon the height of Bleak Iron Hill, and there got its observations by firing tar barrels at night at the base of the trees so dear to the Delaware Bay navigators. r:\I/.^a%^ noW^^ Note. The writer of this anecdote, never saw Mr Hassler, who never wore spectacles, nor a green baize coat. ^ f( Note to the Anecdote of Bodisco The writer of this anonymous article is mistaken in saying it was the Ambassador Bodisco who made advantageous offers from the emperor of Russia to induoe my Father to devote his talents to that Government. This offer accompanied by an offer of a decoration was made previous to Bodisco's arrival in the United States, at a time when my Father w as making j £rang- ine_nts to i; eturn to his native town. Circumstances beyond his control obliged him to postpone his departure until it was too late. I often had reason to regret that my Father was not born some years sooner, that he might have asked General Washington's advice : as a letter publised some years ago by one of our Consuls in Germany proved that his ideas exactly coincided with mine. The Consul had made the acquaintance of Baron Washington, a relative of General Washington. The Baron showed him a letter written by Gen : Washington ; 1799, I think was its date, in answer to one from his cousin, an officer in the German Army, who asked his advice, wheth- er he could obtain a position in the America Army equal to the one he held in his country, with the prospect of superior advantages for the future. Gen : Washington answered : " that he had better be satisfied with his position at home, as the jealousy evinced towards foreigners of superior talent, was such as to make their position unbearable " National vanity there, as in all countries stifled justice ; it is an inherent defect of human nature. R. L. Hassler Norris. ANECDOTE OF M" HASSLER MEMORIAL TO F. R. HASSLER BY THE OFFICERS OF THE ARMY AND NAVY — 529 — The Continent Saturday, January S"' 1836. A capital anecdote is current in the circles at Washington, which, I believe, has never got into print. Professor Hassler, the late chief of our Coast Survey, was a learned and excellent personage, who, aware of his indis- pensable importance in the work for which the Governement had employed him. took but little pains to conciliate the politicians. This arose by no means from conceit but was the result of his just and conscious superio- rity to the great mass of men with whom he came in contact in the capital . When Mr — was appointed Secretary of the Treasury, the cry of ^' Retrenchment and Reform " had become popular throughout the land, and in eager pursuit of this democratic game, it struck the fancy of the new Minister — 530 — that he could not signaUse his administration more aptly than by striking a blow at the large income of the Professor. Accordingly he sent for the savant and after broaching the subject gently^ wound up with : — ^^ My dear sir, as times go, your salary is enormous; you receive six thousand dollars per annum — an income, do you know, quite as large at that of the Secretary of State ". *' True ", replied Hassler, ^' precisely as much as the Secretary of State, and quite as much as the Chief of the Treasury; but do you know Mr Secretary that the President can make a Minister of State out of any-body — he can make one even out of you, sir, but if he can make a Hassler I will resign my place". At the time of the death of Mr Hassler, the Officers of the Army and Navy who had been employed under him in the Coast Survey, re- quested permission of the family to erect a Monument to his Memory, which request being granted, the following Memorial was placed in the Cemetary of Laurel Hill near Philadelphia. — 531 IN MEMORY OF FERDINAND RUDOLPH HASSLER BORN AT AURAU IN THE CANTON OF ARGOVIE SWITZERLAND OCTOBER 6th 1770 HAVING FILLED WITH HONOR, BOTH IN HIS NATIVE AND ADOPTED COUNTRY OFFICES OF HIGH TRUST AND RESPONSIBILITY DIED IN PHILADELPHIA NOVEMBER SO^h 1843 IN THE MIDST OF HIS LABORS AS SUPERINTENDENT OF THE UNIDED STATES COAST SURVEY AND STANDARDS OF WEIGHTS AND MEASURES both great National Works, from their Ori- gin entrusted to and conducted by him with distinguished reputation and success. Strict integrity and love of truth with strength and activity of intellect characterised him as a man. — 532 - Whilst his various scientific writings, as well as the two National Works^ projected by him, are alike memorials of his laborious life, and of his contributions as a man of science to the instruction and improvement of his fellow men. NOTICES OF THE DEATH OF M^ HASSLER AND OF HIS ELDEST SON JOHN JAMES SCIPIO HASSLER 34 — 53i By the Southern Mail Philadelphia November 2P',I843. F. R. Hassler the chief Engineer of the U. S. Coast Survey died last evening at San- derson's Frankhn House. He was an expe- rienced and scientific man who has devoted himself during a long life, to his favourite pursuit. His loss will be seriously felt, and his death much regretted by the scientific world. He had attained the very advanced age of mearly 80 years. On the 20*^ inst, after a short illness, in the 74*^ year of his age, Ferdinand Rudolph Has- sler Superintendent of the United States Coast Survey and the Construction of the U. S. Standard of Weights and Measures. His friends are respectfully invited to attend his funeral (without further notice) from the Hall of the Philosophical Society, to morrow afternoon, at 2 o'clock — 536 - While I write the funeral of Hassler, the Su- perintendent of the U. S. Coast Survey and the constructor of the U. S. Standards of weights and measures, is passing up Chest- nut S* it is attended by a long concourse of carriages and as there are none walking, I presume the destination of the body is Laurel Hill. Death of Mr Hassler We regret to learn that Mr Hassler for many years at the head of the Coast Survey of the United States died in Philadelphia on Monday evening. The United States Gazette in announcing this event, says: that he was some time since attacked with pleurisy which yield- ed to the skill of his physicians but the ex- haustion consequent upon the treatment of the disease was so great, that he gradually sank under it, until the time of his demise. The scientific world will deeply regret the loss in Mr Hassler of a thorough scholar whose life has been usefully employed, and whose place will not easily be filled. He had,, we believe, attained to the age of nearly ^ight^ years, y^f and was much enfeebled previous to his last illness. ^,^^ nAJ^^^crr : a-^^n^ ^^cn^^i2d^^^ — 537 — Public Ledger and Daily Transcript. Philadelphia Monday, December \V^ 1843. Mr Hassler's papers — The Correspondant of the Express say : John C. Spencer Secretary of the Treasury, has issued a writ of replevin, endorsed by the soHcitor and Register of the Treasury, with the view of getting possession of the books and papers of Mr Hassler, recently de- ceased, and before connected with the Coast Survey. The writ is in the hands of the Mar- shal of the District. The heirs of Mr H. claim most of the property the writ seeks to get — 538 — possession of, as private property, Mr Spencer I presume^ regards it as public property. DIED IN NORFOLK, VIRGINIA, ON THE 23^^ JUNE 1858 JOHN JAMES SGIPIO HASSLER AGED 59 BORN IN SWITZERLAND AN ASSISTANT IN THE UNITED STATES COAST SURVEY ENGINEER AND SON OF THE LATE F. R. HASSLER FIRST SUPERINTENDENT OF UNITED STATES COAST SURVEY AND CONSTRUCTOR OF THE STANDARDS OF WEIGHTS AND MEASURES Extract from the Report of the United States Coast Surverj of 1858. Wile engaged in the laborious duties bet ween Cape Henry and — Sound Assistant J. J. Scipio Hassler w^as seized by incurable dissease and after much suffering died on the 23''^ June 1858. " ^* Mr Hassler was the son of the first Supe- rintendent of the United States Coast Survey - 539 — to whom this work was more than to any other man due, " the credit of its organisation is due alone to him, energy, pecuHar abihties and knowledge nursed it into life. " Mr J.J. Scipio Hassler was from his youth under his Father's direction, employed in that work (at first as volunteer) his restless acti- vity of disposition kept him almost constantly in the field, abridging those periods of relief and relaxation which others seek and expos- ing to attacks of disease under circumstances most unfavourable to resistance, his system seemed to give way suddenly under a compli- cation of disorders and death found him in the midst of his occupations with a spirit resem- bling his Father's faithful, devoted, unwilling to relinquish the performance of duty to the very last : Mr J. J. Scipio Hassler' s age at the time of his death was 59 years. " Note. Oily a few years before his Father's death he re- ceived a salaried appointment in the Coast Survey, which, it is well Inown was in the hands of Native Americans from 1817^ .10 183g, ML^tliwml^Ssfiifetary QOie_Navia.^id. mth.. what fesult can be . seen .on?«/ by the listjof^r<2gen£e^ in the Treasiry Department at Wasington. R. L. Hassler Norris. (f^ U^^^na^. LETTER TO THE WIDOW OP D« CHARLES HASSLER COPY OF MEMORIAL TO TPIE SAIwIE, «Sc 543 — United States Ship Falmouth Boston Harbour 3'*^ of December 1846. Madame The messmates of your late Husband beg leave to condole witli you in your affliction, your bereavement is severe indeed, but it may somewhat alleviate your sorrow to know he was dear to us all ; to a highly cultivated mind and rare professional attainments, he united a deportment that won the hearts of all, we never knew him do or say a thing which we could wish otherwise, and long shall we re- member the sad fate and strive to imitate the virtues of the lamented Hassler. Thomas W. Brent, Lieut. William Ross Gardiner, Lieut. William Nilson, Assistant Surgeon. H. W. Haskill, Purser. William Givalling, Lieut. D. D. Baker, Lieut. Marines. J. B. Glitz, Assistant Master. L. H. Shibourne, Lieut. G. D. Bear, Assistant Surgeon. — 544 — The widow of D*" Charles Hassler, two Sons and a Daughter now the wife of Sim. New- comfe the Astronomer of Washington D. C. are still living. R. L. Hassler Norris. IN MEMORY OF CHARLES A. HASSLER SURGEON U. S. N. BORN FEBRUARY 2-1810 RETURNING WITH HIGH HOPE BUT IMPARED HEALTH FROM A PROTRACTED ORUIZE WITHIN A FEW HOURS EMBRACE OF ALL MOST TENDERLY LOVED HE PERISHED ! AIDING THE FEEBLE AND THE TIMID IN THE WRECK OF THE STEAMER ATLANTIC LONG ISLAND SOUND NOVEMBER 27^^ 1846 BY HIS BROTHER OFFICERS ADMIRED FOR HIS RARE ATTAINMENTS, LOVED FOR HIS EXEMBLARY LIFE v THOSE WHO ENJOYED THE PRIVILEGE OF CALLING HIM HUSBAND AND FATHER AND WHO ONLY COULD APPRECIATE THE WHOLE WORTH OF HIS GENTLE AND NOBLE NATURE WOULD HERE RECORD THE DEEPEST BLOW HEAVEN COULD INFLICT BUT TWAS THY WILL — THY WILL BE DONE — 545 The late Dr Hassler Surgeon in the U. S . Navy. From the Norfolk Herald, Virginia. In the dispensation of an all wise Providence we are called to mourn for one well known in this section of country, The sad loss of the ^^ Atlan- tic " Steamer in Long Island Sound has de- prived us of Charles A. Hassler. Surgeon U, S. Navy, who had just returned in impair- ed health from a long and arduous service in the Falmouth sloop of War. This officer has seen much sea duty and was attached for a while to the Navy Hospital on this Station, where his great amiability, correct moral de- portment and highly cultivated mind won the esteem and admiration of all his associates. His devoted attachment to his family can ne- ver be forgotten by any who knew him ; just on the eve of joining those he held so dear and being again with his sweet flock after a most unpleasant cruise he is cut off by this sad catastrophe, and their anticipated union — 546 — is reserved for another existence not to be affected by change or chance. *^ Though Oc- cean form his shroud and sepulchre '\ his irreproachable and affectionate demeanour has erected endurable Monuments in the hearts of many truly devoted friends. If the sincere condolence of friends can mitigate the grief of her who most deeply feels and whose Christian faith is so severely tested by this bereavement it is offered by those who are painfully touched by this unlooked for cala- mity. May God in his great mercy protect the fa- therless and the widow ; and may the Officers of the Navy watch with paternel solicitude a family so worthy of their care and love. W. Philadelphia Dec. 4''' 1846. The remains of Dr Hassler who lost his life by the wreck of the ^^ Atlantic " were interred at Laurel Hill this afternoon. SHORT BIOGRAPHY OF EDWARD TROUGHTON HASSLER AND FERDINAND EUGENE HASSLER BY R. L. HASSLER NORRIS >-'i9 ■- Edward Troughton Hassler was the only assistant Ferdinand Rudolph Hassler had to aid him in the comparison of the Weights and Measures for the whole of the United States, and by scientific deductions to produce a just and equitable Standard : it is known to be a work of great scientific labours in thus cast- ing, adjusting and final arrangements pre- vious to their deUvery to the Federal Govern- ment of each State. For that purpose Mr Hassler had utilized a zinc mine he had observed in his travels in ^^ New Jersey, he sent to Switzerland for a man well versed in the art of smelting ores, etc., and combining that witli copper he pro- cured from Europe (after several unsuccess- ful! first attempts) formed as he hoped a more compact and less porous nietal than that called Brass used in commerce. He built a furnace at at the Navy Yard for melting the ore. The casting of that immense quantity of weights and liquid measures as w/^ll as Balan- ces was all done under the eye of Father and son with greater precision than heretofore known. 33 — 550 — The labour anfe ingenuity it required to or- ganise that great estabhshment now called the Coast Survey Offices in Washington, is only known to those who were there at that time. As can be seen by F. R. Hassler's and ^~77 Edw^ard Troughton Hassler's last reports a ' ^i large portion of the work was done previous ^ to their death and the road made easy for ■^ their successors to travel over. ^ The Balance now exhibited at the ^ ^ Arts et "^ Metiers " at Paris, of which I spoke in a for- i_j mer article, was the invention of Edward Troughton Hassler, with some modifications by his Father ; the former was preparing to take out a patent, but the death of his Father and other afflictions delayed it and it was never done : it therefore fell into the hands of dv his successor Mr Saxon wlio takes the credit of the invention. But as Mr Alex. Yattemar of Paris said : (in another article I spoke of this subject) ^^ It is well known that it was not his invention, as I saw it during Mr Hassler's life, tested by Mr Hassler, wiio put one short hair on that large Balance and it fell ". At the death of F. R. Hassler Mr Dallas Bache wrote to Edward Troughton Hassler that he should still consider himself Chief assistant of the Wcigths and Measures Elp- ^ partment of the work, and endorsed him a letter as such. What was his surprise in a subsequent letter to be addressed as 2°' Assistant, this unjustifiable act of subroga- tion so contrary to all ideas of honour caused my Brother (o send in his resigna- tion immediately — the idea of having one entirely ignorant of the work put over him v^as not to be tolerated — my Brother's ma- thematical studies having been specially di- rected to that work, his future sacrificed for it and the satisfaction of remaining with his Father and pursuing studies so congenial; what greatly aggravated this unjustifiable act of substitution, was that some months before ho had been thrown from his Buggy through Ills horse having taken fright and seriously injured his knee, but being very anxious to adjust a certain number of yards which liad to be done standing, and in a cold room, always at a fixed temperature, he had not taken any care of his knee ; the consequence was that when he applied. for medical aid it was too late, and for a long time he was obliged to go on crutches, he never recovered the use of the knee and remained lame; a great source of mortification to a young man. By this act of Mr Bache's he was out of employment and means to live ; this occuring immediatly after his Father's death was an — 552 — overwhelming blow^ and led to the catas- trophe, details of which were made known to the public. No doubt MrBachevv^as harrassed on all sides by Office seekers, and the Native American party, which at that time was rampant and insisted upon the employment of No Foreigners in any prominent position, was his excuse. He did this to preserve his popularity for w^hich men in the United States often sacrificed their souls. My Brother being born in London of Swiss Parents was of course to be expelled coute que coute. I regret that I have not E. T. H's last report on the Weights and Measures which accom- panied the set of standards sent to England. His great sorrow at the death of our Father and subsequent troubles so depressed his mind that on the 14*'' June 1844. He stood before a Glass with a pistol in each hand and put an end to his earthly suffer- ings. It was almost an unaccountable act and by many thought to be accidental, but the Coro- ner pronounced it wilful. He had told me a few days previous that he vv^as so depressed that he was affaid of him- — 553 -!- self and feared he would shoot himself^ I sent him to New York to see his younger Brother in hopes it would divert him, but the morning after his arrival at the Hotel, he ceased to suf- fer here below. He was a good mathematician and possess- ed great mechanical genins, a most humour- ous narrator and an excellent caricaturist, as can be seen by a comple of sketches I kept, to those who knew the great efforts that were made to put my Fathers work under the Topographical Bureau they possess great piq- uancy, the likeness of his Father and himself in these strokes of his pen are most life like resemblances, he was a very accurate and good draftsman etc. R. L. HAssLEa NoRRis. Ferdinand Eugene Hassler was at one time Consul at Panama, but soon retired and lived and died on our paternal Estate Jefferson County New York. R. L. Hassler Norris. DEATH OF M"^ HASSLER — 557 — Death of Mrs Hassler Most of our readers are familiar with the cha- racter of Professor Ferdinand R. Hassler who at one time held the post of head of the United States Coast Survey who resided many years in this city and whose remains now lie at Laurel Hill. Mrs Hassler died at Miller's place Suffolk County Long Island, she died 8*^ February aged 88, years. \ .v .; f ^ .f This lady was descended from an illustrious French Huguenot family the Gaillard. In edu- cation she was highly accomplished United by marriage in early life to M. Hassler, emi- grating with him to this country, she shared the vicissitudes of his varied and distinguished career. At one time the' denizen of a frontier forest home at another dwelling in cities, every where a lady in mind and heart. Her husband held in the early part of this century the office of scientific ambassador to London and Paris with the outfit and salary of a foreign Minister ; she accompanied him and enjoyed and improved while she graced — 558 - the refined society of these great centres of fashion and intelligence. He was resident in Paris when the first Consul of France donned the purple and became Emperor. She was present at his coronation and at his return from Elba. Her recollections of that extraordinary man and of his scarcely less extraordinary Consort Josephine were in the highest degree interesting. The last twenty or thirty years of this lady's life were clouded by afflictions in the death of her husband and children. One of the latter, Charles Hassler a surgeon in the Navy, will be remembered as having perished in the wreck of the steamer Atlantic on the Long Island Coast, where though his bravery and coolness contributed to the sal- vation of others it failed to secure him from a watery grave. Mrs Hassler lived many years in New York, Philadelphia and other Cities of the United States. TABLE OF CONTENTS Preface 5 Tranlation of Zschokke's Memoir of F. R. Hassler 9 Sketch of his Life by F. R. Hassler 33 Extract from SilHman's Journal 41 Answer to the attack of van Ness by F. R. Hassler 63 J. R. H's ansver to Col: Robadeau, Letter from President Jefferson 75 General remarks on the Coast Survey. F. R. H. condemns the charts already in the hands of Government 99 Article signed Metrique 115 Anonymous from Baltimore 129 Letter from the British Admiralty, Gedney's Channel 135 Report of F. R. Hassler 1839 141 Do do 1840 159 — 560 — Debate on the Coast Survey 1841 179 Ileport of the Secretary of the Treasury. List of Officers employed 201 General Appropriation Bill 219 Debates in Congress 1842, Gedney's Card 223 Burnell and Mallory on the Appropriation 1842-1843 297 Hassler's defence against Mallory «& Aycrigg. 307 Hassler on his examination, quotation from Condorcet 335 Letter from Nulty 345 Importance of Survey & Standards of Weights & Measures 353 Remarks on the Coats Survey by Col. Swift. . 367 Letter from General Swift to F. E. Hassler. . 389 Last Report of Ferdinand Rudolph Hassler. . 395 Comparison of expenses under Hassler & Bache 409 Letter from Ferdinand Eugene Hassler 423 Examination of Mr Hassler 429 Table of expenses under Bache 439 Debate on the Coast Survey 1859. Note to the same i 459 Two Letters from Ferdinand Eugene Hassler 1859 487 A Letter from F. E. Hassler in answer to Quarterly Review 501 Bodisco's visit to Mr Hassler with note by R. L. H. N 519 Anecdote of Mr Hassler 527 — 561 — Memorial to F. R. Hassler by the Officers of the Army & Navy 527 Notices of the death of Mr Hassler & of his eldest Son J.J. Scipio Hassler 533 Letter to the widow of D"" Hassler, etc 541 Notices of Edward Troughton Hassler & Fer- dinand Hassler B. L. H. N ^7 i^ Death of Mrs Hassler 5o5 PRINTING OFFICE Y.-EUG. GAUTIIIER AND C Nice — Descente de la Caserne, 1 Jassier was hampered and eiu- i'i*as.sed coiilinually by limited ap- )priatlons. His operations were t of that character easily seen ; ngress wondered continually what | was about. . Wliile he was system- | zing methods aud traininj^- assist- ! ts, Congi-ess was shrugging its j Milders and clamoring because i mlts were inadequate to the ex- i' nditurc. Ilasslar was an an ec- \ itric man of irrasciblc dispobition • d ofreat independence of character. ; 1 one occasion a committee from j, ngtv.ss waited Upon him in his of- 1 c to insiject his work. 'You come to 'sped my work^eh ? it you know 'bout my ^ork ? Vat u going to 'spectf The gentlenmn, concious of their norance, tried to smooth his ruftled j. nper by an explanation, which only !ide matters worse. "You kuows not ting at all 'bout y vork. How can you 'spect my 'rk, ven you knows notting? Get i it of here; you in my vay. Con CSS be von big vool to send you to i )ect my Vork. I'ave no time to LSte vith such us knows notting vat Eim 'bout. Go back to Congress t id tell dem vat I say.'' The committee did "go back to ongress" and report, "amid uproar- us laughter^ the result of their in- jj! joke, to the great entcrtainmen )ccting interview. | tl^ gentlemen preasent*- [Uar] llC->y^ a^'^ ^^ ^^ lifagazimn Secretary of the Jackson, he and Hasslar could agree as to the compensation to allowed to the supcrintendant, I llassler was referred to the Presid 1 at whose discretion the law plf I the settlement of the dispute. I "So, Mr. Hassler, it appears Secretary and yoti can not a: about this matter,*' remarked J son, when Ilasslar had stated his in his usual emphatic style. "No, Sir, ve can't.'' "Well, how much do you re think you ought to have ? "Six tousand dollars, Sir." "Why, Mr. Hasslar, that is as n as Mr. Woodbury, my Secretary the Treasury, himself receives." "Mr. Voodbury!" screamed li lar, rising from his chair and vil ing his long forefinger toward own heart. "Pl-e-=e*n^ty Mr. \ burys, pl-e-c-n-ty Mr. Everybt] fi)r Secretary ot de Treasury ; v-( v-o-ne Mr. Hasslar for de hea de Coast Survey I" and erecting I I self in a haughty attitude, he loc i^own upon Jackson in supreme si at his daring comparison. President Jackson, %ympathi with a character having^^j^ome t In common with his own, gra Hasalar's demand, and at the clo: j the n%^t cabinet meeting told '- O •■■ •;' C ' -^T ► P AT? ' 926210 (JBZ98 THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA UBRARY