for the design and would be criticized, at once called in Mr. Wegemann who is considered an authority on designs of dams. Mr. Wegemann made a report to Mr. Hatton, recommending certain changes, which, in his opinion, would make the dam safe. I feel sure that Mr. Hatton incorporated Mr. Wegemann's report, with one of his own to the Bayless Pulp and Paper Company, and in this action he did what any of us would have done to have corrected a piece of defective work. Why the Bayless Pulp and Paper Company did not carry out these recommendations, or at least see to it that the dam was not filled again, is inexplicable.

I am not opposing State control, for I think some form of State control of this class of structures is inevitable, but I am opposed to it unless it is more wisely administered than heretofore; and, in this connection, I want to bring out the fact that the State does not give sufficient reward in the way of salaries to induce men of ability to enter its employ. Public officers do not receive sufficient salaries to induce men to make a study of political government, and men who have the executive ability to act as the governor of a State such as Pennsylvania, can earn salaries many times larger as executive heads of the great corporations; and in addition, they are not subjected to the criticism and gibes of the public.

Massachusetts and Colorado have State supervision and I would add that both of these States have had failures of dams within the past few years.

WM. COPELAND FURBER.-I want to endorse the remarks of Mr. Hibbs regarding State control. I think it should be accepted without argument that anything of a public or semi-public nature affecting public interests in any way should be supervised by some public officer, and whether the officer is efficient or not has nothing to do with this principle. The responsibility for the efficiency of the officer rests entirely where it belongs, on the shoulders of the people.

I do not know what condition our cities would be in today if there was no municipal bureau of building construction and inspection, and if the owners were allowed to exercise their own ideas of economy in building construction, and in this connection I would say that it is my belief that the powers of the municipal bureau should be increased rather than diminished in such matters.

I do not think that the engineer or the architect should ever fear State control. On the contrary, I think he will find the State or Municipal department for supervision of construction will back him up when he should be backed up, and will prove a tower of strength in circumstances where greed, stupidity or lack of intelligence on the part of the owner would produce disastrous results.

PAPER NO. 1106.

THE PRESENT ACTIVITIES OF THE COAST AND GEODETIC SURVEY.

O. H. TITTMANN.
(VISITOR.)

Read November 4, 1911.

THERE are various reasons why the head of the Coast and Geodetic Survey should be particularly glad to speak to an association of his colleagues in the engineering profession in Philadelphia. Philadelphia stands in a certain maternal relationship to the Coast Survey for, when the question of organizing a survey was up, the government turned to members of the American Philosophical Society for counsel and guidance. In response to the circular of the Secretary of the Treasury, calling for plans for the conduct of a survey, thirteen plans were submitted. These were fortunately referred to the then Vice-president of the American Philosophical Society, as Chairman of the Committee, to decide on the adoption of the best plan. The Committee endorsed the scientific methods proposed by Mr. Hassler who became the first Superintendent of the Survey.

It was a good example to set, but one which the government has not always pursued, to have the fundamental principles on which a work of applied science should be done, submitted to scientific men for consideration. To engineers it may seem as though no other way could have been chosen, than the one that prescribed a trigonometric survey as the basis of an extended survey, but as a matter of fact other methods were proposed. These things occurred in 1807, from which date it is seen that this Bureau is old in years, but facts will show that it is young in spirit, and strives to march in the van of progress, to lead where it can, and to follow only where it must. When the plans for a survey were made the Coast of the United States extended from Maine to Florida. The Floridas, much of the Gulf Coast, the Pacific Coast and Alaska were geographical conceptions outside of what is now the United States. At the present time the work of the Survey has been extended to the Philippines, the Hawaiian Islands, and other islands under the jurisdiction of the United States.

In brief language the following extract, from an official publication, describes the duties of the Survey:

"The Coast and Geodetic Survey is charged with the survey of the coasts of the United States, and coasts under the jurisdiction thereof, and the publication of charts covering said coasts. This includes base measure, triangulation, topography, and hydrography along said coasts; the survey of rivers to the head of tide-water or ship navigation; deep-sea soundings, temperature, and current observations along said coasts and throughout the Gulf and Japan streams; magnetic observations and researches, and the publication of maps, showing the variations of terrestrial magnetism; gravity research; determination of heights; the determination of geographic positions by astronomic observations for latitude, longitude, and azimuth, and by triangulation, to furnish reference points for State surveys.

"The results obtained are published in annual reports, and in special publications; charts upon various scales, including sailing charts, general charts of the coast, and harbor charts; tide tables issued annually, in advance; Coast Pilots, with sailing directions covering the navigable waters; Notices to Mariners, issued monthly and containing current information necessary for safe navigation; catalogues of charts and publications, and such other special publications as may be required to carry out the organic law governing the Survey."

It is because of the vastness of the subject that this paper is intended to touch upon present progress, conditions, and problems only and much that would be of interest and importance must be omitted.

The principal business of the Survey is making charts of the coasts. If there were no changes in the depth of channels, if the artificial aids to navigation remained fixed and unchanged, if the aspect of the shores from the navigator's viewpoint remained the same, if the draft of vessels remained the same, if the variation of the compass remained the same, if, in short, things were not as they are on this changing globe or the world were commercially fossilized, a survey once made would last forever. The actual facts are different.

Time was when it was a matter of small concern what dangers to navigation might lurk at a depth of more than 20 feet, but with the increased size and draft of vessels and their enormous cost, a revision and reëxamination of much of the old hydrography by new methods has become necessary. The channel sweep and wire drag now supplement the lead. After these new appliances have swept the bottom the Survey may look with equanimity on the evolutions of ten-million dollar battleships in our waters.

With every new chart that is published the Office assumes the respon

sibility of keeping it correct, showing the changes in the magnetic variation, in the depths, and in the landmarks. This necessity, affecting the great number of charts that are published, engrosses the energy of the small force at the disposal of the Survey to so great an extent that it has become necessary to simplify the charts in many particulars. Not only do the results of these extended activities. flow into the Office, but through the ccöperation of the Corps of Engineers of the Army, its surveys for improvements are at once furnished to the Office. A hearty ccöperation now exists between most Bureaus of the National Government.

When the publication of charts was first commenced they were engraved on copper in minute detail and with all the skill and beauty which the engraver's art could command. This system was followed until the problem of keeping the charts correct became one of overshadowing importance, on account of the detail shown on them not absolutely necessary for the navigator.

The first survey of the coasts having been completed it appeared possible also to reduce the number of charts by a rearrangement. Careful consideration of the economics of the problem showed that by such a rearrangement of limits, and by simplification, it would be possible to meet the ever increasing demands made on the Survey. These changes involve at the outset much work, but by following a consistent policy they can be brought about gradually without too great a strain on the resources of the Survey.

The tidal and current data hold a prominent place on the charts. In regard to the former, the charts give ample information, and this is supplemented by the publication of tide tables covering the world and which for completeness are unequalled by any publication devoted to this purpose. The Survey has recently completed a tide predicting machine of great scope and power. The theory of tides has been illuminated and advanced by researches made in the Bureau so that in this particular the Survey holds its place in the front rank.

In regard to currents, it must be said that much remains to be done, but this work has been delayed and crowded aside by the more pressing needs of commerce in other directions.

Just as the tide tables supplement the charts so do the sailing directions, designated as Coast Pilots, and to the preparation of which the labors of a number of experts are devoted.

Magnetics. It is a part of the regular duty of the Survey to show

on the charts the magnetic declination and its annual variation. Unfortunately, the laws governing this phenomenon are unknown.

FIG. 1.-New Tide Predicting Machine of the U. S. Coast and Geodetic Survey. Of late years Mother Earth has made a sudden acceleration of the rate of variation. Thus, along the coast of Maine, the change has