ALEXANDER DALLAS BACHE. 117 



lantic coast line had been surveyed only from Point Juditli, on 

 the coast of Rhode Island, to Cape Henlopen, at the entrance of 

 Delaware Bay. " The new superintendent/' says Prof. Henry in 

 his memoir, " saw the necessity of greatly enlarging the plan, so 

 as to embrace a much broader field of simultaneous labor than it 

 had previously included. He divided the whole coast line into 

 sections, and organized, under separate parties, the essential 

 operations of the survey simultaneously in each. He commenced 

 the exploration of the Gulf Stream, and at the same time pro- 

 jected a series of observations on the tides, on the magnetism of 

 the earth, and the direction of the winds at different seasons of 

 the year. He also instituted a succession of researches in regard 

 to the bottom of the ocean within soundings, and the forms of 

 animal life which are found there, thus offering new and unex- 

 pected indications to the navigator. He pressed into service, for 

 the determination of longitude, the electric telegraph ; for the 

 ready reproduction of charts, photography ; and for multiplying 

 copperplate engravings, the new art of electrotyping. In plan- 

 ning and directing the execution of these varied imj)rovements, 

 which exacted so much comprehensiveness in design and minute- 

 ness in detail. Prof. Bache was entirely successful. He was equally 

 fortunate, principally through the moral influence of its charac- 

 ter, in impressing upon the Government, and especially upon 

 Congress, a more just estimate of what such a survey required for 

 its maintenance and creditable prosecution. Not only was a 

 largely increased appropriation needed to carry out this more 

 comprehensive plan, but also to meet the expenses consequent 

 upon the extension of the shore line itself. Our seacoast, when 

 the survey commenced, already exceeded in length that of any 

 other civilized nation, but in 1845 it was still more extended by 

 the annexation of Texas, and again, in 1848, by our acquisitions 

 on the Pacific. Prof. Bache was in the habit of answering the 

 question often propounded to him by members of Congress, 

 * When will this survey be completed ? ' by asking, ' When will 

 you cease annexing territory ? ' " 



Prof. Bache's policy of dividing the Atlantic and Gulf coast 

 (we had no Pacific coast in 1843) into sections, and carrying on 

 work in all the sections at the same time greatly allayed sectional 

 jealousies in States which the previous operations of the survey 

 had not reached and had great influence in winning public favor 

 for the survey. He had a wonderful faculty for enlisting the 

 efforts and talents of others in carrying out his plans. "As rapidly 

 as means allowed, the services of American scientists throughout 

 the land were enlisted in aid of the survey, and the whole intellec- 

 tual resources of the country thus made tributary to its usefulness 

 and success. Thus Walker, Peirce, Bailey, Agassiz, Barnard, 



