THE NATIONAL SCIENTIFIC INSTITUTIONS AT BERLIN. 139 



tion of Navigation was established on Jnne 28, 1854, to form a technical 

 division of the naval office at Danzig. On account of insufficient force 

 the institute had to limit its operations to the needs of the war navy. 



The Direction of Navigation at Danzig was dissolved on September 

 25, 1861, and in its place a " H^drographic Bureau" was established to 

 form a section of Division X of the Ministry of Navy. Its functions re- 

 mained unchanged, and in addition it was commissioned with the current 

 work of sea charts and with the collecting and tabulating of nautical 

 informations, which, between the years 1863 and 1868, were furnished to 

 the vessels of the war navy. In order to extend its usefulness to the 

 mercantile marine these informations were published, since 1869, under 

 the title of " Nachrichten fiir Seefahrer," at first as additions to the 

 " Preussisches Handelsblatt"and since 1870 as additions to the" Marine 

 Verordnungs-Blatt." 



The demands on the Hydrographic Office increased with the rapid 

 increase of the war navy, until it became unable to do all the work 

 expected of it. In January, 1874, therefore, it was enlarged and 

 appointed a separate division of the Admiralty, with the following per- 

 sonnel : 



One full captain (or admiral), in charge ; two chiefs of division, five 

 section chiefs (including the chief of the Wilhelmshaven Observatory), 

 five assistants, one librarian, and a nnmber of draughtsmen, engravers, 

 and mechanics. 



For the business administration the following clerical force was ap- 

 pointed : Two chiefs of bureaus, two registrars, two secretaries of chan- 

 eelry, and the required subordinates. 



The Hydrographic Office in first line serves the interests of the im 

 perial navy, but its advantages are extended to the mercantile navy as 

 far as possible. 



A survey of the entire territory of the North and Baltic Seas was 

 begun in 1867 and completed in 1879; from 1880 to 1884 test measure- 

 ments were made, scientific experiments instituted along the German 

 coasts, and the knowledge of the physical conditions of the native seas 

 improved. 



The Central Telegraph Bureau and the Telephone Service. — With regard 

 to its importance in the telegraphic intercourse the Bureau at Berlin 

 occupies the first place among the telegraphic stations of the Empire. 

 It is attached to the second division of the Imperial Post-office Depart 

 ment and serves as center of the telegraphic and pneumatic intercourse 

 for Berlin. 



A few figures will exhibit the importance of the establishment and 

 afford an illustration of its operations. 



The service of the Central Bureau gives employment to four hundred 

 and ninety-two officials and one hundred and twenty-eight subordinates. 



The telegraphing business reijuires the application of fifty-four type 

 apparatus, Hughes's construction, one hundred and seventy-eight Morse 



