Page 847 miscellaneous 93 



survey. Ordinarily, copies of such correspondence need not be forwarded to the 

 Washington Office nor to the District Supervisor. . 



93. HYDROGRAPHIC SURVEYS AT THE WASHINGTON OFFICE 

 931. Receipt and Registry 



The Surveys Branch of the Division of Charts is the custodian of aU hydrographic 

 survey sheets and Descriptive Reports. All Sounding Records, Bomb Records, and 

 miscellaneous hydrographic data are in the custody of the Library and Archives. 



All data from the field are received in the Library, where each item is checked 

 against the transmitting letter (Form 413) and stamped with the Bureau property 

 stamp. Receipt is acknowledged by the Chief Clerk of the Bureau. All the data are 

 then forwarded to the Surveys Branch where each survey is assigned a registry number 

 (1542) and is recorded in the register of surveys. This registry number is stamped on 

 the hydrographic sheet. Descriptive Report, Sounding Records, Bomb Records, and all 

 other miscellaneous records and reports pertaining to the sm'vey. The Sounding 

 Records, Bomb Records, and other miscellaneous data are then returned to the Library, 

 where they are given accession numbers and are classified and recorded. 



The Sounding Records are then forwarded to the Division of Tides and Currents 

 for verification of the tidal plane of reference (sounding datum) (see 9323). 



All hydrographic smooth sheets and original topographic survej" sheets are stored 

 in a fireproof vault conveniently located in the Surveys Branch. Adjacent to the vault, 

 there is maintained a file of charts, known as diagrams, on which the limits of the sur- 

 veys are outlined. Every survey ever made by the Bureau is indicated on these chart 

 diagrams. This file of charts serves as an index by area of the surveys. 



As soon as a hydrographic survey is received by the Surveys Branch, its area is 

 diagrammed on the proper chart diagram. 



At the time the survey is diagrammed, a check is made to see whether the data 

 listed on the last page of the text of the Descriptive Report (842Z) have been received in 

 the Office. A statistics sheet (844a) on which are listed the number of Sounding 

 Records, Bomb Records, etc., is inserted in the Descriptive Report. The Descriptive 

 Report is examined by the Chief of the Surveys Branch, the Immediate Attention 

 Memorandum (Form M-238) is inserted, and the Descriptive Report is forwarded 

 to other officials in the Office for immediate attention to any pertinent information 

 contained therein. 



932. Miscellaneous Operations 



9321 . Verification of Geographic Names 



A complete set of nautical charts of late date is maintained in the Surveys Branch 

 as a standard of geographic names. All names for which the U. S. Board on Geo- 

 graphical Names (see 167) has rendered decisions are identified on these charts, and 

 as other names are investigated in connection with the survey sheets they are approved 

 on these standards for charting. 



A f jrmanent and complete record of the investigation of the geographic names 

 is maintained on Form A-712, filed by area. Each copy of the form is for the names 

 in an area of 6 minutes of latitude by 6 minutes of longitude. Each named feature 

 is identified by latitude and longitude, and the sources on which the name appears 

 are listed, such as the surveys and charts of the Bureau by number, the Coast Pilots, 



