THE 1800s -(Cont'd) 



the 200-foot, full-rigged, iron vessel with auxiliary steam power Ranger; the 244-foot, twin screw, 

 gunboat Concord: and the 160-foot Coast and Geodetic Survey Steamer Hassler. In 1889 the 

 Michigan commenced an intermittent survey, which would continue for twelve years, of the Great 

 Lakes. The Michigan has the distinction of being the first iron hulled warship of the U.S. Navy. A 

 side-wheel auxiliary steamer built in 1844, she was 163-feet long with a displacement of 685 tons. 

 Her long career, spent entirely on the Great Lakes, was uneventful. In July 1905, she was renamed 

 the Wolverine and was retired from active service in August 1923 after an accident to her 

 machinery plant. In 1950 a monument to the pioneer "Iron Steamer" was erected at Erie, 

 Pennsylvania which incorporates her actual bow. 



The west coast of Mexico was surveyed by the Ranger during 1889 to 1890. The trials and 

 tribulations of conducting these early surveys are best described by the following extracts from a 

 report by Lieutenant O. W. Lowry of the Ranger in establishing a shore triangulation station at 

 Asuncion Bay, Lower CaUfornia: 



"Sir: In compliance with your request I herewith submit a detailed report of all 

 the incidents which occurred during my recent trip to 'Peak' triangulation point. 



I left the ship at 5:45 a.m., December 3, with my party of five men . . . 



Eight canteens, each holding one gallon of water, had been filled the 

 evening before starting, and, in addition to the water and provisions, each of the 

 party took his blanket. Two rubber blankets, the theodolite, tripod, barometer 

 and angle hooks made a weight which, when evenly divided, gave each of the 

 party about 23 pounds to carry . . . 



From the landing to the peak, in a straight line, is 16 2/3 miles, but owing 

 to the conformation of the country the route travelled was probably increased 

 to 20 or 21 miles, with an ascent of 3,100 feet . . . 



... we were feeling the effects of thirst very severely, when we came to a 

 halt near several bunches of cactus called Mescal. One of my men and myself had 

 eaten of this on previous tramps, so we cut them down and sucked the juice 

 from the butt of the leaves, finding the flavor not at all unpleasant; in fact it has 

 scarcely any taste, and relieved our thirst very materially . . . 



By this time we were all complaining of sore lips, and I found it due to the 

 poison from the cactus we had eaten. Each one's lips had large watery blisters, 

 and our tongues a smarting sensation . . . 



We reached the ship safely after an absence of 105 1/2 hours . . . 



In concluding this report, I wish to call your attention to the provisions 

 furnished the men who form the tramping parties, and see if some means can not 

 be devised to furnish them with a variety of more nourishing food. In a tramping 

 party, especially on main triangulation duty, I am absent at times for several 

 days, with no means of preparing any food. The food carried must be already 

 cooked and canned and put up in small tins. 



The messes on board ship carry nothing in tins but oysters, clams, sardines 

 and corned beef. The two first named have not sufficient nutriments to 

 compensate for their weight, and the corned beef they have is in either 2 of 4 

 pound tins. When these are opened on a tramp, the whole amount can not be 

 eaten at one meal, and if carried open in a haversack the heat of the sun and the 

 frequent capsizing of the haversack causes the grease to run over everything. 



It should be in tins of 1 -pound size. Sardines are good in that they are 

 nourishing, not salty and the oil they contain makes hard-tack much easier to 

 masticate. Hard-tack is the only kind of bread that should be carried. It would 



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