616 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XI. No. 277. 



TEE SIXTY-SEVENTH ANNUAL REPORT OF 

 THE COAST AND GEODETIC SURVEY. 



The Report of the Superintendent of the 

 Coast and Geodetic Survey for the year end- 

 ing June 30, 1898, has just made its appear- 

 ance from the Government Printing Office, 

 in Washington. The publication has been 

 Bomevphat delayed on account of numerous 

 changes, both in form and matter. 



A striking feature of the new report is the 

 absence of large folded maps in the body of 

 the veork. The plan has been generally 

 adopted of showing, by cuts, only such work 

 as has been accomplished during the year, 

 and to this end, all large illustrations are 

 reduced to single or double page plates. 

 "Where clearness is equally served, small 

 cuts are run in the text, thus very much 

 adding to facility of description, as well as 

 making the volume more convenient and 

 economical. Two large progress maps are 

 placed in a pocket at the end. 



The type is of a pleasing character, known 

 as French Old Style, and gives the page a 

 clean open appearance. A departure has 

 been made from the usual custom, in the 

 matter of binding and margin. The type 

 page is somewhat smaller, while no change 

 has been made in the size of the leaf The 

 sombre black of the cover has been replaced 

 by a grateful olive tint ; the Coast and Geo- 

 detic Survey seal appears on the back, and 

 the flag, a newly acquired insignia, orna- 

 ments the front. Withal, the book is not 

 so large as the average one for previous 

 years, owing partlj' to the elimination, 

 already noticed, of the large unwieldy folded 

 maps, and partly because of the omission of 

 some matter hitherto published but now re- 

 garded as unessential in a general statement 

 of the activity of the Bureau. 



The whole subject is treated under four 

 heads, viz : 



I. The Survey and its Progress. 



II. The Scientific and Technical Results. 



III. The Administration. 



IV. The Appendices. 



Under the first head is an introduction, 

 in which the appropriations are stated, and 

 a general summary of the work of the year 

 is given. This outlines the course of the 

 work, and treats of the re-survey of Chesa- 

 peake Bay and San Francisco Bay ; of the 

 explorations in Alaska and the Pribilof 

 Islands; and of the geodetic operations 

 throughout the interior of the country. 

 Notice is taken, also, of the forms of publi- 

 cation : (1) of charts and maps, and (2) 

 the textual publications. 



The aid given to the military and naval 

 authorities in the war with Spain is touched 

 upon. Soon after the outbreak of hostilities 

 thirty officers were withdrawn from the ser- 

 vice, and three vessels, the Patterson, Mc- 

 Arthur and Gedney, on the Pacific Coast, were 

 temporarily transferred by the President to 

 the navy. On the Atlantic Coast, the Bache 

 was used as a dispatch boat between Key 

 West. and Havana, and rendered important 

 service in connection with the ' Maine dis- 

 aster.' In addition to the collation and 

 preparation of information regarding maps 

 of Puerto Rico, Cuba, Hawaii and the 

 Philippines, the Survey furnished to the 

 N'avy Department, between April 1st and 

 June 30th, over 27,600 charts. 



Mention is made of the fact that at the 

 close of the fiscal year there were 375 per- 

 sons employed in the service, including 

 petty officers and sailors. The total cost 

 of the work is stated as follows : 



Field expenses $124,800 



Vessels (including §75,000 for the 



Pailifinder, 110,000 



Salaries 228,870 



Office expenses 34,400 



Making a total of $496,070 



To this is to be added an amount of 

 $112,676, from the Naval Appropriation 

 Bill, for pay and subsistence of enlisted 

 men, as well as $45,354, for the pay of 

 naval officers, making a grand total of 



