18 



tors at the cost of printing and paper, and to purchase the 

 plates and copy-rights of such existing charts, maps, sail- 

 ing directions, &c, as he may consider necessary." 

 Hydi og f ra°phic A building, generally known as the " Old Octagon House," 

 n^ofEi^hteen th situated at the northeast corner of New York avenue and 

 Torkavenue^ Eighteenth street, in the northwest section of Washing- 

 w - ton, was rented by the Government, and the charts, books, 



and instruments, with the exception of the chronometers, 

 Fmebrown 11 ^ wer © removed to it. Commander Thomas Scott Fillebrown 

 change of Hydro* was * ne first officer ordered to take charge of the new 

 graphic office. Hydrographic Office, and assumed his duties on the 1st of 

 August, 1866. There were associated with him as assist- 

 ants two lieutenant-commanders, one lieutenant, two en- 

 signs, one professor of mathematics, and seven civilian 

 employes, including one writer, one instrument-maker, one 

 assistant instrument-maker, and one draughtsman. 



Steps were at once taken to carry out the provision of 

 law authorizing the purchase of plates, &c, for the print- 

 ing of charts. Only one firm in the United States had 

 undertaken, on anything like an adequate scale, the pub- 

 lication of charts and hydrographic information for the 

 benefit of vessels engaged in ocean commerce. This firm, 

 Messrs. E. & G. W. Blunt, of New York City, proposed to 

 sell to the Government such charts, maps, nautical books, 

 and chart-plates as were in its possession. A board of ex- 

 perts was appointed by the Navy Department to determine 

 the value of the articles offered for sale, 

 plate/ from °thf Tnis board, consisting of Messrs. C. P. Patterson, W. 

 New York unt ' ° f Chauvenet, and D. Van Nostrand, recommended the pur- 

 chase of the articles, and they were accordingly bought for 

 the use of the Hydrographic Office. 

 The estimated values of the articles were as follows : 



Stereotype plates of books $5, 200 



Chart plates 22,174 



Drawings of charts 10, 285 



Copyright of books 25,309 



Total $62,968 



The amount ultimately agreed upon, however, was slightly 

 in excess of this sum, being $63,309. 



The few copper and steel engraved plates that had come 

 into the possession of the Navy Department during the 

 preceding years had been generally left in the hands of 



