Charting the Sea.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14972, 20 May 1914, Page 8

Charting the Sea.

What to landsmen must have been an astonishing statement was mado recently by the British AttorneyGeneral in an application connected with the Hawko-Olympic collision case—that the charts of the So!ent were inaccurate, in that they showed the buoys wrongly. This as. the "Daily Telegraph" says, is probably the most famous in the world, but while people will be surprised that inaccuracies should be discovered in a chart of the chief navai base, there will bo no widespread disposition to make the matter reflect on British charts generally. The "Dailj Telegraph," however, tabes the opportunity to point out how indifferent the Admiralty used to be to. tho science' of charting. "It was unromantic lancismen—in this' country, at least ■ who first conceived the idea of investigating the sea and studying its moods and tenses." The East India Company established the first Hydrographer's Department; and towards the end of the 18th century the able Alexander Dalrymple was appointed to'its charge. The Admiralty had a poor opinion of the science at first, but in 1795 Dalrymple became the first Admiralty Hydrographer. "With, the help of "on& man and a .boy." he laid the foundations of that remarkable and beneficent institution through whose work vessel in all seas are able to move safely, but in 180S ho was dismissed for "excess of zeal/ and died soon afterwards of a broken heart. Hurd, who succeeded him, perfected the organisation, founding -an intelligence service for keeping charts un to date, and at last prevailed on tha Admiralty to ecll their charts to" the public. To-day, commerce having pushed into every sea, the Hydrogranhic Department is busir- r than ever. The Rear-Admiral'at its head directs the work of some eighty officers and others, and the number of charts sold last year wn s 407,960. It is said that the service has been conducted on most ■economical linos, the scantiest . consideration being shown until quite lately for the crews who do the monotonous, oftou disagreeable, and 6ometimes dangerous work of surveying.