Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 18.djvu/367

 Rh the tonnage of the United States engaged in trade with these places at 1,000,000 tons per annum. With these data, we see that there has been effected a saving for each of these tons of 15 cents a day for a period of fifteen days, which will give an aggregate of $2,250,000 saved per annum. This is on the outward voyage alone, and the tonnage trading with all the other parts of the world is left out of the calculation. Take these into consideration, and also the fact that there is a vast amount of foreign tonnage trading between those places and the United States, and it will be seen that the annual sum saved will swell to an enormous amount ; beside, to many ports the voyage is shortened forty and even ninety days." Sir John Packington, of the British Admiralty, said: "The practical results of the researches of this great American philosopher of the seas have been to lessen the expenses of the voyage (by shortening the passage) of every 1000-ton vessel from England to Rio, India, or China, by no less a sum than £250, while on a voyage of every ship of this tonnage to California or Australia and back the saving effected was £1,200 or £1,500." When the San Francisco with hundreds of United States troops on board foundered in an Atlantic hurricane, and the rumor reached port that she was in need of help, the Secretary of the Navy sent to Maury for information. He at once showed on a chart where the winds and waves acting upon a helpless wreck would drift her. To this spot relief was sent, and there the survivors were picked up. When the Prince of Wales returned from his visit to the United States he sailed from Portland, Maine; his coal gave out; he got into a region of contrary winds, and was overdue ten days. The Lords of Admiralty waited on Maury and asked for information of his whereabouts. Maury showed them, and they sent aid and brought him home in triumph, in time to celebrate his birthday. These were mere incidents in his study of the winds and waves. "By the use of Maury's whale charts, the New England fishermen have saved millions of dollars. There he shows at a glance those parts of the ocean where at any season of the year whales (sperm or right) may be found. The observations of one whaleman would necessarily be limited, but this arrangement of Maury enables him to profit by the experience of thousands of others." [See report of Committee on Naval Affairs in 1856.] Besides these there were Maury's "Pilot Charts," his isothermal charts, &c., which are of incalculable value.

In 1853 the Government of the United States invited all the European nations to meet Maury in a meteorological conference at Brussels