Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 05.djvu/105

* COAST AND GEODETIC SUKVEY. every resjject for all the work of the bureau. He is aided in such of his duties as cannot be delegated to officers of lower rank by an as- sistant superintendent, ho acts as superin- tendent in his alisence. Eiglit ollieers or groups of officers report directly to the superintendent and assistant superintendent, viz.: (1) fhe as- sistant in charge of the office; (2) the inspec- tor of hydrography and topography ; ( 3 ) the in- spector of geoeletic work; (4) the inspector of magnetic work; (5) the disbursing officer; (6) the editor; (7) the chiefs of field parties; (8) the heads of sub-offices. The first four of these officers have a general supervision over all the operations of the Survey both in the field and office, each acting as an advisory officer to the superintendent in regard to specified portions of the work. The functions of the fifth and si.xth officers are stated fully further on. The officers in groups seven and eight have direct charge of all operations in the field. Each field party is a temporary organization which is created for a specific operation by an order of the superin- tendent, which makes one of the officers of the field force the chief of party, and, if necessar}', assigns to him as subordinates one or more other officers from the same force. The party is dis- banded ^^■hen the work assigned to it has been completed. If the party is for duty on land the remainder of the organization of the party, the hiring of recorders, laborers, drivers, etc., is left entiiely to the chief of part}'. If the part}' is for duty on a vessel, the assignment of an officer of the lield force to command the vessel carries with it, necessarily, the command of the whole force on board the vessel, including watch and deck officers as well as crew. There were, in 1901, GO ofiicers on the field force. These officers are subject to office duty between field seasons. The Survey has its own fleet of 12 steamers and 6 sailing vessels, aside from launches and other small crafts. There are at present three sub- offices, each in charge of a field officer reporting directly to the superintendent, viz. : at Seattle, Wash.; San Francisco, C'al. : and Manila, P. I. The purpose of these sub-offices is to aid in the prompt dissemination of information, to serve as storage depots, and to save traveling ex- penses by providing points at which field officers may be temporarily assigned to office duty be- tween the seasons. At the ilanila sub-office the publication of preliminary charts is authorized. The inspector of hydrography and topography, reporting directly to the superintendent, has a general supervision over the classes of field work indicated in his title, places before the superin- tendent plans for such work, makes the neces- sary inspection in the field to insure that the superintendent's orders are carried out economi- cally and eft'ectively, and is especially charged with the supervision of all matters relating to the ships and their personnel. The Coast Pilot, a publication giving full description of the coast from the mariner's point of view, sailing direc- tions, warnings as to dangers to navigation, and other information of special value to navigators, is prepared imder his direction. The inspector of geodetic work, reporting to the superintendent, is charged with the duty of preparing plans for the field operations of triangulation. astronomi- cal determinations and precise leveling, and of making inspections of parties in the field, and of records and correspondence received at the of- 79 COAST AND GEODETIC SUBVEY. fice from field parties, with a view of insuring that the field operations are in accordance with the superintendent's orders, are of the desired de- gree of accuracy, and are efficient and economical. The inspector of magnetic work, reporting to the superintendent, is charged with similar duties in regard to the magnetic work of the Survey. The assistant in charge of the office, reporting to the superintendent, has charge of the office at Washington, is responsible for the safety and arrangement of archives and property, and receives all money paid to the Survey for charts and other publications. As the official head of the oflice, the chiefs of the following divi- sions of the office force report to liim : Computing division, magnetic division, tidal division, draw- ing and engraving division, chart division, library and archives division, and instrument division. Each of these divisions, under the direction of the assistant in charge of the office, prepares replies for the su]ieriiitcndent's signature to sucli parts of the correspondence as fall within its particular field, and also furnishes such in- formation and equipment to field parties as it is within their power to furnish. In the com- puting division, all computations in connection with Iriangulation, astronomical determinations, and precise leveling are made, appropriate regis- ters of results are kept, and the results prepared for publication as rapidly as possible. The mag- netic division and tfie tidal division deal simi- larly with the computations and publication of magnetic and tidal results, resiiectively. The drawing and engraving division is divided into five sections : ( 1 ) the photographing section, engaged in reducing, enlarging, and reproducing drawings for various purposes; (2) the drawing section, engaged in making from the original topographical and hydrographical field sheets, the office drawings, which are the original from' which charts are produced, either by engraving on copper or by photolithography; (3) the en- graving section, engaged in copper-plate engrav- ing; (4) the electrotype section, engaged in pro- ducing, from the original engi'aved copper plates by electrot3'pe process, the copper plates actually used in printing the charts; (5) the printing section, engaged in printing charts from the copper plates (the lithograph printing is done by contract outside of the organization). The chart division is divided into two sections. The hydro- graphic section is engaged in completing un- finished hydrographic sheets sent in from the field, corrections of charts especially with refer- ence to aid to navigation (lights, buoys, etc.), preparation of Montlih/ Notices to Mariners in regard to this matter, and the inspection of charts in their various stages of preparation. The chart section is engaged in applying such hand corrections to charts at the last opportu- nity before issuing, as have become necessary on account of such changes, principally in the aids to navigation, as have taken place after the chart was printed; and with the clerical work connected with the issue and sale of charts. The library and archives division has charge of the library of the Survey and the archives in which all hydrographic and topographic sheets and all the original records and computations are stored. The instrument division has charge of all the instruments and general property. Many of the best of the new instruments for the Survey are made in this division and it is continually en-