COAST SURVEY, a scientific department of the government of the United States, established for the purpose of making geodetic and hydrographie surveys to determine the coast-line, and of making charts of harbors and tide-waters, and of the bottom of the ocean along the coast. It extends its observations to all partg of the globe, as may be thought serviceable to navigation; and it makes such other observations (as of the tides and currents, and of the nature of the sea and river bottoms) as will permit calculations of changes to' be expected in the future. Its office is also to indicate positions for the erection of light-houses and all other useful signals, and to make various meteorological and other observations. The inception of the organization was contemplated in the mes sage of president Jefferson to congress in 1807. An act was passed authorizing him to cause a survey of the coasts of the United States, including islands, shoals, and places of anchorage within 20'leagues of the shore, and of St. George's bank; and to take soundings and observations upon currents beyond such limits, to the gulf stream. This act appropriated $50,000 for the object. Plans were requested from scientific men, and that proposed by Mr. F. R. Hassler, a native of Switzerland, was adopted. It was, in the first place, to determine the positions of certain prominent points of the coast by astronomical observations, and to connect them by trigonometrical lines from which to make a nautical survey; but nothing was done till 1811, when he went to Europe to obtain instruments and material for the work. He was, however, detained till the close of the war with Great Britain. On his return be was appointed superintendent of the coast survey, but did not begin active labors till 1817,when, in the vicinity of New York, he measured a base-line west of the Palisades on the Hudson, for the triangulation of New York harbor; but the work was not extended beyond this, for want of funds, except that a few detached surveys were made by the navy, and by the topographical engineers of the army. An interval of ten years elapsed, and in 1832, after a small appropriation
had been made by congress, Mr. Hassler resumed the active duties of his office, and was authorized to employ, in addition to the naval and army officers designated for that ser vice, such astronomers and other persons as he might deem necessary. He continued to superintend the survey till his death, in 1843. The work which he accomplished was to extend the survey at New York as far eastward as Point Judith, R. I., and as far s. as cape Henlopen, Del. The triangulation extended over an area of 9,000 sq.m., deter mining the positions of about 1200 stations, to be used in the delineation of about 1600 of shore line. Mr. Hassler was succeeded by prof. A. D. Bache. In 1845, surveys were beg,un on the coasts of Virginia and North Carolina, and during the next two years they were extended to Georgia and the gulf states, and afterwards to the Florida reefs and keys. Many observations on the gulf stream were taken during the time of the superin tendency of prof. Bache, and extended observations were made upon the tides and cur rents in various rivers, for the purpose of deducing the laws by which they are governed. The magnetic force and direction in parts of the earth included in the survey were observed, and various meteorological observations were taken for the purpose of investi gating the laws of storms. The rebellion interrupted the operations of the survey along the coast of the southern states, but many of the coast-survey officers were with the United States vessels, and their knowledge was of time utmost importance in naval operations. Two years after the close of the war, prof. Bache died (1867), and prof. Benjamin Pierce, of Harvard university, was appointed his successor. Since then a more comprehensive system has been prosecuted, extending across the continent; and the Pacific coast as been the subject of extended triangulation, although still far from complete; and the hydrographic survey has been actively carried on. See HYDROG RAPIIY, GEODESY, and TRIANGULATION.