APPENDIX No. 17.

APPENDIX No. 18.

Letter of Sears C. Walker, Esq., assistant in the United States coast survey, to the Superintendent, communicating an arrangement with the president of the Maine Telegraph Company, to determine the difference in longitude of Cambridge and Halifax.

CAMBRIDGE, MASS.,
September 23, 1851.

DEAR SIR: I enclose you a copy of the letter of H. O. Alden, esq., president of the Main Telegraph Company, to James Eddy, esq., the superintendent of the company. I would suggest that it should be noticed in your annual report to the Secretary of the Treasury.

You will see that I have negotiated for the Coast Survey to have the free use of the line from Cambridge to Calais after 9 p. m., we paying the operators for their time.

Fortunately, the superintendent (Mr. Eddy) was here to-day, in Boston, and I had a personal interview with the president, M. Alden, Mr. Eddy, superintendent, and Mr. Saddler, president of the Boston and Portland line. I have also conferred with Mr. J. C. Rowe, chief operator of the Vermont Chemical line, that goes to Cambridge. Mr. Eddy, Mr. Saddler, and Mr. Rowe, have a perfect understanding with each other. The line works now every night from Portland to Halifax. It will only require Mr. Saddler's battery. Add the distance from Cambridge to Portland. Mr. Bond will not need to have any battery except to work the local circuit-say of two cups.

These officers have no doubt of working any good night from Cambridge to Halifax. Mr. Eddy says there will be no need of sending an officer to Calais-he can do all through an operator. You see that so far as our post is concerned, everything is well arranged.

Yours truly,

SEARS C. WALKER.

Prof. A. D. BACHE, LL. D.,

Superintendent U. S. Coast Survey.

BOSTON, September 20, 1851.

DEAR SIR: Allow me to introduce to your acquaintance S. C. Walker, esq., who is an officer of the United States coast survey, and visits Bangor for scientific purposes. Mr. Walker wishes the use of our telegraph line from Portland to Calais, in connexion with the lines from Boston to Halifax, to enable him to make and communicate the results of astronomical observations, &c., &c.; all of which he will better explain to you.

There being no specific appropriation for such purposes, Mr. Walker, in behalf of science, asks the gratuitous use of our wires at night, and after business hours are closed; he paying such of our operators as are required to be employed by him, a reasonable compensation for their night service.

For the benefit of sciences this is, perhaps, one of those contributions which our company ought not to withhold; hence I have encouraged Mr. Walker, that we will not be behind our neighbors in according to him the privileges he asks. I have therefore referred him to you as fully authorized to act in the premises; and whatever you may do will receive my approbation.

Very truly, yours,

H. O. ALDEN,

President Maine Telegraph Company.

JAMES EDDY, Esq., Bangor, Me.,

Superintendent Maine Telegraph Company.

APPENDIX No. 19.

Letter of the Superintendent of the Coast Survey to the Secretary of the Treasury, communicating the result of an examination by Lieutenant Commanding M. Woodhull, United States navy, into the necessity for certain aids to navigation on the coast of Maine, in accordance with act of Congress, and instructions of the Treasury Department.

COAST SURVEY STATION,

Mount Pleasant, July 28, 1851.

SIR: I have the honor to report that the examination into the necessity of a light-house at Narraguagus bay, (between Passamaquoddy bay and the Penobscot river, Maine,) and of buoys at the mouth of the Kennebec river, Maine, required by the act of March 3d, 1851, and the instructions of the department, has been made, and to present the following as the result:

The localities have been carefully examined. by Lieutenant Commanding Maxwell Woodhull, who has presented all the information necessary to a correct conclusion in regard to the matters.

1. I agree with him in recommending a light-house on the southeastern point of Pond island, the light to be elevated not less than eighty feet above the line of high water, and to show a revolving light.

From Petit Menan island light, (on the outer seacoast,) Lieutenant Commanding Woodhull states: "The point of Pond island can be distinctly seen, the range bearing NNE., and gives the course to Pond island. After passing this point, a course due north takes the navigator directly to the mouth of the Narraguagus river, with the light always in sight if in deep water, but shut in if he encroaches too much on the ledges and middle ground, on either side of it."

The light should be erected near the southeastern extremity of the point. It should be, as recommended by Lieutenant Commanding Woodhull, of the class of smaller seacoast lights, (third order of lens lights,) elevated sufficiently to show three miles to the seaward of Petit Menan island light, and revolving, to distinguish it from the sea-coast lights on either side of it.

The intervals between the full brilliancy of the light and its disappearance should not be greater than a minute.

Lieutenant Commanding Woodhull gives the following facts as

bearing upon the usefulness of the light at Pond island, considered as a local light, to which class it essentially belongs:

"Besides the Narraguagus river, there are two others emptying into Narraguagus bay-Mill river, with the town of Huntingdon at its mouth, and East Marsh river. The trade of the towns of Cherryfield and Millbridge, on the Narraguagus river, is very large; last year they had 400 coasters and other vessels visit them, and receive cargoes. Their trade yearly amounts to 30,000,000 feet of sawed timber, with about 15,000,000 of manufactured lathes. For Huntingdon and "East Marsh," I have been informed, their trade is about half that amount. On these rivers, besides the lumber trade, a great number of vessels of various classes are built yearly."

2. I concur also with Lieutenant Commanding Woodhull in recommending that the buoys for White's and Thom's ledges, and Pond Island reef, at the mouth of the Kennebec, appropriated for in the act of March 3d, 1851, be immediately placed.

3. Lieutenant Commanding Woodhull further recommends a fogwhistle to be placed at the light-house at Petit Menan island, (off Narraguagus bay,) and at Monhegan island, (off Penobscot bay,) and remarks upon the inefficiency of the fog-bell at the latter place.

Also a buoy on Thomas' reef, near Thom's ledge, which he considers as imperfect as the other buoys reported upon, and which he states can, with the others, be placed for the sum appropriated for the three mentioned in the act.

The trade of the different rivers that empty into Penobscot bay is conjointly estimated at about 3,000 vessels yearly, and an average of from three to four steamers daily, eight months of the year. Monhegan light is the entrance light to this bay."

In these recommendations I concur.

Lieutenant Commanding Woodhull states, that in the opinion of many intelligent navigators on this coast, the lights on "Goose island,” (Penobscot bay,) and on Bear island, (Mount Desert,) should be discontinued, as not merely useless, but dangerous to navigation; in which opinion he concurs.

Very respectfully yours,

Hon. W. L. HODGE,

A. D. BACHE, Superintendent United States Coast Survey.

Secretary of the Treasury.

APPENDIX No 20.

Letter of the Superintendent of the Coast Survey to the Secretary of the Treasury, communicating, with his approval, the recommendation of Lieutenant Commanding M. Woodhull, United States navy, assistant in the coast survey, to place a light-boat on Shovelful shoals.

OSSIPEE STATION, NEAR ALFRED, MAINE,
September 1, 1851.

SIR: In compliance with the provisions of the act of March 3, 1851, and the instructions of the department, I have the honor to report that