United States Lake Survey

ALMOST as soon as the first explorers came, they began to take soundings and make rough charts of the river and lakes. The taking of soundings and making of a survey by the United States was first suggested at a meeting held in Detroit on October 28, 1831, and Congress was then petitioned to provide for a survey of the lakes and for a ship-canal at Sault Ste. Marie.

Ten years later, on March 3, 1841, $15,000 was appropriated to commence a survey of the lakes and of the large rivers connecting with the Atlantic. This and subsequent appropriations, ranging up to $200,000 in a single year, have conferred immense benefits upon the merchant marine of western rivers and lakes. Judging from the official records of disasters, which have occurred, notwithstanding these efforts to prevent them, it is probable that thousands of lives and hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of property would be lost annually except for the information afforded through the operations of the Lake Survey. In fact, the navigation of the lakes would of necessity almost entirely cease but for the information thus supplied.

The offices of the Survey were established at Detroit in 1841, and for many years prior to 1865 were located at the corner of Wayne and Congress Streets. After 1865, and up to the discontinuance of the office on July 1, 1882, they were located at the junction of Grand River Avenue with Park Place. Many instruments of extraordinary cost and accuracy were provided; one, for measuring base lines, was valued at upwards of $20,000.

Several persons connected with the office were under pay the entire year, their salaries ranging from three to six dollars per day. In recent years and up to 1878, fifteen persons were usually employed in the office, six draughtsmen, four computers, and five clerks. Parties of surveyors went out about May 1, and returned the middle or last of October. To each party special duties were assigned; as, for instance, in 1875 there were detailed five shore-parties, of about twenty-five men each, to take the soundings, ascertain the depth of the rivers and lakes for the distance of about thirty-six feet from the shore ; and to note all reefs, shoals, and obstructions of any sort. Two steamers, with a force of thirty men each, took the soundings of the lakes from the limit assigned the shore parties, to a point ten miles out. Six triangulation parties, of three men each, were specially charged with the triangulation or accurate location of difficult objects and places. A total of nearly two hundred men were frequently engaged during the summer season in the work of the survey. On the return of these parties, the result of their work was arranged, systematized, computed, and transcribed for publication. When the survey of any river or lake, or portion of the same, was completed, an elaborate draft was made, and forwarded to Washington, and then engraved, or photolithographed in the best possible manner. These charts are issued without charge to the masters of the lake or river vessels who have a register or certificate from the collector of customs; and are also on sale at fifty cents each. During the year ending July 1, 1883, 6,406 charts were issued.

After the office was closed at Detroit, the duty of issuing these charts was transferred to the United States office of River and Harbor Improvements. The Survey was in charge of regular United States Army officers.

Their names and dates of service are as follows: 1841-1846, Captain William G. Williams; 1848 and 1849, Lieutenant-Colonel James Kearney; 1850-1856, Captain John N. Macomb ; 1856, Lieutenant-Colonel James Kearney; 1857-1861, Captain George G. Meade; 1861-1864, Colonel James D. Graham; 1864-1870, Lieutenant-Colonel William F. Raynolds; 1870-1877, General C. B. Comstock; 1877 to June, 1878, Captain H. M. Adams; June, 1878, to July, 1882, General C. B. Comstock.

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