1850 U. S. Coast Survey Map of Cape Hatteras and Surrounding Shoals, North Carolina

This is a fine example of the 1850 U. S. Coast Survey's nautical chart of Cape Hatteras on the Hatteras Island in North Carolina, and its surrounding shoals. It covers Cape Hatteras and Hatteras Cove and includes Diamond Shoal and the Outer Shoals.

Cape Hatteras is the furthest point to the east on the Hatteras Island and is also close to the meeting point of the two major Atlantic currents; the cold Labrador Current from the north and the warmer Gulf Stream from the south, causing rough seas and making navigation for ships difficult. This chart includes detailed sailing directions as well as numerous soundings to help navigate these rough waters. Because of the numerous ships that have been lost here, sailing close to the shoals and trying to navigate around the shifting sandbars, the area is also known as the 'Graveyard of the Atlantic.'

The old lighthouse, built in 1803 is noted on this chart. Prepared by T. A. Jenkins under the supervision of A. D. Bache, one of the most influential and prolific Superintendents of the Coast Survey, and issued in the 1850 edition of the Superintendent's Report.

Cartographer

The Office of the Coast Survey (1807 - present), founded in 1807 by President Thomas Jefferson and Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin, is the oldest scientific organization in the U.S. Federal Government. Jefferson created the "Survey of the Coast," as it was then called, to produce accurate navigational charts of the new nation's coasts and harbors. The first two superintendents defined the spirit of the Coast Survey. The Coast Survey's first superintendent was Swiss immigrant and West Point mathematics professor Ferdinand Hassler. Under Hassler's direction, from 1816 to 1843, the Coast Survey established its ideological and scientific foundations. These included the use of the most advanced techniques and most sophisticated equipment, along with unstinting attention to detail. Hassler devised a labor-intensive triangulation system that divided the entire coast into a series of enormous triangles. These were then subdivided into smaller triangulation units, which were individually surveyed. No one had ever attempted this exacting technique on such a massive scale. As a result, Hassler and the Coast Survey under his leadership earned a reputation for uncompromising dedication to accuracy and excellence. Unfortunately, despite being a masterful surveyor, Hassler was abrasive and politically unpopular, and Congress cut funding for the Coast Survey twice. Nonetheless, Hassler led the Coast Survey until his death in 1843, when Alexander Dallas Bache, Benjamin Franklin's great-grandson, took the helm. Bache was fully dedicated to the principles established by Hassler, but proved more politically astute and successfully lobbied Congress to fund the endeavor generously. Under A. D. Bache's leadership, the Coast Survey completed its most important work. During his long tenure with the Coast Survey, from 1843 to 1865, Bache steadfastly advocated American science and navigation and, in fact, founded the American Academy of Sciences. Benjamin Pierce succeeded Bache and ran the Survey from 1867 to 1874. Pierce was succeeded by Carlile Pollock Patterson, Superintendent from 1874 to 1881. In 1878, under Patterson's superintendence, the U.S. Coast Survey was reorganized as the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey (USCGS) to accommodate both topographic and nautical surveys. Today, the Coast Survey is part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as the National Geodetic Survey.   Further Details...

Source

Bache, A. D., Report of the Superintendent of the United States Coast Survey, (Washington) 1850.    

Condition

Very good. Some wear and toning on original fold lines. Backed on archival tissue for stability. Minor spotting.