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WIRE-DRAGGING THE OCEAN'S BOTTOM 241
the wire drag is known as the guiding
launch and the other as the end launch.
The first directs the operation while the
second keeps the drag taut. As may
readily be imagined, it requires a good
deal of skill on the part of the government
surveyors to do this work, for there
are currents to be considered, rough
weather and high winds. Sometimes the
drag will get caught somewhat after the
manner of a boy's fish-line. It may be
loosened suddenly, or it may be necessary
to cut it in order to let the rest of
it loose.
Uncle Sam has several wire drag
parties continually patrolling the east and
One of the Buoys
Tbi >e. placed at intervals of thirty feet, hold the wiredragr
at ao even depth.
A Leaded Drag
This weight holds down the transverse wire or cable.
west coasts of the country, and particularly
the dangerous Alaskan shores.
Every once in a while you will hear of
the discovery of a new pinnacle rock and
its location is immediately recorded officially
by the U. S. Coast Survey. This
information is immediately passed in
bulletin form to mariners who are constantly
applying for the latest charts and
data relative to the sea-lanes through
which they travel. The importance of
the wire drag work cannot be overestimated,
for it is year by year freeing
ships from hidden dangers underneath
the sea.