OCEANOGRAPHER
Coast
and Geodetic Survey Ship NATOMA. In service 1919-1935.
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Steamer,
length 304 feet, beam 33.3 feet, draft 15.3 feet. Built in 1899 as
the yacht CORSAIR for the financier J.P. Morgan by T. S. Marvel and
Sons, Newberg, New York. Sold to the Government for $1.00 in 1930.
In service 1930-1942 on Atlantic Coast surveys. Served in the Navy
during World War I and then again in World War II from 1942-1944 in
the Solomon Islands. This vessel conducted many offshore surveys and
discovered many of the canyons incising the continental slope between
the Georges Bank area and Cape Hatteras. For this work it is commemorated
by the features named Oceanographer Canyon and Corsair Canyon. In
the realm of geophysics, Maurice Ewing conducted his first seismic
reflection profiling experiments from the CEANOGRAPHER in 1935. During
its World War I service, it was assigned anti-submarine patrol duty.
In this capacity it engaged in a number of attacks on enemy submarines
but is best known for its roll in rescuing many survivors of enemy
submarine attack. During its tour in the Solomon Islands it served
as a hydrographic survey ship. The hydrographers assigned to the ship
named the famous “Ironbottom Bay.” Upon return to the
United States for refurbishing, it was found to be in too poor of
condition to salvage and was broken up and scrapped in accordance
with the original agreement with J. P. Morgan.
