----------------------------Original message----------------------------
Given the earlier tirade against retaining the pre-1900 bathymetric
charts, I feel someone should respond with some alternative views.
While the technology of the era was not the best, these charts need
to be viewed as potential resources for research.  Here at the
University of Wyoming, we have had geography students study river
channel changes based on some early surveys, including the Hayden
surveys of the 1870's.  If there are coastal features on these
bathymetric charts, they may be valuable sources of information for
people studying coastline changes (accretion or erosion).  If they
are river maps, they could be used to study river channel changes.
My advice is that they need to be evaluated as potential sources of
information for research.  DON'T DISMISS THEM JUST BECAUSE OF THEIR
AGE.  Talk to faculty in departments that may be doing landform
change studies.  List them here on maps-l (by general location if
possible).  Some libraries might be interested in the maps of their
particular area.  So that's my 2-cents worth.  Linda Zellmer