The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-06-21
From The ". y. Courier and Enquirer.
The Law OF storms, and its Penalties for
NEGLECT.

The London Shipping Gazette of May 30 contains
coplous extract from the log Of the Mouifan In
diaman, which vessel encountered on the oath Of
February, in the Indian ocean, terrific hurricane
from E.S.E lat lSo s., Ion. $50 E., ia which the
ship continued for several days; and in the opinion
Of her officers, nothing but her extreme goodness
and the strength Of her iastcnings saved her from
Inevitable destruction. The captain had nccdlcssly
exposed his ship to the fury of this hurricane and,
being sorely pressed by H. makes this sage remark
'Theorists may, after hurricane is over, by com
pairing the. logs of vessels. point out what each
should have done avoid the greatest strength of
the storm, but question much the possibility of
doing 80 on this present occasion"
So the good captain, Departing Of remedy,
gravely determined on that management which,
unfortunately, afforded him the least possibe
chance Of escape from this furious tempest
BY ''theorists,' the captain undoubtedly means
those whose perseyering inquiries have developed
the actual experience OF navigaors, who have fallen
under different portions OF those violent tempests,
and have thus ascertained that they are in subiec-
ton to a uniform laip, which, on due inquiry, can
be easily understood, but which he had failed to
comprehend. A knowledge of this law, on his part,
might have saved all the injuries and hazards which
we're incurred by his ship and her crew, ON this oc
casion. His latitude and the direction of the wind
at the ship, in the commencement of the gale, in
Dictated the courses he could have stcered avoid
the strength Of this tempest; or, at the outset he
could have brought his ship the wind on the port
tack, to allow the vortex TO pass him, and then
sumo his course, preserving safe distance from
the storm. For 30 low is the progress of the hurr
cane in that portion of the Indian ocean as appears
from his own log, that the degree Of exposure in
any case is actually made subject to the discretion
of the intelligent commander
Yet the captain Of the Mouton, who has rendered
the public good service in this publication, is far
from being alone in failing to understand natural
a,o, which ought now to be universally familiar to
navigators. II is almost twenty years since the
chief outlines of this physical law first laid
open TO navigators, and the specific application 10
the Southern hemisphere suggested. Since that
period, there have been published the important
inquiries and calculations of Col Reid found in
his successive works the Development Of the
Law of Storms; the work of MIR. Thorn, on the Ma
ture and Course of Storms in the Indian ocean; and
humorous memoirs and works of Mr. Piddington,
including his s.Sailor's Horn Book for the Law of
Storms Other calculations are found in SiHimanx
Journal the american Coast Pilot, and other Amer
can publications. Facilities for acquiringa know
ledge of this great subject have thus been placed
within the reach of all inquircrs, and with highly
beneficial results
Much, however, remains to be done, in diffusng
this knowledge among seamen, and in making Il
plain and familiar TO their understandings. Both
in the navy and the merchant service of the father
land much attention is awakened to this branch Of
knowledge, while the practical benefits derived
from it too plain to be disregarded Nor is this
knowledge of less importance in the American seas,
or to American commerce. Hence merchants
and navigators will not be found insensibe TO it's
obvious utility and advantage.
w. c. REDFIELD