The southern press., 1851-08-30
Ameflea& 41 els1a4a,
Ths orcH,reac1 yy fzdei3 i1ssssy Il W. kidss
ef large areas vhsrs ,oqrss care coasisntly
breaking

5tx r.1
Tks oecn,~escS ly yzdei3 iydtsy IL W. kid.t
cf large areas whsre wqrss care coasisntlv
breaking.
BY PROF.. HoRsFoHD, oF HARvARu,
This phenomenon has been observed " III
who go frequently upon the water, &n& His
very possible that solasi0a hass e&me4m~y
have besa already saggesasd os AseeaAsds ~
others. have not happened to see such soia-
ton, and as have made the matter the subject
Of experimental demonstration, the experiments
and results may both b. worthy Of record.
While spending some tune at ths east "a Of
Long Island. where nusnhsrs engaged in whale
fishery reside, took occasion 10 isquisspef-4As
captans OF whaling veassls, and OK o&Aam<ef
much nautical experience. whether tho effsff of
oil upon water in allsying ts agitation, ~ yytal
or fancied. The answer, wth0at exesrtl n.
was that the effect was real. While cmttins Nm
and trying the bIubber. more Of less or oil ~
overheard, which 1t was said rapidly sptsad.
over the surface of the WATER and according 10
their unvarying testimony, surrounds the vss-
sci with sheet of water in which tha waves
continue to roIL but do not form crests, o.
white caps, or comb, as the expressions are
To some it had happened 10 spill barrel of
OIL and the effect was most marked Others hsd
noticed it while unloading a cargo. Ono IN
smack, had in storm hove to, drugged hia
craft, that is, thrown overheard heavy epar
made fast to the hawser, and then letttnr oil
flow from cask at the bow, through auiIl On
the sea, had observed sheet of placid water on
both sides widening as he drifted. within which,
though the swels continued, the water did not
break.
From this testimony, was induced to procure
a quantity Of fish oil and make the experiment
for myself The frat experiment was made in
the open sra whore no waves were breaking. bit
where the surface Of swells OF ofconsidersbIe msy-
nitude was ruffled by gentle bssexe. Two or
three tea-sponfulls Of oil thrown upon the watAr
spread with astonishing rapidity, rendering aiaa-
sy the water over which It extended. The effect
was most marked in subduing the ruills 81 rip.
pie at the surface. The swells were not per-
ceptibly diminished. The second experiment
was from a vessel lying beside the wharf The
oil was thrown overheard to windward, and yet
spread rapidly in the face OF the wind, produc-
ing the same effect as before The third exper;.
ment was made from the extremity Of long
wharf at the commencement of ebb tide. The
water was moving fast, at the rate Of one or two
knots. About teaspoonfull of oil was thrown
once in three minutes, it spread rapidly az be-.
fore--the CLASSY surface being borne on by the
retreating tide. At the end Of hnlf an hour q
series Of placid sheets ofincreasing breadth, with
stripes ofruffied water between, extended fron,
the end of the dock outward, distance or fan,
quarter to half mile At the base of Tia
triangular group, an eddy current set in shore.
and saw the broad sheets spun out into mar.
row stripes preserving their CLASSY characters.
though but a few feet wide and half mile
long The wind was freshening, and the waves
were fast beginning to break. o8
The fourth experiment was made in the open
= 49,
FIVE feet Highland breaking over the yawl in which
sat. The vessel was hove to, and threw over
about half pint of OIL Its effect was percept-
ible in few seconds. A CLASSY space appeared.
in which, except at the margin, no waves broke.
1t continued to spread, until it's diameter could
not have been less than seventy-fve feet, and
throughout this circle there were no breakers.
except as before in the very border
From these experiments it was evident frat
that fish oil would spread to very great extent
upon water; and second, that it would render
placid sea but slightly agitated
Now upon examining the placid strcaks which
presented themselves at various, points found
them frequently bearing numerous bubbles
proof Of the presence of some viscid substance.
analogous to oil. They were seen where IN
ebb and flood tide met. They issued from the
masses of offal thrown from every variety Of
craft 100
In all places in which they were found, it was
easy to see that the flood tide might have taken
the oil from decaying fish thrown up by a pre-
vious tide, or that mass of floating animal mat
ter had yielded it, so that the placid streaks or
patches might be ascribed as to sufficient cause
to the presence of oily matter, or matter anala
gous to it in its specific gravity and viscidity,
which by the inferior mobility of the particles
would prevent the currents of air from eleyatiny
the water and SO sharpening the waves as TO
cause them to break