The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-12-03

ny. InG1eAd u seveA 6eoayed ships q IL Hne, ~
e lseas twenty NV ea;s ana ;n:,s - g ~
hsve each not lsss than ore hundred .nipe q The
line; aad Why in The nane Of all that = god. can
NOT we have twcntyf The army needs reinforce-
ments, md Congress should likewise sHend 70 snem
Compass Variation and Collissons at Sea.
The following lsttee from Lieut.. Msury was read
before meeting Of the managers Of tho Life Saving
Bsnsvolent Assooiation. The subjects are 90 i'm
portaat to the mercantile and travelling communi-
ty, that II was deemed advisable to have the same
NATIONAL OBSERVATORY,
WARRINGTON, Nov. 7, 1854.
DEAR Sn-I received By due course OF mail your
mote, with an account Of the proceedings which
took place before the British Association concerning
There II liability Of the ships compass to error,
which none Of the rules - yet laid down seem sum-
Client to detect, and it appears TO have been A Or
TOR nom this source which led to the loss OF the
Nagnetists have mot bean able TO devise any plan
for preventing or detecting these err0n ct all
times. They can, however, be always detected when
nS sun q me o.as are No. OUT ana y oS
lead, and lookout0 will 90 far towards preventing
Every vessel. and especially those In European
azimush or standard compass; and whsnsver aghts
arc taken for cbronometer, observations should also
be made for variation.
For this purpose, place near the middle Of the
quarter or hurricane deck, and far from any iron
as possible, should be marked, and upon that spot
the szimuth compass should always be placed when
an szimuth or amplitude is to be taken; and on
every such occasion the heading Of the ship both by
the standard and the steering compass, should be
noted, entered in the log, and allowance made &C
cordiDg thereto for the courses steered by the bnna
Gle or steering compass.
The difference between these two compasses will
be greater on some courses than on others. Bus
most American navigators know the cause Of this
difference, how to detect it, and how to allow for it,
and therefore 1t is unnecessary further to alude to
the subject Of local deviation"
In addition to these precautions, " Tell Tale"
compass under the fore or maiDtop would be further
removed than any Of the compasses below, from the
varying magnetism of the vessel, and / would re-
commend It especially for steamers. as . useful
especially for its accommodation aloft
allude to the dangers of deceisful compasses on
California OF European voyages especially, because
vessels trading thithsr are 50 often envsoped ~
we have more steamers plying to those foggy ports
than to any others.
But what remedy can we provide against the La
bility to such dreadful disasters that which befe
the Arcics The three LIS do not constitute sure
preventive.
I have reflected much upon the subject, snd like
the ideas Of my friend r. B. Forbes, Of Boston, bet
track across the Atlantic for steamers
BY having one route for them to 60 and another
for them to come we should not avoid entirely but
we would greatly lessen, the liability Of collision. Il
think could lay them of 80 as to have them quite
separate except at the two ends, without materially
leDgthenirg the passage either way.
For example, the route from Europe shall be by
the great circle a. II is now, 1t being understood
that vessels as they come BY ii sna keep north Of
certain line to be drawn nom the Offings on that
side to the oflDg on this and which line shall pass
SO OF 60 miles south Of Cape Race and thence shaw
ing Sable Island on the moth, shall end In the Of.
fDgs Of Sandy Hook.
This would leave quite margin enough to enable
the vessels to allow for their maximum errors Of
reckoning, without feeling pinched for sea room.
particularly she came ont to the north Of Ireland
to part Of the ocean that is less travelled BY YES
sts bound IN the opposite direction, than any other
part of the Atlantic between New York and Europe.
II would be seldom indeed that the steamers coming
this route would meet trader. They would fall
il, however, especially along the western halt Of
this route with vessels bound to and from the ports
Of Ne RfouDdland and others Of British America.
But along that part Of this home d, or American
route let call 1t, which lies to the eastward Of
Newfoundland, tie liabilities to collision will be
small indeed.
Now for the route to 60, or the European route.
Hook to the ofings of Liverpool or say Of Cape
Clear. This line, 10 the middle of the Atlantic, will
b. about one hundred miles south Of the southern
limit Of tie .Amed an route, and s. we shall sup
pose be the northern verge of the European routes
that s, all the steamers bound TO Europe will keep
south Of this line.
Steamers tsking this route will have the current
Of the Cuff St cam in their favor, which will quite
make up for it's greater distance Whereas, when on
tn American route, they will avoid the set OF the
Gulf Stream almost entirely. Another recommeu-
dalton in favor Of the European route is that the
fogs to be encountered along it are not quite 10
thick and prevalent as they are along the American
rou'e.
Now you observe that by laying off thess two
routes We win not have removed those who cross
down; but we shall have greatly lessened that La
bility. Transient steamers may still Cross these
tracks, and fun foul Of the mail carriers; but the
crossing vessel will know where the track Of the
regular ste amer lies which way she will be steering,
and tnea efOre, by knowing on which side the dan.
ger Is, be much more apt to avoid it.
European route will be going with the steamer, 9.
to the East Few will be coming West, fer when
csming this way they avoid the Gulf Stream as
much as they can.
depends 70 some extent upon the state of the wind
and sea. When the sea is smooth and the wind
light the slower the safer; but when there is q sea
en- and breeze blowing, then the faster the steam
goes the better; for the danger is not in proper
ton to the number OF knots in an hour that steam
er sails through fog, but to the number of hours
she is in it. IT, therefore, vessel at her topmost
speed runs through fog In six hours che would be
no more liable to be brought into collision with one
of the Hundred or two vessels that may always be
passing through it, than she would il she stood stll
in it for six hours; and if che weretwelve hours in
the came fog either hovet0 or running at ed,
Ler liabilities of coming into col.on With some one
or other of the vessels passing through it, would be
just doubled. Not only so; when the steamer stops,
all the sailing vessels ere making the best OF their
way. Suppose tn they be passing through the fog
reeon at the fate of one hundred miles In six hours
The steamer then by going at half speed, and con-
invpR in the fog for twelve instead of etx hours,
would be exposed to collision with some one OF two
hundred instead Of one hundred vessels; and when
vessels cone 10 collision Of sea, the damage they do
each ether does OF slsays depend upon high spsed
so much a. upon Moderate speed Snd the state OF
tee sta.
The route betwe en- the United States and Eoglsnd
Is TIE "Brcadway" Of the Atlantic, and l rather
think II is your habit when yUu are crossing your
Broadway, to quicken, not to slacken your pace,
fhet xcu may thel civ lessfn yOur chaucea of hanu