The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-06-14

Marine Cyolonoiogy.
valuable contribution has recently been
made to science, on the provision and avoid.
ance OF marine cyclones. 1t is the work of an
ofhcer OF the United States Navy, a skilfui
American seaman. which will command the
public interest by its clear and concise dealing
Win problem which so nearly concerns all
classes. When Burroughs the Comptroller
i of Queen Elizabeth's navy, was called upon to
advise Her Majesty as to the value of>the cyiin-
drical chart, then first prepared by the illus
trous geogapher, Gerard Mercator-..the
Pathfinder OF the Seas and now in univer-
sal use, the thick headed old Englishmanff'
sneered at it as thing only At for the land
lubbers and 'those who study cosmographie."
The law of storms also, when first announced
& by RedAeld, met with similar treatment with
ignorant and opinionated sailors. But time
has indicated its vast utility, and we are now.
after the lapse of fifty years, beginning 10
appreciate it. -
The HERALD, ever foremost as the spokes.
man Of science, has often urged the necessity
Of sea-going vessels and passenger steamships
paying more attention to this improved
method Of navigation, BY which hundreds Of
lives and Golfers Of money might annually be
saved, in the practical application of the old
adage, so true on the perilous high seas
What can't be done by pushing and striving :
May often be done by a little contriying. AS-v@
The author Of the little work referred to had
advanced nothing new; new, but BY the use Of
beautiful and speaking diagrams and few
rules which cover almost every contingency
that may overtake storm-endangered vessels.
he puts the labors of cyclonists for fifty years
within the Ineligible grasp Of the most I'm
scientific seaman.
Some years ago the eminent physicist, Mr.
Piddington, of Calcutta, deeply versed in the
practical part Of this subject, condensed his
world renowned researches into pithy If not
on the margin Of all our photographic charts,
would by this time have been the means Of
warning hundreds Of vessels and rescuing
them from the iron meshes Of the hurricane
and typhoon. 1t is well known that the centre
|of the gale is the point of greatest danger.
This region is comparable to deep basin or
to the open-mouthed crater of a volcano, ever
ready to engulf q ship. To enable the
mariner to find this he was simply directed az
follows-
Your back to the wind viii the centre define.
II you only consider the place OF THE LINE;
For north oft LErr-or south the RIGHT hand
Stick out like sign post-and quietly stand
And each points to the centre whose place you d6
mand.
The London Board of Trade, seeing the vast
Importance Of informing the merchant marine
more fully Us to the law Of storms have re-
Gently issued circular Of the same nature a
Captain Braine's, which generally corroborates
his deductions. The Board of Trade lay down
the rule that when captain discovers the d.
rection of cyclone he should imagine il
bisected by its own track, and supposing him.
self to be on the track and in rear Of the storm,
looking to the direction in whichit is moving.
he should put his ship on the starboard tack
if the wind shows he is in the right hand semi
circle, and on the port tack if he is in tho left
hand half Of the gale; and this rule holds good
for both hemispheres, with the usual caveat
that the parts Of gale which form the right
and left halves change as the gale changes it's
course.
Important as are these directions the science
Of ocean entomology will never be thorough
until seamen are better instructed as to the
tracks Of these fiery meteors. There Is still
much dispute and ignorance even among
meteorologists as to the cause of storms; but it
seems highly probable that their direction lisa
resultant Of the upper and surface currents of
air, the former Of which still remain in that
vast terra incoJnita of meteorology with which
the condor of the Andes is better acquainted
than man. There is no study more inviting
and more likely to be remunerative than the
mysterious mechanism of the surface of the
atmospheric ocean beneath which we live
and move and have our being. We under
stand that Signal Office meteorologists at
Washington are only awaiting the action of
Congress in furnishing the necessary means to
push their bold investigations among the
clouds by means of the balloon. 1t is to be
earnestly hoped that such researches will be
ip,u;;,,ssad forward and sustained simultaneously
over many par,, Of the globe: 49,. Sc
nns- ~
LrvrNosroSEss CONDITION or HEALTH. By
special despatch from London to the HEnAIS
we learn that additional telegraips from Bom-
NtN.x