The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-06-06

/
seneers the members OF tne Astronomical Commission
sent out by the French government 10 observe
the transit Of Mercury at Ogden U. /. These scea-
lists Professor Andre Deau, OF the Faculty
OF Scicnc s. University OF Lyons; Professor Alfred
Angot Lys6c Eon,anes, Paris, and Professor HIATT OF
the University Of France taking the deepest interest
| 10 Captain Truaec's system Of approaching Sandy
Hook Iicntship during toggy weather, they made a
number OF important observations astronomer ana
otherwise while tho France this port Tor
the purpose OF esablishing me relative positions and
directions OF points OF bearing and lines Of rootc.
These facts attach additional value Captain rrn-
dee's plan recommend to the attention OF nav
| igators
/ CAPTAIN rRupELLE's INSTRUCTIONS.
| Although summer time is known as the season OF
fog II is chiefly curing winter time december to
March) that TO- IS found along the coasts OF New
Jersey ana Long Island. IL Is during these months
that Gratis have gone ashore on New Jersey ana
| Long island beaches.
Without discussing u the current which runs gen
orally between the Gull stream anu tho COAT OF
America is q counter current u the GUT Stream or
coptinu ton OF the Labrador current, we Will only
say that il SETS toward west ana SOUTH that from
| Nantucket Sho,is 10 the mouth OF the Delaware, 1t
has usually speed Of Two miles per hour.
The temperature 10 lower thun that OF the Gulf
Oh the New Jersey and Long Island coasts this cur
easleriy winds.
Let i ne well understood that this does
always exist although generally lis influence - IeL
sometimes tuere " none
1t has bceu ioupd setting north and northeast, bat
! rarely, and III tnat cise II Is woaR
i WATER.
/ Another superficial current OF fresh water comes
out IRON Fandy Bay when ice and snow are dlssolv-
ing (Apri Mayb ana after crossing ST. Georges Banks
4 Jolbs the former current.
Il seems ,ndisputaoe that the SO frequent strand.
ing OF steamers along tho chores OF New Jersey be.
tween squau Beach and Sandy h ook must DO imputed
TO this soutnwesteriy current aud 10 the heihcacy
Of soundngs along the usual course Tor giving nfor
nlaiion TO navigators OF the effects Of this current
4 DISASTERS
Before going on let VI trace back some facts known
m frQ tO
F.ys-rne Queen tEupiIsh stsamerl Tho Queen
stranded the 26h oil February, 1870 AT Square beacn
She was blown OF twelve or Gitecn hours after
| straudn2 by s9uali IRON N. w. she reached New
| York without great damage.
| have information with regard TO the precau-
tons taken Tor msKng land" but as the fog existed
tor Two days when she ashore II Is not probable
| that me snip went there without soundings.
Al all events she was ahead oil her dead reckoning
! AMI 100 much south.
Secoad--Ine vicksourg (Americsn steamer On the
day the VicksDurg coming from the soatn, was
wrecked on Fire Island having mistaken Fire Island
| iignt Tor B.rnegat hight.
Third--The Circasslan English steamer. Wrecked
| Oh Long Island. About her have no information.
| Fourth--Amerique (freLch steamer)- On The 7th
OF January, 1877 the Ancrque, with heavy ana ogey
weather. stranded on Seabrien Beach, 10 miles W. 5.
! W. IRON her dead reckoning. which placed her 4
miles from sandy Hook l;-htshp; good observations
| we're taken on the 9th OF January at noon; Ia
nours OF dead reckoning PIT her ancad OF her dead
| rock oning aud too much south. The Amerique was
| doatcd of tue 10Th VI April, 1871
| alter the Amerique the RusiAnd Stranded IN log
some miles south oil tho former Less solid, Out
chiefly less lucky than the Amerique having struck
| upon old wreck, she soon broke up. All that va
know about tho Rusland Is that she sounded early,
and tho captain thinking OF the recent grounding Of
tho Amerque. had resolved 10 stop his ship e
miles or shore. She vas therefore, more than -
miles ahead OF her dead reckoning ana was 100 much
| south.
| Sirth--During the stay OF the Amerquc at Sea.
brgnt steamers owed their safety 10 Tue presence
| oi tho Amerlque on the beach ms huge beacon,
| which they perceived IN tmc pcrm!ted them 10 put
tho helm nard-aport; lew minutes more, perhaps
| lew seconds II would have been TOO late.
/ AHEAD or THEIR gEcKoSISG.
| These ships also ahead thcir dead reckon
ing and TO- ss1 r soS lsneh SS III,
25th oi February, 1875 the France anchored IN fog
In IL iainoms OF water. IA mics ". ,. W. OF hei
| dead reckoning. whicn placed ncr win the sam,
depth OF water III miles h. :. l. IRON sandy HOOK
| lghtship. she was ahead OF her reckoning ana toe
E.ghth-rnc France tsame snp).-on the LIST O.
January. 1876, the France anchored IN IL athoms u
| water at IL mites W. ) w. oi her ucad recsoniis
which placed her VITA the same depth 81 water ".
! miles last IRON sandy Hook lignisiip. She wa
south. The 10Th 81 Octooer. 1871. az Don. WIN spen
did weather good obscfyaton placed tue ship - 10
mites from sanny Hook, latitude 40 deg. 70 MN
the course dircc, upon Navcs'nk hgni passed. ~
| miles south OF Ere Island llgnL
Al Oh. 3jm. PM. the light Of Fire Island beariri
n. ttruel pointed out sls miles ahead oil her dcas
| reckoning. ana was lurtner than ID miles. AZ 100
| 35uB. Nayesink lgnt perceived IN N. 90 WI ttru
lave by this bearing miles to south, out Of course
| in l0ts hours or In. 25s per hour.
INFLUENCE OF crRSESr.
From lob. 3jm. all midnight, the ship run ming Il
knots order to Keep the lights right ahead aud op
pose the current, IL VAS necessary to atsr pro
gressively the course oil xix degrees 10 tue north.
All these facts SHOW sufficiently the influence OF th'
S.W. current, have now 20 Try 10 md out how
10 Ia That Skull and prudent captains could not will
| well worked soundings detect the true bearings 0
| their shipG
BY placing the tracings No. /, No 2 No. (relatin
to the France aud the Ameriquel upon the American
chart No. iron Gay Head 10 Hcniopenl y - sect
Immediately that upon tie truo tracks the sounding
agree exactly with the distances. IL does not nee
more thau that TO explain all errors ana prove tia
the usual course ~ bad Que. since the same rang
OF soundiags may occupy more than one position o
| the chart
Franco October 25 1871, we see that u Is very cas-
nd upon IN: two tracks Identical soundings sepa
rated by the same distances, WITH hnai aiherencc
10 miles :. w. between the positions ~ l0h 35n.
GAUSS DISASTERS
Let us suppose "a ship coming upon this track, Will
good observations at noon, Tor reaching her at lou
4. NJ --that IS TO say, when at about loo miles Iron
| SANDY Hook Let US aunt che snip begirs 10 SCUM
IN IS latnorus The agreement OF the s0undipgs will
tue ucAd reckoning ths entire way viii certainly CIV
her great confluence IN the position OF lOh SOM !
consequence OF this great confidence, gong on with
out sounding, with tue intention OF stopping or M
chcrng 10 or u, the ship should go right TO Ne'
Very PROBABLY this has happened so far to NOR
than one snip, ana 1t Is IN this manner that tn
France got the wrong posti Of 25in Of February
1879, ana LIST OF January, 1870
bui let US come back 70 our suppositlon Then ID
ship strands aft,r 10 or 10 hours vi dead reckoning
villa good soundtngs as additional aid. let Us ~
proach her not having continued 10 sound alter Ion
35n, and LEI US tnet two soundiugs take
uniucky IN a and should have increased the cot
fanny OF having right POSITIONS IN a and b.
II sounding IN perhaps she would have been saved
but by chance
ELIMINATE GuEsswoRk.
In navigation notIiug fhouid Ue left 10 chance
IL may. therefore, be said that making land upon