Morning journal and courier., 1882-05-08
OIIfng the Waves.

TO. F. Gordon Cumming iu the Nineteenth Century.l
 The subject has at last been taken up in good earnest, and It is to citizen of Pesth, Mir. John Shields, that is due the honor of taking the initiative in 8 movement which, if fully carried out, must prove of incalcul- able benefit to our seafaring population Five years age, as he stood beside mill pond on a windy day, he observed that the waters, which had been considerably ruff fled, suddenly became smooth. On exami- nation he found that this arose from oil hay ing been accidentally spilled from some ma chinery, and instantly forming such film on the surface of the pond as to offer no re- sistance to the wind. Happily, it at oncs occurred to him that it might be possible to apply oil in such a systematic manner as to calm the entrance to harbor in stormy weath- CT. The idea having once suggested itself. he never rested till he had thought out and devised means of executing 1t. The plan ke hit upon way that of laying iron and lead pipes fron the beach right out across the harbor to the open sea, terminating in the deep water POO feet beyond the bar, and then, by means of 8 force pump on the shore, to pump oil into the tubes and eject it at the bottom of the sea outside the hsr- bor, SO that as it arose to the surface 1t might be driven inward and prevent the for nation of breakers on the bar. The pipes are fitted with three copical valves fixed T5 feet apart at the sea end of the pipe These are forced open by the stream Of oil as it flows out and instantly close when the pres sure is removed Mir. Shields hxed npon Peterhead, in Aberdeenshire (the easternmoSt headland of Scotland, and consequently 6 spot exposed to the full force of every gale that sweeps the east coast, as the most suit able spot for his test experiments Here, then he proceeded to submerge l 200 feet of lead and iron piping. large barrel con talning about one hundred gallons of oil was ci7 -f, with the foree-pump. Toward the end of February last some preliminary experiments were tried on small scale, but the amount of oil expended WAS very trihing, and the ef- feet was disappointing. One ot the fisher men standing by remarked that he could not understand it, as his own life had once been saved by hanging pieces of whales blubber overheard and he was certain that the same means systematically applied must produce the desired effect On the 1st of March we may say that the apparatus was fully and practically tested for the first time. and with such success as to leave no doubt that it must shortly be recognized necessity in all harbors dangerous of access. On the day in question a gale was blowing from the south east, accompanied by heavy sea- Huge green pillows. from 10 to 20 feet in height, curlsd in white crests as they neared the har- bor mouth, and broke in mad surf above the bar No boat could have dared to face those breakers, and any luckless vessel wrecked on that roek-bound inhospitable coast must have been abandoned to her fate. No better day could have been selected to test the soothing power of oil. If any percephble difference could be produced on those raging, tumultuous waters, it was evident that the gaining of complete mastery over them be- came merely question of how much oil was to be expended. In the present instance the big 100 gallon cask was filled. The forcing pump was set in action, and large quantity of oil WAS driven through the pipes, whence it was ejected at the bottom of the sea at some distance beyond the impossible barrier of mighty breakers. The oil immediately rose to the surface, and formed a thin film on the water extending right across the har- Dor mouth. Straightvay the dangerous white crests disappeared, and. though the strong tide still swept inward in huge swelling bil- lows they were shorn of their terror, and be- came perfectly smooth rollers on which any vessel or boat might safely have ridden into dock. Owing to the strength of the tide and the severity of the gale the oil was swept shoreward so rapidly as to render continuous pumping necessary. But as long the oil supply was kept up the surf was kept dosE, and there remained no reasonable doubt in the minds of the spectators that henceforth the raging of the waters could be subdued al will, and Chat ships might be enabled to make the port in safety no matter how wild the tempest.