The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1882-10-19
Oil OH Troubled Waters.

The Scripturai adaGe of pouring oil
on troubled waters has engaged the at
tention OF the English Government,
! through the efforts Of Lord Carnarvon,
who introduced the matter in Parlia-
ment recently with such success that the
Board of Trade is about to adopt meas
ures to test the value of experiments,
and if they prove to he of practical i'm
portance will institute further measures
tor the protection of life and property
by this process In his argument Lord
Carnarvon called attention to private
experiments which had been made, and
which were very interesting in their
results. Mr.. Shields, of Perth, observ-
ing that the oil which came from some
machinery stillcd the surface of pond,
laid perforated pipes under danger
Gus bar across the mouth of Peterhead
Harbor, and then pumped oil into them
from reservoir on shore. AS the re-
suit, he SAYS: Huge green pillows from
ten to twenty feet high, which curled in
white crcsts rs they ncared the harbor
mouth, and broke in mad surf over the
bar, were reduced TO swelling waves.
over which any vessel could have ridden
in safety"
The remarks made in Parliament by
various speakers show that this7process
OF stlling troubled waters is not ut all
new, but has not been Systematically
used. Ihe quicting virtues of oil have
been known for centuries The Syrian
fishermen have always used it, and
Persian boatmen are in the habit of tow
Ing astern OF their crafts bladders iilled
with oil and pricked so that il can leak
out gradually. In Plinys time the
Spongc-divers in the Mediterranean
uSsd oil SO Us 10 obtain smooth surface
when they rose Whalels have always
observed the effect when blubber is cut
oil alongside Of the ship. Fishermen
IN the Shetland Islands, Cornwall, and
on the coast OF Norway use great deal
of oil for soothing the sea. Since the
experiments at Pctcrhcad, referred to
above, the London Standard saws
numerous cases Of the use of oil have
been recorded, and il mentions the fol-
lowing:
For instance, two Italians crossed the Att
mean ina small sailing toat, which was suhse-
qucntly exhibited In Milan They expert
oil rode through the waves without shipping
DuCkctful. Whuicrs have been known t0 calm
side ana astoin, and the Captain or steamer
declared that his vessel would have been lost
IN me Bay Of Bsrny hnd it not been for his
torc7iG ut ~ pouring oil on the troubled wa
tc"s or Sable Island Il schooner has been
seen TO tear her way through Il sea lashed into
Whi'c roam ny one OF the violent storms which
sweep that inhosptabiC coast simply by Ind
ling out blubhcr and train OIL though in the
gAmc gale many stout"r ships went to the bot
tom. Another case il on record of ycsscl
~hlch was thrratcncd by brcnkcrR so high that
Nh9y seemed likely every minute TO ingllf tho
Rhlp. However, no sooner did thcy npproncE
the OIL -cOVtrod surface Of The sea- which eX.
tc?Aed Il feW hundred feet from tho side than
iDH! tcll, az permitted the vessel to survive
the hllrrlCnnc."
1ne general fact seems to be well es-
tabished that oil will calm the troubled
sea, though it sometimes fails owing to
the action of tides and currents which
sweep 1t OH before ii can accomplish its
pacific work, but its use in private
hands for hundreds of years is a suffi-
clent test of efficacy, and were scientific
men to give it attention, discovering
the best kind Of oil and the best meth
ods of using it, and the amount to bo
used, the area of it's usefulness might
be largely increased. This is what the
do, and all the officials of the Board OF
Trade and the Admiralty, as well as
those of the National Lfe-boat Institu-
ton, have been ordered to experiment,
and report results. If oil has this
soothing effect upon salt water with it's
strong tides and currents, why should
it not have stip more marked effect
upon the water of our lakes, which are
not ir'luenced to any perccptibe ex-
tent oy tides or currentsP AS it requires
but very small amount of oil for an
ordinary ocean voyage-say few gal
lons-it would need still less for our
short lake cruises. The experiment is
one richly worth trying, and might save
many lives and vast amount Of prop
erty. If gallon or two Of oil will save
che of our lake vessels, certainly it
ought not to be lost for the lack Of it,