The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1886-07-24
SUCCESSFUL TESTS.
Satisfactory Results Obtained by Applying
Oil to Heavy Seas.

batlsactory Results Obtained by Appayine
OH to Heavy Seas.
The evidence of the value of oil for
this purpose continues to be of the most
satisfactory nature, and fully justifes
the policy of the photographic Office
IN disseminating the facts as widely as
possible. The use of mineral oil is not
recommended, while the Importance of
carrying a supply of animal or vegeta-
BILE oil, to be used in emergencies, can
not be Overrated.
Captain Wass, of the brig Morancy,
while on voyage from Rockport, Me-,
to Port au Prince, Hayti, encountered
hurricane from southwest to northwest,
accompanied by a tremendous sea,
which washed his deck load overheard,
tore the tarpaulins from the matches,
smashed the cabin windows, swept
away every movable thing about the
deck overheard, and did other damage.
Finding two feet of water in the hold,
and seeing his ship was threatened with
destruction, the Captain determined to
use oil. The vessel was hove to under
storm trysail. A small canvas bag filed
with shakings, saturated with boiled
linseed oil, was hung at the weather
cathead; sWab saturated with kero-
sene and boiled linseed oil was sus-
pended over the side, abreast the main
rigging; two oil kegs, filled with kero-
sene, were lashed on the rail, abreast
the fore rigging, and on the weather
quarter, and the faucets turned so
that the oil ran over the side very
slowly. The effect was seen very soon
in the perceptible smoothing of the
previously breaking seas. The oil slick
extended at least two hundred yards to
windward of the vessel, and scarcely a
drop of water came on board after the
use of oil was begun. There were used
during the gale five gallons boiled lin
seed, and three gallons kerosene oil.
The length of time during which the oil
was in use is not stated. Captain Wass
is firm believer in the oil theory, and
never goes to sea without supply.
Captain Davis, master of the bark
JAS H. Borland, in an interview stated
that, on his last voyage from South
America to New York, during heavy
gales, with mountainous sea running,
he used oil to quiet the waters on Feb
ruary 26, March l, and March 3, 1886.
He used four bags of oil, one from each
bow and one from each main channel
with short lanyards attached, allowing
the bags to dip in the water at each roll
of the vessel. He made the experiment
both running before the wind and sea,
and hove-to, and in each case found the
oil to take the combers off the sea and
prevent the water from breaking on
board. He says that when running be-
fore q heavy sea vessel yaws a couple
OF points, and that when she does so the
seas sometimes break on board over the
opposite quarter, unless some method is
found to rig the bags cut so that the
oil will cover a sufficiently wide space
astern to prevent this. He recommends
rigging spars out over the bows dashed
to the catheads, if they can be made
strong enough, and hanging the bags to
these so that the oil will spread over a
surface twice the greatest beam of the
/ ship Bags hung from the fore vardarm
would not do, as the wind would blow
them inboard, the lanyards must be
short, and the bags weighted to prevent
the wind dashing them against the ship 6
side and blowing the oil on board. Cap
tain Davis used lnseed oil; and, when
all of that was gone, he used common
varnish. The oil had the desired effect
but the varnish was too thick, and die
not answer the purpose. One gallon Of
oil per hour was used for the four bags
while running, and less quantity would
be required when hove TO. Iron daviti
would be the proper thing from which
TO hang the bags. Vessels should bC
fitted, and oil carried for this purpose
and not wait for a gale of wind and thu
seas to break on board before commend
ing to make preparations.
Captain McGregor of the Englisl
steamer Albano, reports to this oilic,
that he used oil on his astpassage from
Baltimore to Dublin. Experienced very
heavy gales and seas from westward il
latitude A degrees 10 minutes n, long
itudc 20 degrees y minutes w. PLACED
two oil bags astcrn, filled with lnSeeC
Oll Vdhulh' AlcNlOuo W pIdClllS INC odS
over the stern had taken heavy sea
aboard, flooding the decks, but afte
towing the bags no more water cam
aboard. The gale lasted three days
with very heavy seas, but owing to tn
oil, ran quite easy and took no water
Used about seven gallons altogether
U. S. Pilot Chart Of The North AtIa,'ti
Ocean.