St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1886-07-31
SUCCESSFUL TESTS.
Satisfactory Results Obtained by Applying
Oil to Heavy Seas,

Satisfactory Results Obtained by Applying
Oil to Heavy Seas.
The evidence of the value of oil for
this purpose continues to be of the most
satisfactory nature, and fully justifies
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 supply of animal or vegeta-
BILE Oil, to be used in emergencies, can
not be oyerrated.
Captain Wass, of the brig Morancy.
while on q voyage from Rockport, Me-,
to Port au Prince, Hayti, encountered a
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; a 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 dashed 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
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 a 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 5, 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 a heavy sea vessel yaws 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 out SO that the
oil will cover 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 yardarm
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 ships
side and blowing the oil on board. Cap
tain Davis used linseed 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 did
not answer the purpose. One gallon of
oil per hour was used for the four bags
while running, and a less quantity would
be required when hove to. Iron davits
would be the proper thing from which
to hang the bags. Vessels should be
fitted, and oil carried for this purpose,
and not wait for gale of wind and the
seas to break on board before commence
ing to make preparations.
Captain McGregor, of the English
Albano, reports to this office
that he used oil on his last passage from
Baltimore to Dublin. Experienced very
heavy gales and seas from westward in
latitude A degrees 10 minutes n, long
itude 20 degrees II minutes W. Placed
two oil bags astern, filled with linseed
oil oakum. Previous to placing the bags
over the stern had taken heavy seas
aboard, flooding the decks, but after
towing the bags no. more water came
aboard. The gale lasted three days,
with very heavy seas, but owing to the
oil, ran quite easy and took no water.
Used about seven gallons altogether
u. S. Pilot Chart of the North atlantic