The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-07-09
DANGERS OF THE DEEP.
DeReLlCTS WHICH DRIFT AT The
WILL or WIND AND CURRENT

WILL OF WIND AND NOnnc"''
Travel, of an Abandoned vc--ei-Dangcr
OF Striking Water Logged Wrcck-Thc
Great Iau-k Whistling Buoy Adrin.
The superstitious sailor.
A derelict Is anything that has been for
saken or abandoned, and, as applied 10 the
sea. il is a vessel that has been abandoned 10y
her crew and left floating on the OCEAN.
Derehc.s are much more plentiful than
casual observer would imagine. Besides Vcs-
sels sunk near the coast in sufficiently shat
low water 10 make their protrudins maits
dangerous 10 passing ships, there were, on an
average, eeventeen floating dcrclicts in Tue
North Atlantic reported to the photographic
office for each month Of the year is,D 4
larger number Of tnem was scnted an no
late fall winter aud early spring than ddr
ing the other -easons OF the year no goDOt
because there were then more dangerous
storms on the ocean. Spme At those derolict'
drift around month after month. at the VIII
of the wini and current. and are iepoitei
time after time b. passing vessels
The most interesting witcS thdt mas peeh
reported tor some years IS doubles, that OF
the derclict schooner Twenty ono FRIENDS
She was abandoned on March %, $50 about
ono hundred and seyeutN-iNc nHos o'st OF
Cane Horny. Being lumber laden. she con
t.rued to aoat der unst' Nerc carried
nway clos, To- Che deck. SD that th,r' "as bht
lttle surface exposed 60 the Wind. and her
progress was almost entirely due % the cur
rent Of the Oulf stream Her tracts across
the Atlantic was directly iu tlo route ol th'
FuroDean steamers. bv whom sho was
SIGHTED many Times. and who's, captains
doubtlo,, crew 10 Icgerd hrr a Woro than
tvep,-ole cnemie, The lat resort
received placed her about seventy
mile, north Of Carc Ortc al, spain, on Dec.
Ass. Sl0 was probably towel into some
port by tLa Bay If Bscay i.sfyrnen Who
mus. hay, regarded her a, rich .'d tnt
inc lev ica. ciui.. she covered a.lt 800
miles. Nhel made ANA average oi about 80
miles of progress each month ) number ~
similm. case could la.scu where dcr'.ict'
have been reported month aitrmonth m the
highway off commerce
Fos- aul ioe1er-s a,3 encountered only 40
aparucIllar peroI oi u.e taar, eut within
certain limits OBJ. tue o..ll. hu. dcHll.. are
\ shin .trIk.u- ODD, of tlc-e water b 5ei
wrecks .oud hc apt Sd .1n shout a.
much damage a, Do so, ilu uu0l rIos. IN
uhapit3b'n o11st is AuovI u DID,. 10 g. is
l..nt. the presence of iceberg rf iho chill
at the water in tne vicinity ;u4 during dark
n.,sor f1-, tlDic j, nothing o. Indicate the
pres u.a Of "a lcreiic.
Sometime. WHOM Dc 3, found necessary 10
abandon 81 ,,ei. She captain D. thoushtiui
enough t1 -et her Oh fire Sometime. D. tho
.ea b. -n .tn ami the weather favorable, "a
captain. u. m,ttu, oue al these defeiicts'
vii lut,.iu beat and send some ot his ere"
10 tire Lai. bat thi, Is also iare occurrence.
Reports are occasionally received OF ships
ncu. injured by striking wrecks, and 40
do.l. .oue of tnos, that have leit port and
never boon heard from atterwad. hoye been
lost DO ju-, This way.
P,i4rs the most novel dereliot on record
wa l..fDi tua great raft which &c was at
umgt. t1 tow round from the CANADIAN
cons. ,1 Naw Yor, some months ago. he
attemrt uieI. the towing steamer broke
away from taa raft and tine great mass OF
los was left 10 n0at about directly IA tho
path of vessels coming into ~" \ orE Tor
tuuatoly. th3 raft Wa5 speedily broken up and
tle los were scattered. ard 10 serious cast
oltv Is iu0wn 10 have occurred from col
ision5 with them.
A ,.o.d on the subject Of bouys which have
gono rir.it may not he amiss. Nnllo most
br9yi ..c ssln cal insignificant, % iow arc
larsc and heavy, and might do considerable
dan,aec 10 ship il run into at
.uu reed. There Is 4 small number
NJ
portant points on our coast These aro on
mammoth size, and act as beacons, ana, III
tine same time they give warning ~ the
noise they make The whistle Is automatic,
anI Is sounded twenty Or thirty times tni'i-
ut by action OF the sea. There iin cl1mrr
into which gas l., forced, AMI IL j. lighted -
means of a len, lantern at tho top OK To
bouy OF course the gas must BE- replenhh,d
al regular intervals
On, OF these enormou. buoy was driwn
from its moorings OF CIpo raiteras IN d.
ce,nber. 1885. and. after taking an nFoluh-
tary Journey VI abou, twelve hundred mikes,
II vas Oh the 18th OF toe following May,
rqp'urti ami tOHei into Bermuda ~ ah
English steamer IL was in good condition.
but evidences OF its long trip were found ia
the large bainacies adhering 70 IT, " nen II
started Oh this cruise the gas was soon *
han,ted. causing tho light TO become extn-
gu he'd. but doui, les5 tho whistle continued
10 pipe Justify with every rise and iali OF no
sea.
Imagine the dismay OF some supersutiou'
mariner whose ears should b. greeted BY
half dozen violent whoops ia the small hours
OF tho night, when be- comfortably beloved
that no object sas within miles OF Inc mp.
-Lieat T. b Underwood, L. , y.
4 Bank Clerks Punishment.