The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-03-02

PSAAdCt NlbHul given Jline. LIS
may be laid down at , htres 20 centilitres
per hour, which l think, approximates very
near the truth. Now, if we consider a vessel
sailing before the wind at a rate of 10
knots an hour, and consequently spread
ing Oil over a surface 1880 metres
length by 10 meters in width, with the
average outpour per hour above stated, |
find that the layer of oil spread over this
enormous extent of water barely reaches
1901 part of a millimetre 90 937 of an
inch i'll thickness! In other words, the
area so covered has layer of oil so phe-
nomenally thin that it must be expressed In
figures to be properly understood.
BY what method is oil spread at sea- The
ordinary method is to make use of a stout
canvas bag, of capacity of about two
gallons, in which tow well stepped
in oil Is placed and wherein oil
is poured afterward SO as to fill the
bag the mouth of the bag is then tightly
corded, and holes are bored in the bottom
with a sail needle, to let the oil drop out.
If the vessel drives before the wind in
stormy weather, two of these Oil-bags should
be placed on each side, well forward. Some
seafaring men have obtained even better
results by placing an oil-bag at each cat
head, 50 that every time the fOrepart dips
the oil spreads to right and left on the track
along which the vessel glides. Bags OF al
shapes and sizes have been used for this
purpose; even an old stocking has been
turned to account in an emergency.
When, however, the gale blows crosswise
l should recommend the use of float to
which an oil-bag has been secured this
float is connected with the cathead to wind
ward by means of line and pulley, the
line of such length that when the float IS
launched overheard and made taut by the
drift of the vessel the float and oil-bag are
brought almost on a level with the cathead
from which they are strung. Such an ar
rangement will be found especially service
able on board mail packets and all fast sail
ing vessels with a sharp bow on a short
journey, like those which ply between
France and England.
When-as happened to the Cunard steam
ship Aurania last year-one of those huge
transatlantic vessels which measure between
40 and $50 meters in length, happens to
have her eccentric put out of working order
in a heavy gale, so that her sails are rem
dered useless, the ship at once becomes help
less and labors in the trough of the sea, the
winds and waves beat against her and pour
over her on every side.
The best thing to do in such a strait is to
hang out at least ten oil bags at equal dis
tances along the whole side that is assailed
by the wind; the ship will soon be found to
ride more steadily, while the necessary work
of reparation NAV be carried on. The same
course should be adopted in respect to large
ironclads, which are N7ithout sails to govern
them. and which, as soon as they are disa-
bled in their machinery, find themselves at
the mercy of the elements. In all such
cases the use of oil is invaluable.
In the United States, where this question
has been studied more than in any other
country-and | may here state that the
valuable pilot charts issued at Washington
first drew my attention to the sublect-a
small apparatus has been invented which
works automatically Every time the vessel
pitches small quantity of oil is let out over
the sea. The contrivance seems to me a
clever one, but of too frail and complicated
a system to be of practical use at sea.
Notwithstanding the astounding rapidity
with which oil diffuses itself on the waves,
nothing has yet been devised to calm the
breakers when a ship sails, to use a sea-
mans expression, in the eye of the wind
To effecl this it would be necessary to squirt
oil forward at least ten feet in advance of
the lows. Still, | think this might be done
by means of powerful pump or protector,
worked by a strong rod and having mar
| row tube, from the forepeak of the vessel.
| AS, however, the smaller the
drops which are thus projected
the quicker does the oil spread,
serious difficulty is encountered in spurt-
ing forward oil spray to such distance in
the face of the wind. Perhaps the difficulty
| might be overcome by mixing beforehand
the oil with water and projecting the two
together. The water would thus convey
the oil to a greater distance, while the oil
on reaching the surface of the waves would
as readily mix with them as it does other
wise.
M. Emile Pereire has promised to instruct
the staff of able officers who manage his
splendid fleet of transatlantic steamships to
make experiments with the view of dlscov-
ering whether this means or some other
may not be adopted to smooth the waves in
advance of a vessel when it sails with its
head to the wind.
If it can be shown-as / am convinced it
can-that man has the means at his dis
posal for, to a certain extent, calming the
violence of the tempest-tossed sea, it will be
boon to all vOyagers. The pouring of oil
on troubled waters, not merely in
metaphorical sense, has often been success
fully tried, and the many cases | have col
lected into pamphlet form in my treatise
entitled lie Filage de Phuile" are of a ma
ture to convince the most incredulous.
Take, for instance, the case reported by
Capt Kuhlmann, of the North German
Lloyds steamer Main, respecting the use of
oil which he made during the prevalence of
heavy seas on the voyage between Bremen
and New York in July of last year Capt.
Kuhlmann says:
1--WE were in So north and go west, in
stormy weather, with high sea from the
west. We steered west, and thus had the
sea right in front of us, 50 that the vessel
pitched and rolled badly, taking the heavy
seas at the bows The passengers could not
remain on deck, because of the seas, which
rolled from the forepart and flooded the
deck. And, moreover, the boats hanging
in the davits in danger OF being washed
away in the shifting of the vessel. | re-
solved in this extremity TO experiment with
oil, and two pipes opening on the sides OF
the ship were stopped with tow and then
filled with oil, which flowed slowly through
the two. l soon observed the effect, for from
the foreshrouds to the stern no water came
over. The sea had lost its power by reason
of the oiling. We opened the doors and APP
proaches, and the passengers could stay on
| deck at will. The oiling was continued seven
hours, and the small quantity of five pounds
was used.
Here, as in almost every case, the most
astonishing part of the narrative is that the
oiling went on for seven hours, and yet only
five pounds of oil were used When the
distance the vessel must have traversed In
seven hours and the quantity OF water that
must have been effectively oiled are consid-
cred, the five pounds seem marveously
HOMEOPATHIC dose. When the. use of oil be-
| comes generalized, as | trust it soon will,
not only will passengers be saved from much
discomfort when the sea is rough, but also
! r L l. ill 10 lasgas,a1 for