The Dickinson press., 1888-04-14
SIGNALING AT SEA.
Sound Issuing from IL FOG Gives No Trust
worthy Indication OF ats source.

worthy iulicaticn OF ftS source.
Tn" dancer of changing course in II fn-.
after hearing The warning Signal Of ;l t,i'
preaching vessel, cannot b. oN"rvsti,Mlt"ri
Uw!ng I" ihc l@.t that Tho t!i!rr: i"l ui tho
souli,l is not always evidence tf the bearing
ot It's source. "nc is quite as likely IL iun
into danger as AVA from it. lib" l11lci rr-
pu!rc ,iiu! at such times every Snip shalt 20
at Il moderate rate of speed. This, l.uwr.or,
is not sufficiently cyI,lirit. "lt".t!l.S Ytitr us
s;rious ;;ic likely Ia occur ii til" @rrat iron
>ili,- al The present day collide while g"iil:,
AT II moderated Us well as at a high rate Of
s.rel. and this fac, induces too many ship
masters to ru>i, through Il t"g. believing that
in IL ,jucing he time in the dangerous conc
i!iry rrltiD" tn" number of possible c,lcuiIll-
tiers. This is " yaiil argument while the
Interpretation rs 10 what constitutes !; i.iuti-
crate rate uf speed is lief, tn the Individual
conviction OF convenience" 81 the slii .,mEi>tcr.
This matter r;u uilV" lc treated roil"ll>!.rlV
10y international AGREEMENT. Tia difficulty
in solving the problem Will not lac in Tram
ilr rni,S for action hut i'll finding apparatus
which will Indicate early enough III, d.l.-
tion and course "f III! approaching snip
A. already pointed "ut. Sound issuing from
a tpg gives nu trustworthy indItni!nn o.. tie
direction of ill., snar,o. Tho N4ii-i !,m-Hl-
t"rS1wo ra-,s iii hi- own experience, near
..icvl"rt. wllcn The .ojml from the fog horn
al Beaver Tail seemed 10 com" from several
directions. each 10 o.. - ,lv9S. apart. and
Their. is Il We'll known cas-, where u trans
atlantir steamer, houili tp New York. going
direct iui SLOW, aud sounding li.r whistle.
finally picked M, q riiut "iIo declared that
he had heard In. bla-i for Ilplt an hour. and
,I.. ~ .-,-, l-! -, ILL., ..- i,
him N a circle. The subject nj sound 81
nal> has Received much attention from scicn-
fists, who have lpn. pointed out the diff
Guilty uf determining direction by means ii
,ll' ear atone. and tho courts have rccog-
nizp'i this fact in passing upon questions
arising out of the errors of mariners due /"
deceptive addition. In the suit growing ont
of the collision between the Elam and l.r-
ranto, where the latter lal madea mistake
OF 40 dogs. in the direction of the former
and sunk her in consequence, the court
hrld!"1hat an error Of five points GG IA ,lcg.i
i'll locating a vessel lay the sound of hoy.
whistle in q fog is not necessarily Il fault
under the proved alterations in the course of
sound"
Ii is very evident that the present illstru-
nent used for warning, the steam whistle. is
inadequate. Even if it indicated direction
aud were 50 manipulated as To signal the
course it is NOT sufficiently powerful To be
heard far enough l." give tiin"to manclvtr.
some device must lac found which will con
v"N The warming toa greater distance, su us
to enable IL ship moving nj TIL" rate of q rail
road Train To overcome her momentum and
he read. ior the emergency. Some of oUr
most successful inventors are turning their
attention ID tins subject. and il looks Us
though liz. question of communication. he
tween ships was alnut To be settled satisfar-
torilN, The knowledge of the course of Il
nci.hborins vessel viii eliminate II very
troublesome clement, hut if the question of
the direction of the danger remains undcter-
mined the traveller and the shipper will still
have inany risks to lun.-Lieut. George l..
Dyer in The Epoch.