The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1888-03-14

Vessels Are Now Fitted Up with Apparatus
for This Purpose.

Vessels Are Now Fitted Up with Apparatus
for This Purpose.
From the New York 1Imesl
When photographic students first
suggested TO shippers who had sailed
the seas for years that pouring oil on
the troubled waters might save both
vessel and cargo the proposition was
laughed to scorn. The wise old heads
knew better. Some of the younger
shippers thought the scheme might be
worth trying, and so put the theory to
the test. They found it to work ex-
ceedingly we'll; SO well, indeed, that
in port here they told their brother
masters OF their success. Stories OF
vessels having been saved by the
method were told ut infrequent inter-
walls In the South street resorts, and
were received with much of the doubt
ing Thomas spirit. Finally what were
looked upon as yarns took on color
of verify with q vengeance, and even
the oldest of the shippers began to
believe in the oil story.
The result Of this has been that there
is not week passes, in fact, hardly a
day, but the master of some vessel
graphic bureau and informs Lieut..
Cottman or some of his staff of the
benefits he had derived during the
stormy weather which now prevails
from the use of oil. So efficacious has
it proved in a number of instances that
the attention of shipowners has been
called to it, that they have fitted up
their craft with special fixtures for the
purpose of fighting huge waves witt
oil The British steamship Kate Faw
cett is one of these. Tanks are fitteG
up on deck for the special purpose OF
carrying oil, and from them pipes lea
through the ship side just above tho
water line. In case the waves become
particularly threatening Capt. Young
has the stop-cocks in the pipes opened
and let's out bit of oil. He has found
the plan to work extremely we'll, and
when running finds it necessary to send
out but one gallon in four hours. He
uses linseed or varnish oil. The British
steamship Earnwell is similarly fitted,
and its officers have found that the
loosening of even a small quantity OF
oil has kept the water from breaking
over the decks of the steamer.
In cases where vessels are not spe-
cially fitted for fighting mountains of
water with oil shippers sling over the
bows bags filled with coarse, heavy
oils, which ooze through the coarse
material of which the bags are made
and have a wonderfully calming effect
on old Neptune. The only trouble in
these cases, say the skippers, is that
the oil is apt to clog up the canvas OF
the bags and SO prevent perfect perco-
lation. This Capt. Lord of the Ameri-
can steamship Advance found out when
he was caught in q severe storm be-
tween st. Thomas and the Barbados.
So he rugged up big water filter over
the weather-board and treated the
waves which threatened to ingulf his
vessel to copious bath of oil, and so
kept the cross seas from washing over
the deck Of his steamer. Most any kind
of oil seems to do the work required.
but Capt. Peters of the British steam.
ship Lyon has probably used the
strongest mixture yet reported. one Of
cod-liver oil and linseed oil, of both oil
which he happened to have big con
signment in his cargo. A couple Of
gallons of fish oil, says Capt. Schulz
saved the schooner w. III. Jones from
losing single stick of logwood from
his dock cargo while he was trying tc
weather severe gale off Hatteras.