, 1888-01-19
a New Compass.

The Alta California gives an ac-
count of q new compass invented by
Leon Sirieix, Frenchmen by birth,
and a graduate of the French Poly
technic. The compass. as exhibited,
consists of brass cylinder devided
into two compartments. The lower
compartment contains the corrector
of the needle, while the upper divis-
ion contains the compass card, which
is swung on apivot, as in the ordi.
nary manner. On one side of the
cylinder, close to the base, is q screw,
aad in the center of the base is an
other. These are the adjusting screws,
the first, A, being used for correcting
the permanent magnetism, and the
other, b, for the correction of the
induced magnetism. The inventor
placed his compass on an immaginary
ship, and laid her head due north,
or in other words, made the 'lubbel
line" form one with the pole on the
wall. The needle then pointed due
north. On the other coursee the
same result was attained. The nee
die never diviated one degree from
the north. Iron was placed around
the compass, and the needle was
observed to diviate a degree to the
west. The inventor moved screw, b,
and adjusted the needle carefully.
The imaginary vessel was swung
again, and on every course the needle
pointed due north. 1t was also shown
that the compass had no 'heeliug
error, which is caused by the rolling
of the vessel. A most severe test
was applied, but the card remained
perfectly horizontal. The Sirisix
compass was revolved at great rate,
much more than could ever attained
in swinging ship, and directly the
motion was stopped the compass card
was seen to be still pointing north,
and it had moved little more than
half degree on each side of the
''lubber line" The compass card
was spun at great rate. Left to it
self, it became dead in about one
minutes time. An ordinary compass
would revolve probably five minutes
or more Mr. Sirieix has IN his COM
pass avoided the use of compensa-
ting magnets placed in the deck or
binracle, vertical bars, and other ar
rangements necessary to the compass
es mentioned. He has, to use his
own expression, Centralized and neu-
tralized" the magnetism of the ship
in spot directly beneath the COM
pass card, thus succeeding where
others have failed. The Alta says:
Prof. Sladky, of the University of
California, has testified in writing to
the splendid performance of Mr. Sir
ieix's instrument, and it has also been
examined by Lisutenants j. B. Mil
ton, E. j. Dorm, and G. NJ. Stoney, of
the .. S. Navy, all OF whom agree as
to the efficiency of the compass"
NJ. DeLesseps leaves Paris for Pan-
anna in March.
Eighty-eight small pox patients
are confined in the pest house in San
Francisco.
James G. Blaine is grandfather.
The wife of James q. Blaine, Jr., has
presented him with son.
The Prince of Wales has received
a present of table ten feet around,
made out of the hide of rhinoceros
The court house and all the county
records at Las Animos. Rent county, |
Colo, were destroyed by fire last |
A Obstructive accident in the Wa
bash railroad in Indiana occurred
his week in which several persons
injured.
The German Court Journal says
hat Kaiser William wants to abdi-
,ate in favor of his son. the corona
ltion to take place in May.
Herbert Spencer is at Bournmouth
n very poor health. The insomnia
which recently afflicted him has re-
urned, and he can find no remedy
or it u