River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1889-11-07
THE MAGNETIC POLE.
lively Experiences OF Navigators in High
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THE MAGNETIC POLE.
lively Experiences OF NaviGators in High
Latitudos.
.'Very few people understand, or
wen realize. the care with which nav
gators are forced to watch COM
passes" said an eX-naval officer the
other day, both for variation and de-
yiation, for the least undetected error
adds an infinite danger to the many
hangers of seafaring.
Comparatively few outside Of sea-
airing men. understand much about
compass variation, except in a vague,
general way. and the number that
comprehend the troubles of deviation
IF the needle are very few indeed.
II had a funny experience once he
continued, with variation. l went to
he Arctic in 1873. IN the Tigress, with
Commander (now COMMODORE James
A. Greer in search Of the Polaris and
her survivors Our compasses were
adjusted at New York. and as that city
is only few degrees east of the same
longitude as the Magnetic Pole. we be-
gan our cruise with the needle show
ing nearly true north
''In our wide sweep to the eastward
% get around Newfoundland, we had
considerable variation but as the de-
grees Of longitude grew more narrow
the farther we proceeded north. and
we still kept making easterly until we
reached Disco, the needle would have
given no information whatever to
.andsman.
1.-The magnetic pole and the geo.
graphical pole are nearly 20 degrees
apart; the former being about II deg.
north latitude and IS deg. west longi-
tude from Greenwich. Consequently,
by the time our ship reached Davis
Straits the needle pointed we'll west
ward, and swung further around as
we sailed on. until the night after
eaving Tesuiak-the most northerly
settlement and crossing Melville Bay
we reached ana crossed the latitude of
the magnetic pole.
"WEcn we crossed the line the com
passes behaved very strangely. As We
neared the line the compass cards be-
gan swinging slowly. the length of
swing increasing each moment, until
at the very moment Of crossing each
card swung completely around the
whole circle, and repeated the opera
ton for ten or fifteen minutes The
little tell-talc card, hung on needle
swung so rapidly that its movement
could be heard when standing on the
deck below il.
when tho card in the pinnacle be-
gan swinging, Norwegian sailor had
his trick at the wheel and followed the
card. OF course, the vessel waved,
and when the card swung back he
steered the new course. and waved
again. The officer of the deck yelled
at the quartermaster and the latter
yelled at the poor Scandinavian, who
kept on faithfully following the COM
pass on the course he was ordered to
steer.
with each swing matters grew
worse and worse, including the erratic
yawing and the united, excited and
emphatic yelling Of tho officer and
quartcrmaster
AT last, when the poor devil ut the
wheel had become thoroughly ratified
the card made its first full turn around
and he dropped the spokcs to look at
the pinnacle, with both eyes bullying
out When the card made the second
turn that finished him. lie dashed out
of the wheel-house aud along the deck
to the forward deck-house, where DR.
Elston was. and there threw up both
hands in horror, saying; Doctor, doc
tor. for Gods sake, give me something
quick. I've got the iim-jams. and
haven't had drink of any thing since
we left ST. Johns"
The man was so excited that the
tears were running down his face; his
face was red and swollen, and his eyes
stuck out like bolt-heads on un iron
ship The poor devil was in such a
state that another man had to take his
trick at the wheel-steering by land
marks for an hour or more, while
Lindgvist had TO undergo sharp
course OF medical treatment to bring
him through.
1T was on the sane voyage that |
saw the greatest variation of the COM
pass When we discovered the fate
of the Polaris, and that her drew had
built boat and started south, we
started back too. The ship. when we
rounded Lyttleton island, was headed
due south on her course, but she
steered due northwest; the variation
was 135 degrees west
Up there, when we went on deck
after a sleep, we had to look at the
compass to know whether it was day
or night time, and before the compass
was relied upon, we had TO look at the
memorandum Of variation that Lieu-
terHnt Wilkins posted at the pinnacle
every hour. You see. if the sun was
in the northward, it was between six
p m. aud six a. m, or night, and if to
the southwark. il was daytime. -
National Tribune