Telegram-herald., 1889-09-02
THE BALANCES ILIFTED.
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B.lAnss, 49, At Esaaa want
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ths other day, excepting for one thing
The danger y ngs u Substantially done
away With, for lhs appliances are 50 per
feet that W.-a = large crew there L no
difficulty r. 81 sdung any coufazragio1
that may slar- TIE shlps that ere Duilt
no~aeays wi. or,aye anv storm. even
hurriesne aaL there l. 40 danger y
ship bait al-h compartments sinking
from any ordinary 4e2k. The ons perl
which l. rel yet avoided h. thar Cf col
hslOn. Nothing thag has vet teen con
trised elao.es tAs most careful uavig.tos
~ rest free from anxiety oa that point.
This utrerancs Is one that Is echoed by
Any and al sea captains Who vii talk
On the subject They declare that nothing
remains 70 make sea going practically as
safe as any land travel excepting ID DO
away with the danger Of collision. and il
Il therefore comforting 70 know t-al
practical steps have been taken toward
solving this important problem. Some
time ago the presl4en. Of the United
States issued circular letter 10 all the
maritime nations Of the world inviting
them 10 send delegates 10 a convention a.
be held IN Washington for the purpose Of
considering this very question. England
a. hrst refused. and for some tine hung
back. and. IS matter OF course. no
conference that should be held without
her cooperation would be OF any gIear
importance. At length. however. Tie
English government reccnsidered a.,
question and appointed her delegate
Nearly al the other nations followed her
example, and the conference is 70 Be- held
Ia the coming fau.
That II is much needed no one who is
at all conversant with maritime matter
will question for moment. The mum
Der Of vessels actually sunk By collision
in the world runs not far from 200 each
year. and statistics show that even this
large number IS increasing from year to
year.
The conference will discuss many ques-
tions bearing on the subject OF safety az
sea, but. As is suggested above. their
main work will be directed 10 the use of
signals for the purpose of avoiding col
lisions, that being universally conceded
to be the principal danger now encoun-
tered by the mariner. They are expected,
therefore. TO adopt uniform system OF
marine signals or other means Of plainly
indicating the direction in which vessels
are moving in fog. mist, falling snow
and thick weather, and at night. To
their treatment Of this subject will be ct
tracted the most public attention.
matter nf ssof1rSo in p-ior +<D n x-nfj
bringing his own vessel into collision with
another. the master must know where
that other is, and at the same time inform
the master of the other vessel Of his own
whereabouts. In the case OF derelicts
this is manifestly impossible, and con
sequently the derelict inspires more
terror than anv other source Of peril ut
sea. Ii presents the only danger which
cannot be foreseen. against which ne
precaution is adequate. So long as there
are ships it is likely that this peril will
remain. There seems 70 be no reason.
however, why system Of communica-
ton cannot be devised which will enable
commanders TO inform one another OF
their whereabouts even in a fog or on the
there Is a system now in use among all
seanen by which it is intended that this
shall be done. Not everybody knows,
though, that this system is radically de
fective and in some cases very inefficient.
Manifestly the only way TO communicate
at sea Is By signals 10 the eye or to the
ear Experiments are constantly being
INA hl- ,,,fH Il -
biliry of telegraphing through the water,
and it has been claimed that messages
have been sent and received in this way
No practically valuable results have vet
been attained in this direction. however.
though it would be foolish in this dav TO
deny the probability of electricity being
the ultimate solution OF the whole ques-
tion
FoF The present the only possible reli-
anco is o1 the perception of the eye and
ear. aII this Is reached in few ways
only. and similar contrivances.
such ~ balls hung ike flags. lights.
whistles cr horns or sirens. guns and
beils are ths only means in uSe outside
% the system Of motions known IS wig.
w2g
WigwaZ ia n set # motions % 10 made
by naa in sight, 5ut cut of hearing of
another man. by which words can be
conveyed. Tho sender stands ia as con
spicuous = place pa possible and hollis
in one hand or in each hand. some OBJ
iect Ike Ca. p can. a sfict. ANYTIME
he can get. which the ere win readily
..