Oxford eagle., 1889-10-31
The MAGNETIC POLE.
Lively Experiences ef Navigator in HIxh
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Istitade.-
VERY few people understand. or
even realize. the care with which nav
iga;ors are forced TO watch CON-
passes" said an ex-naval officer the
other day. both for variation and de-
Walton. for the leas; uEdetected error
adds an infinite danger To the many
dangers OF seafaring.
Comparatively few. outside Of sea
faring men. understand much about
compass variation. except in n vague.
general way. and the number that
comprehend the troubles Of deviation
OF the needle are very few indeed
Il had funny experience once" he
continued. with variation / went 10
the 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 al New York. and as that city
is only a 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
10 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 a
landsman-
The magnetic pole and the geo
graphical pole are nearly - degrees
apart; the former being about ~ deg.
north latitude. and - deg. west longi-
tude from Greenwich. Consequently,
by the time our ship reached Davis
Straits the needle pointed well west
ward. and swung further around as
We sailed on. until the night after
leaving Tesuiak-the most northerly
settlement-and crossing Melville Bay
we reached aud crossed the latitude of
the magnetic pole
When we crossed the line the COM
passes behaved very strangly. A 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 rereal.d the opera
ton FOR fs- or fifteen minutes The
lisise tell-tale card. hung on a needle,
swung 50 rapidly that its movement
could be heard when standing on the
deck below it
When the 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 quarsermaster and the latter
yelled al the poor Scandinavian. who
kept on faithfully following the CON-
pass on the course he was ordered 10
steer.
with each swing matters grew
worse and worse. including the erratie
yawing and the united. excited and
emphatic yelling of the officer and
quartermaster.
AT last. when the poor devil AZ the
wheel had become thoroughly ra;tIei.
the card made its first full turn around,
and he dropped the spokes 10 loox at
the pinnacle. with both eyes bulginy
out When the card made the second
turn that finished him He dashed out
OF the wheel-hOuse and along the deck
10 the forward deck-house, where DIR.
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 jim-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 an iron
ship The poor devil was in such q
state that another man had 10 take his
trick Al the wheel-steering by land
marks for an hour or more, while
Lindgvist had to undergo a sharp
course OF medical treatment to bring
him through
ut was on the same voyage that !
saw the greatest variation OF the CON-
pass When We discovered the fate
OF the Polaris. and that her crew had
built boat and started south. we
started back too The ship. when We
rounded Lyttleton island. was headed
cue south on her course, but she
steered due northwest; the variation
was lS5 degrees west
Up there. when we went on deck
after a sleep. ne had TO look AZ the
compass 70 know whether II was day
or night time. and before the compass
was relied upon. we had 70 look az the
memorandum OF variation that Lieu
sensnt Wilkins posted Al the pinnacle
every hour You see. II the sun was
in the norihward. il was between six
p N and six q m. or night and II 70
the south Wnrd n va 1-~tsr,,.. -