The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-06-22
TANNING THE OCEAN.
POWER OIL EXERCISES
OVER THE ANGRY WAVE.

LINN layer Oh Iris <hctu Possesses q PO-
tency Which Is Simply Marvellous.
Tho OBJECT of oil in calming tho sur
face of u stormy sea, the original dis
covery of which was accidental, has of
late been tho subject of scientific inves
litigation, and it is now possible to
choose such oils as are best suited for
the purpose, and also to point out the
source of their peculiar power over the
Fwavea The statistics collected ut tho
photographic Office of the bureau of
navigation show, by the reports of sea
captains themselves, that many vessel
has been saved not only from serious in
Jury, but from laundering, by the use
Iof few gallons of oil slowly trickled
into tho sea. Tho influence of the oil is
Frequently described in such reports as
Wonderful magical and almost incrcfli-
bile
ID ia not difficult to see upon what
this calming effect of oil depends, al
Though tho complete explanation of it
involves q mathematical process of dem
|onstration. The oil acts like n thin skin
drawn over the water, resisting the
tendency of tho latter to break into
cpAoJ dhtlSl Vic 4OICc VI Viz W ILL., L Ilt
danger to q ship from storm waves arises
from the breaking of the waves. AS long
JOS their surfaces are smooth and their
Crests unbroken the vessel rides them
easily and safely. But when they break,
and secondary waves are formed, it is
quito otherwise. Then the ship plunges
into the foalhing walls uprcared around
it, with frame racking shocks; immense
masses of water thunder down upon its
deck, sweeping everything clean, and
sometimes even the strongest hulls and
tho best seamanship are unable to pre-
vail i'll the contest This is the danger
that the spreading of oil over the waves
removes
At first sight it seems almost impos-
isiblo that thin oily film resting on
the tremendous sea waves could exercise
q controlling influence over them The
display of rcsistlcss energy made by the
breaking waves is so imposing and ter
rife that one might we'll believe no
power less gigantic than their own
could Withstand them The effect of
tho oil resembles that of the apparently
lnsi gmhcant force of chemical combina-
ton holding i'll restraint the explosive
energy of gunpowder.
1t lis TO German investigators that we
owo the discovery of tho active agent
which enables oil to exercise its calm
ing effect upon the sea. This agent is
oleic aCid, an ingredient found in lard,
olive oil and many other oils. Those
oils that possess the largest proportion
OF olcic acid are the most effective in
controlling the waves 1t is through its
gradual separation from the rest of the
oil and its diffusion in tho water that
oleic ncid acts When a drop of oil rests
upon water, the oil flattens out through
the effects of its own weight At the
edge Of the hattened disk of oil the oleic
acid tends most rapidly to dissolve in
the water, and the very act Of dissolv-
ling evolves energy which causes the oil
to spread still farther, thus keeping its
edges constantly in contact with water
that has not vet become charged with
oleic acid This spreading continues
with great rapidity until all of the oleic
acid has been dissolved. Sometimes the
Layer thus formed does not exceed q
twelve milhonth of an inch in thickness!
1t would not Ire easy TO explain with
out entering into technicalities, how the
forces involved i'll the dissolving action
just described result III resistance to
the rising Of waves Mathematical con
slderattons prove that such an effect OK
lists. and 1t has been shown experiment
tally that oleic acid spreading over water
Is capable Of arrcsting the progress of
floating chips driven by the wind, and
even of forcing such chips To move
against the direction of the wind
The power of n wave is made up of
the combined energy Of all of the parti-
clos OF water composing it, but cvcrv
particle mt the surface Of the wave is
opposed by the force brought into play
by the olelc acid, and thus the tend. ncy
OF tho surface of the wave TO brea !, is
resisted OF course the formation of
the wave as - whole cannot he prevent
ed by this mere surface resistance, but
tho character Of the action going on ut
the surface is controlled by it, and tht
LIS the important thing so far as tho
safety of ships is concerned
The discovery of the essential part
played by olcic acid explains WHY ne
troleuln has never been found so efficient
as other o!ls--oliye oil, for instance, in
smoothing wavcs-for petroleum con-
ta1ns comparatively small proportion
of thab Ingredient. The German invcs-
tlg7HorS would recommend the use of
pure oleic acld except for the fact that
IL freezes at about IS degrees above
zero and consequently is useless in very
cold weather. They have found, how
ever, that n mixture of olcic acid and
alcohol remains liquid at only 5 degrees
above zero and they accordingly rec
ofnmaM such a mixture as being the
best wave calming means vet discover