Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1895-05-18
WHAT THE LIGHTS TELL.
The siEna,s Displayed by Ships at Night,
and what They Moan.

rhe siEna,s Displayed by Ships at Night,
and what They Moan.
A railroad train cannot turn to the
right or loft at will, for II is bound by
tho Iron tracks to 60 tho way they
lead, and the trains coming toward 1t
are guided in another set of tracks to
pess safely by. Therefore the engineer
may rush his train along over the
of day or the darkness OF night, with
no fear save for the most unforeseen
and infrequent accidents. On tho sea,
however, a ship can 20 whichever way
she Is turned, and other ships may
meet her coming from any direction.
Tho broad ocean, then, may be looked
upon as covered with an enormous net
work Of tracks crossing one another II
nl1 directions, where ship may be
switched from one track to another nj
will In tho daytime ships can be seen
from each other, and be turned aside
20 pass In safety, for not only can they
be seen, but the direction in which
they arc going 10 known. Still, even il
the daytime certain rules must be fol
lowed to insure perfect safety. How.
then, do ships, pursuing so many inter
secting tracks, pass tho others safely
in spite OF tho darkness OF the night?
Imagine yourself on the bridge of a
big ship. It is really bridge, you
know, high above the deck, extending
from side to side near the bow, and
projecting little beyond the sides so
that from eaeh end man can see
straight ahead without rigging or
masts to interfere It is night, and
very dark. Evoa tho ship is only
long, dark shadow under your feet.
Over tho sky may be pail Of cloud,
and you peer away into tho darkness,
but cannot even tell where sea and sky
come together. All L. inley blacleneaa
above and below. Spreading outward
from the bow Of tho ship Is q foaming,
phosphoresoent wave, which tells how
rapidly nhe Ii rushing onward over the
unseen waters and into the dangers OF
tho impenetrablo gloom. In the midi
die OF tho bridge stands a man holding
. wheel and gazing nt q compass lit up
by little lamp. With that wheel he
turns tho rudder 10 keep the ship
steadily pointed In tho same direction
by tho compass. That direction Is her
track Other ships may be on that
track; other ships may bo crossing that
track in tho dnrknesA How are they
to be avoided?
On each side of the bridge stands O
man poering continually y into the gloom
ahead, while back and forth. almost
tncessantly, paoes o fourth man, an
officer, who, like tho others, is contin.
ually gazing ahead or glancing at the
compass. He Il tho officer of the deck
On him rests tho responsibility of
avoiding all other vessels which may
cross his vessels track, or be approach
ing her upon 1t. Upon his quiclfness
and Judgment depends the safety OF
the ship. In the daytime he has seen
one, two, or perhaps dozen ships
around him during single hour, and
he well knows that Just as many may
he around him during any hour of the
night. How, then, Is he to know
what 1t Is and how to keep out of their
way7
Their lights will tell
When you faos towards the ships
bow the side At your right hand IL
called the starboard side, and the side
at your left hand u called the port
side. On her starboard side q ship car
ries at night = green light, and it is &c
Bhut In by two sides OF box that Il
cannot be seen from the starboard side
or from behind. II tho ship is a steam
ship she carries . big white light a
her foremast-hend, but II she is sail
ing vessel she does not. This white
masthead light can be seen all around
except from behind.
So long, then, rs the officer of the
deck secs no lights, no feels sure tina,
there are no vessels near him. an(
PAGES his watch In security.-Eusigl
John II. Ellicott, in st. Nicholas.
ODDITIES