The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-07-08

merce of this City the photographic Office
has investigated the steamer routes from
Brito to Yokohama and from Brito to
Hongkong via San Francisco and Homo
lulu. The exhibits are made on the pres
ent issue and the distance shown by table.
The North Pacific pilot chart, it Is ex-
planned, is on the Mercator projection.
On such charts the relative distances
along great circles may be deceptive to the
eye. To make an accurate comparison
either computation or measurement
according to Mercator practice, must be
used. The table is as follows:
The unbroken great circle from Brito tc
Yokohama Qmpracticablel, 1922 knots.
The shortest practicable route from Br1to to
Yokohama, 7145 knots.
Br1to to San Francisco, 2700 knots.
San Francisco to Yokohama, 1896 knots.
Therefore, the distance from Brito to Yoke
hama via San Francisco is 1896 knots.
Excess of route via San Francisco over short
est practicable route is 81 knots.
Brlto to Honolulu, 421O knots.
Honolulu to Yokohama 3400 knots.
Shortest practicable route to Yokohama via
Honolulu, 1910 knots
Therefore, excess of route via Honolulu over
route via San Francisco is 374 knots.
The shortest practicable route from Brito to
Hongkong is $40 knots.
Brito to San Francisco, 200 knots.
San Francisco to Hongkong, 5000 knots.
Therefore, the distance from Brito to Hong
kong via San Francisco is $3.50 knots
Therefore, excess of route via San Francisco
over shortest practicable route is 20 knots.
Brho 10 Honolulu, 1910 knots.
Honolulu to Hongkong, 4917 knots.
Therefore the distance from Brito to Hong
kong via Honolulu is 9127 knots.
Therefore, excess of route via Honolulu over
route via San Francisco is 367 knots
This talk shows" said Captain W. L..
Merry yesterday, chow closely the Mica
ragua canal is allied to the interests of San
Francisco. With the canal completed this
part becomes natural stopping place for
vessels bound from the Atlantic seaboard
for the Orient. 1t will take a steamer
bound from any port of Europe or Amer.
lea in the Atlantic only seven or eight
hours longer to go to Yokohama by way
of San Francisco than the shortest distance
from Brlto out. To go to Hongkong the
difference in time will be less than two
hours, as the difference in distance is only
twenty miles This would come near
placing San Francisco right in the line of
vessels bound through the canal for the
Orient, and also those bound from the
Orient. To go to Yokohama by way of
Honolulu 374 additional knots would have
to be traversed and 1857 knots more to
Hongkong than by way of San Francisco"
The pilot chart in this issue gives the
best locations for crossing the equator for
the months of September, October and
November 1t also dwells at some length
on the influence of atmospheric conditions
on the sound and gives some good sugges-
tions to mariners OH this head. Mariners
are advised to study the principles which
affect the audibility of fog signals, the
noises upon the ships, the noise of the
wind and the waves and the condition of
the nerves. The advice follows:
They should remember that it does not re-
quire very heavy wind TO drive back the
sound; that southerly wind generally drives
back the sound more than northerly or an
easterly one; that about the time of change
in the wind the sound is not generally heard
as far as usual; that when the upper and lower
currents of air run in different directions, or
when the upper sails fill and the lower sails
flap, or conversely, the signal is not to be de-
pended upon; that a very heavy wind tends to
break up all sound; thati vessel is travelling
with the wind the signal will probably be
heard better than if it were travelling against
it, that behind hill or an island the signal
may be heard better at distance than nearer
the obstacle; they should bear in mind that it
is hard to locate a feeble sound, and even q
strong one may appear to come from the wrong
direction i. it is INSTRUCTED by objects near it,
even by objects not directly in the straight line
between the observer and the signal: that
neighboring cliffs and sails sometimes reflect
the sound; that the sound may be cut off en-
tirely by passing vessels; that to estimate the
direction of the sound the head should be
turned rapidly from side to side, SO that the
sound may reach the ears alternately.