The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-01-15
rrnrs AND MILES.
..,,. Between Them Explained for
Dlhei'" ~, Bsnrht o fLandsinsn.

a., usnrht ofLandaineh'
TarE Herald: In tbs day Of re-
Nc" - by ocean steamers. when
cord - s I.' ..eamcr that comes into port
every ' p.1 TO carry record hung at
IS CIV ~, 8, 10 speak. how many lands
!a'u- sraw the meaning OF the term
Iasl- -, IN which rate OF speed at sea is
A ,,s,. c,prsssed? It IS purely and
'nl.T ,,.. a nautical term, having specific
Vay,nIy I'm 10 the speed and distance
81 ~. n vessel moving In the water.
M .,y.or1 knot" Is the mariners term
La' rsItlcal mile. and It's use 10 really
;l-i,.sJ nom the log line used by naVl-
dt,', ~ +be ocean when they wish 10
gL.',rr,,In. inc speed and distance that
o. nh bas probably sailed In a given
VI ~ THE log line Is an important and
M :, necessary part of ships fittings
@s.'.a,,aII,. IL thls the case when, for sew
X days al sea, the navigator Is unable
so.,,iSs of the sun being hidden by the
li9,da or thick weather, to get peep at
:, yith h,s sextant. from which the act
,,sl position OF the ship is worked out
yTJtb inc data taken by frequent heaV-
tre OF the log Ia small block or section OF
yood with long line attached and rth
AMI from the stern OF the vessel Tor q sPe-
cds number OF seconds), noting the
S5rre and direction Of the wind the pos
siblo currents or other influences actlil6
yavorably or against the progress OIL lne
shin, the navigator is enabled 10 calcu-
late very nearly, in overcast OF Iogsy
weather, about where his snip Is az any
hour Of the day. This Is called w9rk,
ing out the position OF the ship oy ue1u
-,,,,,t.
cal table in his early school days VIII re-
call that part OF the slng-song recithtloi
running like this: "SiNty-nine and one
sixth statute miles. or sixty geographical
miles equal one degree OF longitude ut
the equator" Now, the difference pc
tween a statute mile and q nautical or
geographical mile is that the latter IS
about SOC feet greater than the former.
There are sixty geographical miles 70
each degree Of latitude, or TO each degree
of longitude at the equator, which divls-
ions OF miles are called minutes" In the
nautical vocabulary, hence the OLD say
ing, "a. mile q minute" As there are S6O
degrees or merfdlans, Of longitude, there
are q, 500 minutes of miles, in the entire
OF the world at the equa-
sor; and It has been mathemltically de-
terInlned that one minute-one Geogra-
phlcal mile-at the equatorial circle is
equal to 60Ss7 feet. But it has been the
OF mariners not to be TO exact on
small fractions when measuring distance
as great as q mile, consequently the
practice of defining a knot or nautical
mile rs equal to $3.50 feet, instead oil
6OS6.7 feet, has been generally adopted
When the navigator desires to make a
iogllne by which to ascertain the speed
which his vessel is making through the
water, he follows the constant 6OSo. AS
the number of seconds in an hour are 70
$3.50 feet, so are the number OF secohdA
in the time glass 30 be used Tor meas
uring the ships speed 10 the number OF
feet in each unit OF measurement mark
ed off on the log line. II q half minute
thirty seconds glass IS TO be used. the
Knots must be made so feet inches from
each other, and the number OF these
knots which pass from the reel over the
stern while the sand is running from the
Top-bulb to the lower bulb OF the glass Is
euual TO the number OF knots or nautical
miles that the vessel would make in an
hour. providing the same conditions Tor
speed continue.
For instance, II the engines on a steam-
shin continue to make their same speed
during the hour. or IL the force OF wind
and spread OF canvas OF a sailing vessel
continue the same, the number OF knots
on the line passing from the reel while
the sand is running through the thirty
second glass Is as good az actual meas
urement of the vessels speed through the
water as could be obtained, except that
the course should be measured by an act
liaI survey with instruments. II is wa9
shown that the vessel was making ten
knots, she would cover ten geographical
miles, or little more than eleven and
half times $3.50 $3.50 feet being equivalent
10 n land mile). Hence, 10 speak OF the
City of Paris having made 625 knots of
nautical miles In twenty-four hours. she
covers a distance OF 60iIs land miles las
comprshended in railroad distances, or u
rate Of twenty-five land miles an hour.
which is faster than many railroad
trains travel.