Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1897-10-02
An -Inxentnr,s skilI-

Washington Star: John j. buckley,
! 36l West One Hundred and Forty-sey-
enth street, New York, but who Is
well known In Washington and claims
! this city as his adopted hoine, has
lately Invented n scientific apparatus
known az the electric sonnder. BY
means of this Mr.. Buckley is confident
that the depth of water can be ascer-
tanned by sailing captains for at least
1000 feet ahead of their vessels. He
is assured that the present tedious
method OF making soundings will be
relegated to the past and a vessel shall
no longer have tn feel her way into
port when the air is foggy.
The sounding with the new iuyen-
ton is done by means of a bell circuit.
This passes through n carrier. thence
10 a nonconducting cylinder filed with
quicksilver. The circuit Is completed
10y the cylinder striking bottom, the
bell on board the vessel Is rung and
warning given that the vessel is I'm too
shallow water. The apparatus con
slsts OF an air gun. about 5000 feet OF
wire, or. rather, a cable consisting of
two wires, n hollow shell which will
float a cylinder Of quicksilver and an
electric battery.
MI is forced into the air gun by
turning "A wheel. The cylinder with
the wire attachment is loaded into the
gun. This wire is on n reel, aud as
much Is wound off as the force of the
projectile will carry. The proiectilr is
sent through the air n distance Of be-
tween 1000 and 5000 feet. The num-
Der Of turns the operator gives the
NhaAl Whau tho. t,. 49,, 10 Ig,1aI ,1n-
tcrmines this. The cylinder strikes the
water and sinks. The length of this
wire, which intervenes between the
cylinder and the hollow shell or car
rier represents the depth Of water in
which il will be safe for the vessel so
venture.
Nearly all ocean steamers draw
thirty feet. when the wires enter The
cylinder they are separated. They
run into the cylinder separately and
terminate within only a short dis
tance OF n surface Of the quicksilver.
When the water is sufficiently deep the
cylinder hangs simply to the end Of
The line. In shallow water the cyliu-
der tumble over on the bottom. as the
end Is rounded. The mercury in the
cylinder then rushes about the ends
OF the wires completing "A metallic cur
rent and causing the Ringing of the
bell on s%hipboard connected with the
wires.
The efficacy of the invention de-
ponds, il is said. upon the certainty
with which the cylinder will fan over
when II strikes the bottom Of the chan
mel. Mr.. Buckley is certain that this
result will always happen. He says
that the cylinders own weight with
the action OF the waves will cause il to
fall over Immediately. besides the fact
that tho end is rounded like a ginger
ale bottle bottom. He has tried q
model of his device in Lake Ponchar-
train. On the sinking of the cylinder
me man in charge of the apparatus
draws in the line. When he hears no
warning bell he Is certain that the
course is clear, and the vessel NAV pro.
coed for the distance To which the line
has been east. When he reaches half
the distance he may then discharge
another cylinder. When he reaches
the end of the course OF the first cylin.
der he will have determined the ma.
ture OF the channel for the next zoos
feet.