Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1897-09-03
CONTINUOUS souNpINes.
New Device That Registers Depth o.
Water on Dial.


New Device Tint Registers Depth Of
Water on Dial.
copyright, 1871
An ingenious invention designed to
lessen the perils of ocean travel has just
been patented by an experienced skip
per, Capt. Ferdinand Foster, of the
steamer AL Foster. 1t seems likely to
make a back number of one of the old
est of the sailors implements-th cord
and weight used from time immemorial
to test the depth of water in which a
ship is sailing by means of the process
known as "heaving the lead" The use-
lessness of this process in an emer-
gency was shown by the fate that be-
fell the ocean greyhound st. Paul. 1t
will be remembered that on foggy
day the big steamer found herself off
her course. steering through the dark
ness no one knew exactly where. In
accordance with custom a man was
sent to the chains with the lead for
the purpose of keeping the pilot posted
regarding the depth of the water. The
lead was heaved once and showed
satisfactory depth of water. The usual
interval elapsed before the lead was
heaved again. When the cry of the
man in the chains was next heard
there was CONSERVATION in the big ship.
The second cast had shown that the
steamer was in shallow water. and
before any steps could be taken to
get her out of danger her keel glided
softly on the sands and she was beached
hard and fast. Had the sandy beach
been a rocky shore a terrible disaster
would have occurred and the made
quacy of the old method of testing the
depth of water under a vessels bow
would have been still further empha-
sized.
1t is with the intention of remedying
this serious defect in the apparatus of
navigation that Capt Foster has,.
after much study, invented the device
referred to. 1t consists of an oblong
piece of metal, fitted with fins at the
top and bottom and sides. The fins are
similar in design to those on the Hol-
land submarine boat, and are designed
TO enable the contrivance to sink to
the deepest depth of water. The great
superiority of the idea over the old
method consists in the fact that instead
of having TO be thrown overheard at
intervals the new device can be sus-
pended at the exact depth of water that
vessel must draw to be perfectly safe,
and left in that position while the ship
is moving through the water.
The floating metal is connected with
the ship by means Of an electric wire,
which not only registers the depth of
the water on the dial in the pilot
house, but If the implement strikes
any obstruction or touches bottom in
stantly announces the fact. so that the
pilot is enabled to shape. his course ac-
cordingly.
In addition to this it is possible by
means of the new device to tell exactly
the kind of material of which the bed
of the ocean beneath the ship is com
posed. The method is extremely sim
pie. An ordinary telephone receiver is
connected with the wire that runs to
the depth tester, and when the latter
touches bottom the pilot is enabled to
tell the nature of the oceans bottom by
the sound that he hears on the receiver.
If the metal touches a clay bottom or
a sandy soil the sound viii be smooth,
without jar or friction; but if the ship
is travelling over a rocky bed the sound
that comes to the receiver win be harsh
and grating as the metal device bumps
over it, With such apparatus as this
it would have been impossible for the
st. Paul to meet with the accident she
did.
With the ordinary lead it is only pos
sible to sound to a certain depth when
the vessel is under Roadway, as the ac-
ton of the water carries the lead al
most straight out. The new device will
sink to almost any depth, its action in
the water being like that of a kite in
the air The greater the speed of the
boat the swifter and deeper the metal
will sink, the angle at which the fins
are arranged carrying it down as the
water strikes them during the progress
of the vessel. The ''sinker" weighs ten
pounds and is AS inches in length.
The device has been submitted to
officials who are interested
in improvements to navigation and
Capt. Foster has been notified that an
expert will be appointed to examine
and report upon the value of the inven-
tion.