The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1897-06-17
OCEAN CEN rR}Ii STATIONS.
a Novel Plan to Insure Safety in Ocean
Travel and Improve the Weather
Service.
piltsburg Dispatch.

l)lspalclI.
a project, us bold Us it is magnili-
cent, has just been invented for pro-
viding Il series OF stations across the
Atlantic which will enabic steamers
at sea to be communicated with just
as railway train on is dry land
A. certain intervals OF about 100
miles MIR. RcuD ben II. Plass, for that is
the inventors name, proposes to place
what he calls "ccntral stations"
They are 2-storicd structures, with
quarters in which Il certain number Of
men viii live, just as they do in the
lEhtshipS round the coast. Each OF
;ncso stations will be supplied with
stores capable Ct lasting long time.
ana Is TO DC equipped with Il llicDoat,
manned by three sailors, which is To
be available for usc Whenever ncccs.
sary.
There are also 10 be attached TO
these stations two steam or naDtha
launches TO pHtrO! the interval from
one station to the other, keeping Il
lookout for ships in distress ana for
wrecks, ls we'll As iccbcrEs. All in
formation gathered on these points
VII! DC conveyed along the line bv
means ol Il telephone apparatus, with
! which it is proposed to connect the
| chains Of vessels. Between each cen
trai station there will be IL series OF
small tlOating lighthouses at intervals
OF Mic. These are to DC provided
with lo@borns, whose working will b.
| by means Il compressed air, stored bv
an automatic apparatus as the cdiicc
rocks, while the light which they fur
niSh at night will require attention
only two or three times year.
These lighthouses will be furnished
with ladders reaching to the sea, so
that should an individual he unfortu-
nate enough, through shipwrcck or
accident, to get into the water he would
be able to climb int the lighthouse,
which will contain food and the means
o! preparing it, as well as supplies Of
dry clothing.
The opening OF the door of any one
OF these light houses in the chain will
automatically convey Il message to
this eject down the line TO the central
station on each side, and will also in
dicatc the light house which has thus
become the shelter Of some one nccdinp
, assistance.
as soon as the storm subsidies, should
one be raging at the time, the ifcboat
will be put OF from the nearest station
in order to take the man OF the light
house and place him on board the first
passing steamer going the direction in
WnlCn nc was DOQnu.
While the human side of the project
Is thus indicated, It's utilitarian advan-
tagcs will be by no means lost sight of
On every one Of these lighthouses or
buoys-for such they will practically
bccOme-autOmatio Instruments will
rccO ii the temperature Of the air and
water, the rainfall, the velocity and
direction Of tho wind and current, as
well as other facts which it is desirable
to register,
These will be tclcgraphed' to both
sides Gf the Atlantic, and Il knowledge
OF the climatic conditions advancing
to tnc coast likely to obtain on shore
will thus be secured several days
ahead. Everything which can be
done automatically will be done in
this way, so that us little routine work
us possible will be left for the men at
the different stations to look after.
They will thus be able to give the
greater part OF their attention to the
patrol OF their district and the life
saving work, which will naturally be
one of tho chief considerations render
ing the adoption OF the plan at all
feasible.
In order to keep tho lightships and
floating station in position they will,
Of course, have to be anchored to tho |
bottom Of the ocean. TO make them |
rs comfortable and as steady as possible |
for the men living in them, huge iron |
tanks will form an essential feature OF |
their construction. These will be fill /
cd with oil, which, in stormy weather,
will be poured on the waves in order
to break their force and keep the So.
from running too high, thus cndanger-
ing tho safety Of the stations or causing
them to drag their anchors.