The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-12-18
Wisdom Of the Great Virginian's Plan
Emphasized in Paris.
TEUTONlC'S. NARROW ESCAPE
Brings the Question to the front-No
Alternative Suggestion for Les
SEEMING the Danger Of Col
lision Found Practicable

from collision with steamer. believed
20 be cattle transport, during a heavy
fog in mid-Auanuc. Tho two vessels
were so close together that nothing could
be done 90 avoid "a crash. but fortunate'y
the transport just slipped past the leu
tonic passing 50 closely that, as the
cablcEram said, a coin might have been
tossed from one deck 20 the other
1t IS appalling. as the Daily Tcle-
graph points out in an article he, ded
'sPerils OF the Atlauic," 90 think of what
would have been the consequences had
the transport not Just slipped past
And how terrible would Doe the oons"-
quonces II two Atlsluc greyhounds were
20 meet each other when going dt
speed Of twenty-five or twcnty-thrce
knots an hour.
COMMODORE MAURY'S PLAN
It was TO provide against this awful
possibility, says the Daily Telegraph.
that Commodore Matthew Fontain MauIy.
Of the United States Navy conceived ln
1870 the idea that q track, or lane could
be laid down across the North Atlantic
along which vessels going castwdrds
should steer their course, and That am
other lane should be prescribed. OF de-
fined, for use by westward bound ships
Each OF these lanes was to be about aO
miles in wi4th. and IL is obvious that II
ovory vessel followed the instructions
formulated by Commodore Maury. u
dangers Of collisions might be greatly
diminished. Unfortunately. however
nearly half n century has passed since
Maury published his wind and Current
Charts" followed by his physical Geo
.,raphy of the Sea" which was one of she
ablost and most original works ever
written on either side the Atlantic.
Commodore Maury himself was very
remarkable man. and no native Of the
state of Virginia ever gave zap moro tpan
ne did when. like General Robert j. Lee
he followed her into secession. which
meant ruin 90 both. Ii Is well known
that II Lee had adhered to the Union he
would have been appointed Commander
in-Chicf Of The Northern Armies. ana II
Commodore Mauy had not resigned ,ne
post Of Chief OF the Naval Observatory
AZ Washington with q comfortable salary
he would have escaped the grinding pow
orty that awaited him between 1850 when
the Civil War closed. and 1873 when NE
died. Both were deeply religious men,
and both rec0ilod from the idea of fight
ing against their native state and both
accepted profesorships with puny Sal-
aries az the Virginia Military Institute at
Lexington. where both died. Maury
physical Geography of the Sea- was
published in 1856. and immediately proc
duced a prodicious impress rom. especially
among men of Thought and experience.
NEED OF STEAMER LANES.
Reverting 10 his lane theory 10 has
been stcadfasOy adhered 90 for many
years by the great English transatlantic
steamship lines. and especially by the
Cunard. But tho time has now come
when greater efforts than ever should
be made 20 cause navigation 10y steam
tracks" as Maury calls TO- 20 bc unlvcr-
sally adopted. "rhe daily increasing
amount of collision between ships at
sea-" he wrote in 1870, which has add
vancod much beyond the ratio of the
use Of steam. has led 20 many plans for |
averting e. but apparently without effect. |
The terrors Of this danger I'm open sea !
are manifest and many sad examples |
should induce caution. such ms that Of |
the United States mail steamer Arctic I
striking the little French steamer Nesta, !
near Cape Race I'm october 1854 II was |
under these circumstance that ] took up |
the idea suggested by Mr.. r. j. Forbes. |
Of Boston. who proposed one track for /
steamers going 10 and another for those |
coming from America
Commodore Maury makes out fhat the !
shortest possible distance traycrsed 10y |
steamer between Liverpool ana Sandy /
Hook IS 5000 miles the average distance |
actually accomplished being 1909 miles 1
"
lane going west is 302S miles Another |
recommendation in favor of this lane TO |
the west is that 81 lies along the northern |
edge OF the Gulf Stream. where the eddy !
viii amount % twelve miles a. day for !
three days and q half-say forty miles. /
This makes the distance of the ianf prdc-
tically about 29gS miles, which will short
On the average length of the passage hy |
some hours. with much less risk of coli-
Il -
IN REGARD TO ICE.
II was urged by many Atlantic captains
that Maurys lane could not always be
followed on account OF the ice. To this |
Maury replied that, whatever course
snip pursues. ice is danger she MUST /
always be exposed TO- and that 30 is not
greater inside than outside the lane lie
added: "Nly lane crosses the banks of
Newfoundland near their greatest width |
-gs5 miles. If n steamer IS crossing There /
in a fog and I'm doubt as TO her position.
she can Judge from their breadth and
the soundings what her latitude IS. For
instance if the breadth of the banks |
when crossing be less than 215 miles, but |
tho sounding IS not less than forty FAITH
oms tho vessel has crossed the banks
20 the north of the lane. but n she find !
herself In less than thirty fathoms. then
she has crossed 10 the south Of it, Should |
she. however find herself IN water that
suddenly shoals 20 less than thirty faith
oms. and as suddenly deeDels again
she IS near the Virgin Rocks. or The nine
fathom bank to the east of Them and
her position SIS Immediately known II
should be- remembered however. that
these lanes are not channelwgys in which
steamers must keep or be lost Gales 0f
wind. ice. or other things viii now aud |
then force a steamer out OF them, aud
then she will Doe in mo- more danger than
she IS now. only when she gets back 10
the lane. she VIII Doe in less"
PERILs ENHANCED.
Since these words were written the
traffic upon the Atlantic has increased
one hundred-fold. The mighty herring
pond" which divides the old World from
the New, o. now traversed by so many
lines Of steamships that fits porils are |
enhanced Moreover. The riv-
airy Of different lines and OF different
nations. has Ted ships TO be built and
driven at such terrific speed that every |
one well acquainted with tho Atlantic Is
astonished that collisions between ships
are not OF more frequent occurrence.
10 H.. OF course. from cattle steamers. |
tramp steamers and steamers carrying |
ore. or timber. or wheat, or cotton, or
other articles of commerce. that tho .
greatest danger 10 other vessels proceeds. |
and when We contemplate the vast in
crease OF communication between the
Eastern and Western hcmisphercs which |
will spring up when tho postage Of let !
ters Is reduced 20 one penny, IL rs but too
that within the next Few years
we shall become familiarized with many |
more accidents at sea than took place
twenty years ago.
In addition 20 Great Britain. other ma
lions. such as France. Holland. Belgium.