New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1898-11-09


METHODS BY WHICH ITS KNOTS PER
HOUR ARE MEASURED.
An Interesting Descriptions OF the
Mechanism and Use of. the Log. with
Truthful Red Sea Shark story At
tachment.
How do you ascertain the speed Of
q vessel?'' is question frequently adj
dressed to naval men, and an explana-
tion will therefore probably be Of inter-
est to many readers. There are several
methods, the commonest and most an
Gent being by the use of the ''ldg. y
This instrument consists of three parts
the logship, the line and the marks.
The logship is a. piece of wood about
half an inch thick and shaped like
quadrant, with piece of lead let in
round the circular edge to make it float
perpendicularly in the water. It is slung
by lines at each angle, the three lines
being joined together about two feet
from the logship. Two Of the lines are
Gecurely fixed to the ship and the other
has a bone peg at the end, which, being
pushed into hole in the ship, tempo.
rarily fastens it there. ~ ~.
From the point Of juncture of the three
lines sufficient length is measured,
generally about 100 feet, to take the
logship we'll clear of the ships wash.
This is called the "stray line'' and is
marked with piece of bunting. From
the bunting is measured ~ feet 8
inches, and the line marked here with
piece Of leather. Then another ~ feet
8 inches is measured off and marked
with two knots, then another space
the same length, and marked with
three knots, and SO on as tar as seven
knots. Halfway between each batch of
knots one single knot is made. The log
line is then ready for use.
The space between the knots is found
from the simple little rule Of three sum:
AS 8, 600 seconds (number Of seconds in
an hour), % seconds Qength of sand
glass;, $3.50 feet (number of feet in a
nautical mile); length of line required
which works out to A. feet inches.
To use the log four persons are re-
quired-two men to hold the reel on
which the line is wound; the quarter
! master, to hold the glass, and the mid
! shipman of the watch, to heave the log.
The last named puts the peg firmly in
the logship and then gathers three or
! four coils of line in his hand, sufficient
to admit of the logship being thrown
! nj 0f ho CHI tn oc-
! glass, quartermaster?'
"Clear glass, STRIP comes the reply,
and overheard go the logship and line,
the reel rapidly revolving. Presently
the MILDLY feels the piece Of bunting
passing through his hand, and he gives
the order, 'Turn." The quartermaster
| turns the glass and watches the sand
, while one "reeler'' holds the reel we'll
over his head, SO as to give the line fair
! play. When the sand has run out,
"Stop!'' cries the quartermaster.
The midshipman grasps the line, as
sisted by the other reeler, and looks for
the nearest knot, finding a single one
close to his hand. Then the line is haul
ed in, and four knots appear, which
signify that the ship is going four and
half knots through the water. The
jerk Of the line draws the peg from the
logship, which now floats on its fiat
side and is easily hauled in. When 9
ship is going over four knots, IA sec
ond glass is used, the speed being double
that shown by the knots on the line.
! Another method in use is the patent
log. This is altogether mechanical anc
consists Of long cylinder with clock
work inside it and four fins on the out
side. It is towed astern Of the ship by {
line made fast to swivel in the heat
Of it. AS it is dragged through the wa
ter the four fms make it revolve, actu
ating the clockwork inside, which regis
tiers on a series Of dials the number O.
knots run. This log has to be hauled il
every time one wants to read it, bu
there is another kind where the fan il
towed astern and the dial is fxtur'
in the ship. This is called "cherub. ,
These logs are not always accurate
and are constantly verified when nea
land by cross bearings-that is, tn
bearings of two we'll known points ar
/, taken, and the position so obtained i
marked on the chart, the time Of obser
walton being noted and the reading OF
the patent log. After an interval ha
elapsed the position of the ship is agai>
taken by CROSS bearings, when tn
> straight line joining the two places Of
, the chart wilLshow the direction of tn
:. course steered and it's length the distanc
run. A comparison with the reading
by patent log will give the error Of tn
f machine. -
To finish here is patent log yarn
9 as told by an old messmate. Igive it i
l his own words: ''When in the Crocodil
y in the Red sea, just after taking til
reading one night at s o'clock, til
!; quar- termaster reported, SHARK takel
the patent log, sir!' I got another on
!, over at once At 9 80 next morning W
stopped for half an hour. To amuse tn
:; ladies tried for and caught shark
On opening him we found our paten
log, and" he added gravely, .strang
to say it registered the same as the on
;. in use. The line had jammed between
his teeth, the fan working all the tim