The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-10-16
TRAVELS OF 4 WRESTLING BUOY.
They Have Furnished the photographic
Bureau with Valuable Information.
From m, PhiIndeIphia Pr,tt

They Have Furnished the Photographic
Bureau with Valuable Information.
From the Philadelphia Preu.
The navigators OF the western Atlantic
Ocean. and. indeed, a great many scientists.
are deeply interested in the erratic wanderings
OF the Martha's Vineyard whistling buoy.
which went adrift from its location in the Vine
yard Sound more than two years ago and is
still being carried to and fro at the will OF the
winds and currents. After two months with
out news from this strange wanderer comes
the export that it was again seen by a passing
vessel on sept. 8. in latitude 80. longitude 30.
nearly 500 miles due east from the position in
which it was last seen on July 9.
The United States photographic officials
have become much interested in the drift OF
this buoy. and have already gained valuable in
formation regarding the currents and winds
OF the North Atlantic through plotting the
travels OF this strange buoy whose whistle
still sounds a warning intended only for YES
sells when near a shoal. Every issue Of the
North Atlantic pilot chart for nearly two years
past has contained the dotted drifts OF the
buoy, and information regarding it is largely
sought after from all shipmasters crossing in
the locality where It was last reported. This
FEBRUARY. 1897. the buoy was 900 miles TO the
northward and eastward OF the island Of Ber-
year 100 miles southwest Of that position.
and then nothing was heard from the wan
ship Captain IN about latitude Sc. IonnGifude 81.
showing q drift to the northward and east
ward Of 800 miles In six months time.
Next 1t must have headed away about east
iatitude 3D.. longitude Al. It's next course
in latitude SO. longitude 5. June the wandering
buoy was seen in latitude "a. longitude AZ.
ffoMiH then ' on TO- July o." 8. when ne me next sPs seem. Il
took a slow and short drift OF about seventy;
five miles due south. At this point 1t changed
the line Of Cape Hatteras.
For some years, past the photographers
currents. &c sby, having shipmasters throw
overheard bottles bearing in them the date and
S Sept1ns Sas e eSst "dri Mh9 fo d tais mfsse tRs vol et
locity and. direction OF the sea surface.cur-
rents. Only a small percentage OF these bot
their purpose and reach the land only to be-
come Embedded in the sands. Hence II nat
cannot. be accurately determined In this way.
For this reason the Martha's Vineyard buoy
Nth Its smEll S eTpSsed g surface ~ 70 d tas wind di ot,
currents, and It is for this reason so much in
terest attaches to It. 4 bottle thrown over.
make a complete. circuit q the North Atlantic
~ WAY way s Of the FIo AEGTos so0 %est Indies ! 4s,s ep h6% Of
Ushant and North Cape Of Norway.
bo i t MIIi w1fke 9yeS 6nd ID R %ay Il, tns The az Gansr q
Islands. the Cape Verde islands, and the
West 5p Hd6 mi several sSd bottles tStss RsSe tr siSnIsied
between denarture and e%rriyals;t sThGee
gle. when in command OF the British steam
ship Dago. which fto2pndered At sea not long
same instant. were recovered after a drift Of
1.2O0 miles close to each other during The
we'll define routes which coincide with bottle
drifts. The remarkable drift Of the lnm,
still fresh In the memory OF Atlantic nayigators.
She, was abandoned in the blizzard OF March,
1893. off the Delaware Capes. and TOWARD the
end Of January of tho next year she stranded
on the HeoTides. and her cargo was saved,
gent is reported to have drifted' about for over
three years and finally her hulk stranded II
Wolston. lumber laden, was, abandoned in
October. 1851, of. Norfolk. She drltted east
she proceeded west along the thirtieth par
allel. curved. north and northeast. and was
last sighted four years ago six degrees east OF
the Delaware Capes.