The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-10-30
TRAVELS OF A WRESTLING BUOY
They Have Furnished the photographic
bureau With Valuable ~nformatio

The n~avigators of the western At
lantic ocean. and. indeed. a great many
scientists, are deeply interested i'm the
erratic wanderings of the Martha's
Vineyard whistling buoy which went
adrift from its location in the Vine
yard sound more han two years ago
n Is still being carried to and fro
at the VIII of the winds and currents.
After two months without news from
his strange wanderer comes the re-
port that IL was again seen by a pass
ing vessel on Sept. \. i'm latitude IS,
longitude So. nearly 500 miles due east
from the position in which IL was last
seen on July 6.
The United States photographic off,
Gals have become much interested i'm
the drift of this buoy. and have already
gained valuable information regarding
the currents and winds of the North
Atlantic through plotting the travels of
this strange buoy whose whistle stiIl
sounds a warning intended My for YES
sells when near a shoal. Every issue of
the North Atlantic pilot chart for near
ly two years past has contained the
dotted drifts of the buoy. and Informal
ton regarding II is largely sought after
from all shlpmasters crossing in the To-
cality where IL was last reported. This
months charts. just issued. show hat
In February. 1897. the buoy was 600
miles to the northward of the island of
Bermuda. Ii was mex reported April
IL of that year $50 miles southwest of
that position. and then nothing was
heard from the wanderer until Oct. p,
when IL was reported by a ship captain
In about latitude Sc. longitude 50. show
ing "A drift 10 the ~northward n east
ward OF 800 miles in six months time.
Next IL must have headed away about
east-northeast, for on Jan. s. 1898. IL
turned up In latitude 81. longitude a..
Its next course was off northwest, for
on May Fl II was seen I'm latitude 80. lon
gitude a., showing a tremendous drift
to the southeast. From them on TO
July 9. when next seen. II took a slow
and short drift OF about IS miles due
south. At this point IL changed its
course N Is now heading due west in
the line Of Cape Hatteras.
For some years past the photograph
ers ave gained valuable information
regarding currents. etc, by having
shipmasters throw overheard bottles
bearing In them the date and geographic
cal position where this messenger of
Neptune was cut adrift. TO determine
the velocity and direction of the sea
surface currents. Only a small per-
centage OF these bottles are ever re-
covered. They probably fulfil their
purpose n reach the land only 10 be-
come imbedded I'm the sands. Hence Il
naturally follows that the velocity of
any current cannot be accurately de-
termined In this way. For this reason
the Martha's Vineyard buoy with it's
small exposed surface TO the wine Of
fers a fairly correct means OF determin-
ing currents. and IL is for this reason
so much interest attaches 20 IL. A bot
tie thrown overheard from a vessel
south OF Newfoundland may make n
complete circuit OF the North Atlantic
by way of the Azores. West Indies. Gulf
of Mexico and Florida coast. As a rule.
however. such n bottle will bring up
between the Ushant and North Cape of
Norway.
II thrown overheard near the Azores