The Press., 1898-12-29
NAVAL NAVIGATORS.
THEY HAVE MANY VERY SERIOUS Du.
 TIES TO PERFORM.

TIES TO PERFORM.
 Besides . Thorough Nautical Training the
 Onacer Who Navisates s:an-of-war
 Hust Re Possessed of . Vast Fund of
 Technical Scientific Knowledge.
 1t is doubtful if any office. in the navy, aside from an absolute command, involves so vast a responsibility that nf navigator of a Inan-of war. The du- ties of this important station in former years fell to officers Of the rank of mas ter, but with the abol>tion of that grade its affairs devoSsed upon the lieutenauts holding the highest num- bers on the list. Upon the navigator of 3 warship depends LCt only tue task of shaping the vessels course for any point across the seas to which her des- tinies may direct her, but also the re- sponsibility of piloting her in and out of harbor and of selecting a safe auchor- age for her in every port visited during the period of her cruise. Hence, it fol- lows that, combined with a thorough nautical training, the competent navi- gator must be possessed of vast fund of geographical, meteorologit al and hy- drogra phical knowledge. While at sea, he must know the vessels position to a degree, which necessitates his taking frequent observations of the celestial bodies and making solutions of intricate problems in geometry and trigonometry, such as constantly arise through devia. tions, brought about by innumerable causes, from her given course
 Unquestionably the most important element in navigation, because of it's lnfallibility under ordinary conditions, n determining the latitude, longitude and error in the ships coD'pass, is what IS known in maritime phraseology as nautical astronomy" With the aid of a sextant or quadrant for measuring the attitude of the heavenly bodies above the horizon or their distance from each other, a timepiece to mark the instant of an observation, q chronometer to show the time at the first meridian, a nautical almanac and an azimuth com pass, the navigator can readily deter mine his position with the utmost ex. actitude.
 The average voyage is more or less characterized by erroneous estimates in distances sailed, in varying currents, careless steering, deviation in the con- pass and numerous other obstacles, and upon the navigator rests the responsi bility of adjusting such errors In long passages across the open sea the navi- gator Is governed by rather complex combination of motives, which may be summed up as follows: To cover the re- qpired distance in the shortest space of time with the smallest expenditure of fuel and the least wear and tear of the vessel that is possible.
 With these objects in view the navi gator must prior to sailing superintend personally the slowing of the hold, the arrangement of ballast. water, provi- siops, stores, etc., and the inspection and adjustment of the motive appliances of the ship, all of which featulos, scver- ally and collectively, greatly affect her speed and seaworthiness.
 If his vessel possesses the facilities for making sail, he must while at sea exercise the keenest judgment and fore sight as to utilizing the same, for sail used to good advantage is great saver of coal, while olberw ise, if used indis- criminately, it may entail much loss of time, The expert navigator draws the line with exceeding fineness between a high fair wind and a gale, making the most of the former as long as his vessel N not jeopardized. heaving her to at just the proper period and getting under way again al the first sign of moderation in the weather. The commander of a warship reposes the utmost confidence in a skilled and careful navigator and rarely interferes with his plans. Anoth- CT of the numerous details coming under the navigator supervision is the keep ing of the ships log. This is commenced by him at the time the vessel is placed in commission, and it's pages record the events of each succeeding day. There is
 absolutely nothing which transpires of fcially on board of a man of war that is not written in the log, and each day the navigator must carry it to the com manding officer for his inspection, At the expiration of every six months the ships log must be closed and forwarded | to the navy department at Washington,
 where it is placed among the records, The navigator is provided with a | large and varied assortment of instru | ments and appliances designed to facili- | tate his work. While in port he is often | detailed to make surveys of portions of | the coast line which may be defective | upon the charts or to determine the ex- | act location of rocks or shoals which
 hitherto have not been marked with
 sufficient accuracy.
 The navigator has charge of all the various weather indicators of the vessel
 and must render quarterly reports of | all meteorological observations. These
 are taken at regular intervals by the | quartermaster of the watch and fully
 entered upon the ships log. The navi- | gator must regularly inspect the steer 1 ing gear, ccmpasses, anchors and chain l cables of the ship and daily report their | condition to the commanding officer.
 He must also keep separate book in | which are recorded all calculations re- 1 lating to the navigation of the vessel l and in which no erasures are permitted | to be made. At the expiration of the l cruise this Look is forwarded to the bureau of navigation.
 The duties of 8 navigating officer are | more than sufficient to fully occupy his | time, but, notwithstanding this fact. he frequently stands his watch at sea
 While in pert he is ex officio the execu
 tive officer during the latter's absence l from the vess el.
 l Th.. illustrious Dewey was, during
 the earlier pc riod of his career, an ac-
 know ledged expert as 8 navigator. and
 to his excellent ability in maneuverine
 may i.e largely accredited his splen.
 did victory at Manila. | Times.
 Went Them Several Better. Fritz Williams, the actor, was sitting
 one evening in a New York cafe. wher
 two very young men came in. They heckOned coudeseeDdinplv in a xvaiter