The age-herald., 1898-06-09
THE NAVIGATOR
 OF THE WARSHIP

From the Philadelphia Times.
 If is doubtful if any office of the navy,
 aside from an absolute command, inVolVes
 so vast responsibility as that or naVi-
 gator of a man-of-war. The duties or tiis
 important station in former years Tell to
 officers of the rank of master. but with the
 abolition of that grade its affairs devoiveo
 upon the lieuetenants holding the hghest
 numbers on the list. Upon the navigator or
 a warship depends not only the task or
 shaning the vessels course for any point across tbe seas to which her destinies may
 direct her. but also the responsibility or
 piloting her in and out of harbor ana or
 selecting a safe anchorage for her in every port visited by her during the period or her
 cruise.
 Hence it follows that, combined wrth thorough nautical training, the competent
 navigator must be possessed Of a vast Iulo
 of reographical meteorological and hydro
 graphical knowledge. While at sea he must
 know the vesses's position to degree
 which necessitates his taking frequent op-
 servations of the celestial bodies and max
 ing solutions of intricate problems-in Tn ge-
 ometry and trdgonometry, such as con-
 stantly arise through deviations, brought
 about by innumerable causes, from her given course.
 IJnouestionably the most important ele- ment in navigation, because of its infalI-
 bility, under ordinary conditions. in deter
 mining the latitude. longitude and error Tn tbe ships compass, is what is known in maritime phraseology as nautical astron- oF Spxtant Qllad- rant for measuring the altitude of the 1 heavenly bodies above the horizon or their distance from each other a timepiece to | mark the instant of an observation, a l chronometer to show the time at the first l meridian, a nautical almanac and an azimuth compass, the navigator can readi- 1 ly determine his position with the utmost exactitude, thus obviatng uncertainties re- 1 sulting from the more simple but less ac- curate method of dead reckoning. The average voyage is more or less char | acterized by erroneous estimates in dis tances sailed, in varying currents, care | less steering, deviation in the compass and l numerous other obstacles, and upon the navigator rests the responsibility of ad- l justing such errors. In long passages across l the open sea the navigator is governed by
 rather complex combination of motives, I which may be summed up as follows: To 1 cover the required distance in the shortest l space of time, with the smallest expendi- l ture of fuel and the least wear and tear of
 the vessel that is possible
 With these objects in view, the navigator | must, prior to sailing, superintend per l sonally the slowing of the hold, the ar | engagement of ballast, water, provisions. l stores, etc., and the inspection and adjust | ment of the motive appliances of the ship, l all of which features, severally and collec- l lively, greatly affect her speed and sea- I worthiness. If his vessel possesses the fla
 cilities for making sail he must, while at sea, exercise the keenest judgment and l foresight as to utilizing the same; for sail used to good advantage is a great saver l of coal, while otherwise, if used indscrim- l inately, 1t may entail much loss of time. The expert navigator draws the line with exceeding fineness between high fair wind 1 and gale, making the most of the former | as long as his vesesl is not jeopardized. | heaving her to at just the proper period and getting under way again at the first | sign of moderation in the weather. The 1 commander of a warship reposes the ut most confidence in a skilled and careful navigator, and rarely interferes with his
 plans.
 l Another of the numerous details coming under the navigator's supervision is the l keeping of the ships log This Is com 1 menced by him at the time the vessel is I placed in commission, and it's pages record | the events of each succeeding day. There I is absolutely nothing which transpires, off, 1 cially, on board of a man-of-war that Is l not written in the log, and each day the l navigator must carry it to the commanding l officer for his inspection. At the expiration | of every six months the ships log must be | closed and forwarded to the navy depart- 1 ment at Washington, where it is placed | among the records
 The navigator has charge of all the va 1 rious weather indicators of the vessel, and | must render quarterly reports of all me- I neurological observations. These are taken | at regular intervals by the quarter masters
 of the watch and fully entered upon the | ships log. The navigator must regularly
 inspect the steering gear, compasses. an- | chors and chain cables of the ship and dali
 ly report their condition to the commanding 1 officer.
 l He must also keep a separate book in l which are recorded all calculations in re- | lating to the navigation of the vessel. and | in which no erasures are permitted 10 be | made. At the expiration of the cruise this l book is forwarded to the bureau of navl- I gation.
 WILL PROMOTE ENLISTMENTS. | From the Troy Messenger.