The Portland daily press., 1900-04-26
CONTROL OVER ANGRY SEAS.
French Invention Designed TO Take
the Place of OIL.

Washington. April IA. II. ThReka-
ra, United States Consul at Havre, re-
ports, under date OF February %, to t1s
Bureau of Foreign Commerce, Depart
N ent OF State, a method of diminishiRg
the force OF waves and surf. The method
IS the invention Of Baron Rsnyenuto
d'Aleasandor, an Italian, residing In
Paris He thinks 1t Will sfford proteo-
ton to vessels at sea, to hafbor entrances.
and to lighthouse. and that 1t win lie
mors efficient than the use of oil.
His invention consists in retailing on
the surfacs OF the water an unsubmergi-
BILE floating net BY means Of outriggsrs
when used to protect vessels In storms ut
sea, and by attaching 1t to buoys when
used to protect lighthouses. hydraulic
works In construction, entrances to har-
bora. etc.
he bases the idea OF bis invention upon
the principle that In covering the sur
face OF the sea with thin, flexible,
light, and floating body Of whatever ma
tuEe, the part covered forms rust
under which the molsoules Of the iT-
prIsoued nsss OF water cannot move In
the same manner as the surrounding
body of uncovered water, the result be-
ing that even the most violent waves,
upon reaching the edge Of the crust. In
stead CT climbing over H.. or breaking or
OF destroying It, will pass under 1t az II
there were q fall or 6iIererce OF level,
become fiattened out, and less much Of
their force.
The net ussd In the recent experiments
at havre was mace OF o thin hemp fibre.
knitted In suBare meshes Of four osnti-
etere, MT 81 inches,) and afterward wat
er-prooied by the application OF solution
of powdered cork and cure rubber. The
material of the finished net was three mil
Iimetsrs 60 IL inch) In thickness, and
light. weighing only 1870 grams az
ounces avoirdupoisl per SQUARE meter,
(l0.70 square feet
The net was ITO meters $50 o festJ
long.and Is mt tsrs (492 feetl Vide, made
in four sections, securely fasteLed togeth-
er. The two outside sections were ms
tiers 6 fset) wide throughout the whole
length Of the net. The middle scott ,us
we're also matere (l6 feetl wide, but
extended only 10 " eEers (S2.s feet) from
either end, leaving an open space In tee
centre OF the net 80 meters Tao "a fset)
long and 5 meters ID Al feet wide. The
inVentor's reason Tor constructing the net
with an open space In the centre ia that
In hts numerous experiments with the
net made in that wEy, when used for the
protection of entrances TO harbors he
found the surface OF the water inclosed
In the free spaces TO hs always calm, as
IL 1t were al tusiIy covered ~ the net
lhe net = ith the open space IL only used
when Il is anchored. For tie protection
Of vessels at Gsa, TIE ret Ia made solid.
recent experiment was made otf ths
north jetty of the Nsw AVant pert OF
HaVrs. In heavy westerly gale the ret
held In position, but the seas broke over
the jetty, making 1t impossible for the
in vsntor aud his rsIty to approach near
enough to observe the effect Of the net
npon the protected waters Another trial
win made from u position which,
while exposed to heavy as. will enahle
obEer veTs to see from shore the action Of
the net.
Consul Thaokara's report contains lst-
tiers and memoranda showing that tests
Of the invention at Quiberon In 1851 and
at Cnerhourg in 1922 resulted sat's'Actor-
lily. The official Ger tifcate from Quiber-
ON SAID thst the effect was the same as "
oil had been used. At CbsrbouTR thS
net Gained the seas and kept shoat with
out changing position or receiving any
damage. Consul 1nAckarA will report
on future experiments.