The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1902-06-28

their guidance, finds it's way to Europe
and from here, what of it is not lost i,
the Arctic, turns south to begin the tri7
all over again. The whole North Atlantic
therefore, Is gigantic slow-movin,
Whirlpool with it's still center west of tn,
| Azores.
Accordingly, If you seal up an empt,
Dottle and throw it overheard anywher,
south of the Grand Banks and France, an,
north OF the equator, it is pretty certain
TO get into the great cycle; and if yo,
| were but to sit on a cliff on one of tn,
W1ndward islands of the Caribbean yo,
would almost surely see it come by if yo,
only waited long enough.
| what is true of a bottle is Unfortunate,
true OF derel1cts, except that they DON
| usually nOat so long. In other words
| give derelict time no matter where snt
starts from within this area, and she viii
twice cross the tracks of sailing vessels
IndSn en- ENGLAND and the equator twice
| 'iiose peIWeen new York and the equator
ana, eventually, nearly all the transat-
! ldHtlc steamer routes. Where the traffic
| IS thlckest is just where she is surest r.
pe. Inc number of collisions with dere.
| 1lcts IN this district averages nearly sever
year. and in every one case out Of four
the colliding vessel is lost.
| II is easily seen, then, that the North
Atlantlc derelict, left at large, is a most
dangerous sea monster, less fanciful and
varlegated than the proverbial sea SER
| pehI' out Tar more to be dreaded She
! must be watched, kept track of that we
may not come upon her unawares at the
| rate OF twenty knots an hour, and. if
posslole, destroyed altogether.
All thls forms one of those large-scale
.aeAs "h1ch government likes to I'M
oertaKe, and no government has been so
nctive IN TINS direction as our own. Dere-
l1cts nave become one Of the chief inter-
ests of our photographic office. All the
ships that sail the seas are invited to
consider themselves part of this office.
WneneVer they sight or pass floating
oD]ect large enough to be dangerous.
"hlther ship, or lumber raft, or broken
spar, they note it's exact whereabouts in
latitude and longitude, and the first port
thev reach' the information, with a de-
scrlptlon of the object, is given to the
American consul, who forwards it to
washington. In the photographic office
at washington is a large blackboard on
winch the location of these reported OBJ
]ects is jotted down each day, Once a
month a chart is made from the data
collected on the boards and copies of
II are printed and sent to all sea cap
talns who contribute the data to fill it.
Few newspapers or magazines have such
a worldwide circulation as this monthly
cnart. On it are not only the locations
OF cerel1cts, but deal more of valuable
information about currents and winds.
logs and lcebergs, and reports of gener-
al lnterest-all compiled from the infor-
nation sent in from over the seas
The information about these wandering
obstacles cannot, of course, be strictly
up to date. By the time the shipma ster
gets his chart with their paths and
last reported locations marked on it, they
are somewhere else; but the somewhere
else can be predicted with reasonable
accuracy. The photographers, by long
observation of the manners and customs
OF derelicts and the wanderings of ex-
perisnental bottles cast overheard in var
lous parts of the ocean, have acquired
such knowledge of ocean currents as will
enable them, barring disturbing gales,
to say just where a derelict ought to be-
The series Of locations on the chart will
In themselves indicate the TdrGre pus1-
lions. Then, too, there is no need OF
waiting for the monthly charts. Intelli
gence from a liner that reaches port, hav
ing sighted a derelict two days previous
", can be given directly to all out-bour
liners who will pass that way two da. Is
hence, and in that time the hulk may Il It
have moved ten miles.
The extent to which these derelicts can
be identified and watched is as surprising
as the length OF their aimiess journeyings
The wreck Of the Fred B. Taylor, floating
bow Up in the water. was first reported
in June, 1892 During the course of
ninety-three-day journey in which she
dr!fted $40 miles. she was reported forty
seven times-once every two days. The
Fannie f. Wolston holds the record for
longest voyage, if voyage it may be called.
She was abandoned Oct. Is, 1901, north OF
cape Hattc1as, and started On the Gulf
Stream for England, but northwest gales
apparently flew her out Of the direct limo
f TIE Stream, SO that size dcifted into the
lc1a center Of the great w!1i-! west Of
the Azores and there, i:laEn hither and
th!ther by the wind, crossed her own
track six times. Then she got started
again On the west-bound troDic current
up again almost where she WIS first aben-
and after an absence OF $40 days turned
doned. She had gone over .OO0 miles,
ard for aught anyone knows 20 the cen
tray may be going yet. AS lonely and
ainiess as ever.
Lifting in hope to spy trailed smoke across the
sly,
Failing in fear lest any kee! come nigh.
The work of the derelict hunters does
nos, however, stop with merely locating
t:c-,. For those that lie well outside the
1lair lines Of travel, reporting is stuff
Gent; but when Gerelict is sighted in
the direct lines Of commerce, her presence
IS i-12-ne diately telegcaphed to the secre-
tS-y CT the navy, who sends the nearest
--noil war vessel after hes. The cruiser
goes to the nearest likely spot, cruises
back and forth till the derelict is finally
sighted, and then proceeds, either by fas-
te1irg tOrpedoes to her and exploding
them by electricity from a safe distance,
or by shooting at her, to break her into
small, harmless pieces. or sink her out
right. If she will burn, burning is a very
good way CT demolishing her, and pro-
vides the necessary pillar of fame by
night and of smoke by DAY to serve as a
warning for approaching vessels until she
finally sinks.
The amount OF employment our hydro
graphic office finds in wrecks cannot be
appreciated till one sees one of their
charts. The labyrinth of derelict trails
at sea and the scores Of wreck buoys
among the shoals along the coasts COM
pletely alter ones preconceived ideas Of
how many wrecks there are. and of the
amount Of danger arising from them.
There is one little government vessel that
seems to find almost continual employ
lnent in chasing derelicts, RI" cling danger
buoys over stranded wre.'s, blowing
them up or blowing their ,nasts off far
enough below the surface to render them
harmless.
But they who sail the wintry sea"
realize fully the amount and importance
of all this work, and in spite of their gruff
comments on them scientific fellers at
Washington willingly contribute their
share Of reports and general information,
feeling perfectly assured they give both in
information and projections; for the
photographers are the street sweepers,
the4,way cleaners Of the high seas, and
within their province contribute as much
to Jack Tar's safety as the life savers
and ~iighho usekeeper.-Benpamin Brooks,
In Boston TRANSCRIPT
The Wcalthfest Nation.
The standing Of the United States with
her neighbors. and especially with those