Crittenden press. [volume] (Marion, Ky.) 1879-1907, 1902-10-02
BOXING THE COMPASS.
The Test Between a Sailor and a Land
lubber.

Boys who live in seaport towns are
sometimes asked TO "boN the COM
pass" II they can do 1t quickly and
accurately they arc fine sailos and
may grow up TO be captain of four
master II they mis-, a point or can
only do il slowly. saws the Dallas
News, they are landlubbers and will
never see blue water. To box the
compass means to name all the points
in order just as fast as YOU can speak.
This Is the way an old down east
skipper will rattle il of; North, nor
lv east. nor -nor'ca,t, nor'ea by
north. northeast, nor'cast by east,
cast-nor'cast. east by north, cast.
cast by south, cast ou'ea>t. soueast
by east, ,ou'oast. sou'-ca,t 10y south,
sou'-sou'-east. sou by east, south,
SOU hy west. sou'-souwc>t. >ou'wcst
by south. sou'wcst. sou'west los west,
wy,t-,ou've,t. west by south, west,
west by north. west-nor'west, nor
west by west. nor'wcst, nor'wcst 10y
north, nor-nor'west, nor by west,
north.
Can yo do 10;
II needle j., drawn a few times
over the end, of horseshoe magnet
j, becomes magnctizcd. Push such
q macnctizcd needle through a small
cork. Place the cork in q bowl OF
water, taking pains 20 see that the
cork. when it floats on the water. will
carry the needle in a horizontal posi-
ton. or ION an even keel Another
way is to cut about three niche, from
a hollow straw (such a. j. used 10
suck lemonadel. and 90 push the nee
die inside the straw. The straw will
float and carry the needle Now, 81
serve what happens. The floating
needle will slowly swing round till
il point, north and south. The straw
will behave in the same way. Push
il IN any other direction and the mo-
ment IT is free it will swing back
again.
At the opticians YOU can buy
small pocket compass. This is more
than the floating needle.
md will give "a, all the point, Of the
.ompas, and enable Us to decide az
luy time which is north. Thi, would
be- very handy if We were caught III
D fog when boating or were lost in
the wood, while camping On some
railroads IN Switzerland the trains
travel through circular tunnels. en-
.cring a mountain at one place, jrav-
cling up a spiral tunnel and coming
1ut much higher up the mountain
Traveller, passing through the spiral
tunnel sometimes amusc th,m,elNC,
by watching a compass. They can
not tell IN the dark which way the
train Is going, but the needle Of the
compass, always pointing TO the
north. will appear to swing complete
u round Ii is the train that turns
round and not the needle
We 10 not know who first observed
The fact that a floating magnetized
needle will point TO the north. Nor
DO We know precisely when or where
ONE unknown inventor used this idea
to make a compass All We know j.
that the Chinese made and used COM
passes more than 1900 years ago.
When men began. perhaps 10000 |
years ago. to sail upon the water, they
used mark. upon the shore to guide
hem on their way. Long years
lftcr they observed that a certain
star kept at all times the same place
in the sky, and they used this pole /
star as a guide in steering their ships. !
To-day steamship starting down !
he Hudson river for Europe Is guild
ID by the pilot, and he uses the buoys, !
beacons and other guide marks to /
steer the ship down the bay. OF |
Sandy Hook he gives up the ship to |
.he captain, who instructs the helms
nan to steer northeast 10y east, east |
Dy north, or whatever course he Sc
ects. and the hclmsman. watching |
he compass, keeps the ship headed in
hat direction.