Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1903-06-02
SPEED OF SHIPS ,
The Way Sailors Ascertain HssV
Many Knots They Are Gofn9.

The way Sailors Ascertain Hsw
Many Knots They Are Gotng.
GLOW do you ascertain the. speed Oh
a ship?" is a question frequently ad-
dressed to naval men, and an expaana-
ton will therefore probably be OF In
terest to many readers. There are seV-
eral methods, says Army and Navy u
Illustrated, the commonest and most an
cient being by the use Of the log. TnA
instrument consists of three parts, the
logship, the line and the marks. Tho
logship is a piece Of wood about ham
an inch thick and shaped like quad
rant. with a piece Of lead let in round
the circular edge to make 1t float per-
pendicularly in the water. 1t Is hung
by lines at each angle, the three lines
being joined together about two feet
from the logship. Two Of the lines
are securely fixed to the ship, and the
other has bone peg at the end, which.
being pushed into hole In the ship.
temporarily fastens 1t there.
From the point Of juncture OF the
tree lines sufficient length is meas
ured, generally about 100 feet, to take
the logship well clear Of the ships
wash. This 10 called the STRAY line"
and is marked with piece Of bunting.
From the bunting is measured Al feet
8 inches and the line marked here with
q piece Of leather. Then another Al
feet 3 inches is measured of and
marked with two knots, then another
space the same length and marked
with three knots. Half way between
each batch Of knots one single knot Is
made. The log line is then ready for
use.
The space between the knots is found
from the simple little rule Of three
sum-as 5000 seconds (number OF Sec
onds in an hour is to twenty eight Sec
onds 0ength Of sandglass), so are 6,OSO
feet number of feet in nautical mile)
to the length of line required, which
works out to Al feet 3 inches.
To use the log four persons are re-
quired-two men to hold the reel on
which the line is wound, the quarter
master to hold the glass and the mid
shipman Of the watch to heave the log.
The last named puts the peg firmly IN
the logship and then gathers three or
four coils of line in his hand, sufficient
to admit of the logship being thrown
well clear of the ship. He asks, clear
glass, quartermaster" "Clear glass,
sir" comes the reply, and overheard
20 the logship and line, the reel rap
idly revolving. Presently the MILDLY
feels the piece Of bunting passing
through his hand, and he gives the Or
der, "Turn." The quartermaster turns
the glass and watches the sand, while
one "reeler" holds well over his head,
so as to give the line fair play. When
the sand has run out. stop" cries the
quartermaster The midshipman grasps
the line, assisted by the other "reeler."
and looks for the nearest knot, finding
a single one close to his hand. Then
the line is hauled In. and four knots
appear, which signify that the ship Is
going four and one-half knots through
the water. The jerk of the line drags
the peg from the logship, which now
floats on its fiat side and Is easily
hauled in. When q ship is going over
four knots, a fourteen second glass Is
used, the speed being double that
shown by the knots on the line.-HOme
Journal and News.