Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1903-06-24
SPEED OF SHIPS.
The Way sni,oS. Ascertain no,

The Way sniIors Ascertain How
Many Knots They Arc Going.
: .How do you ascertain the speed Of
il shipE is Il question frequently -nd-i
dressed to naval men. and an explained
.tion will therefore probably be of sin-I
.tcrest To- many readers. There are sew
eral methods, says Army and Navy III
Illustrated, the commorest and most an
ciont being by the use of the log. This
instrument consists of three parts, the
logship. the line and the marks. Tho
logsliip is II piece of wood about hnlf
an inch tl:ick and shaped like u quad
rant, With a piece of lead let in round
the circular edge TO make it flont per.
pendicularly in the water. 1t is hung
by lines Mt each angle, the three lines
being Joined together about two fcctt
from the logslip. Two of the, lincsl
nre securely fixed to the ship, and the)
other has Il bone peg at the end, which,
being pushed into a hole in the ship
temporarily fastcns it there.
From the point of juncture of theI
tree lines n sufficient length is meas
ured, generally about 100 feet, to take
the logship well clear of the ships
wash. This is called the STRAY line"
and is marked with piece of bunting.
From the bunting is measured Al feet
3 inches and the line marked here with
piece of leather. Then another At
feet inches is measured Off 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 Qength Of sandglass), SO are 6,0S0
feet (number of feet in nautical mile)
to the length of line required, which
works out to AZ 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
go 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
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 ship is going over
four knots fourteen second glass is
used, the speed being double that
shown by the knots on the line.-Home
Journal and News.