Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-09-25
PATHS OF THE OCEAN
ORIGIN OF THE LANES TRAVERsFD
BY ATLANTIC LINERS.


by Lieutenant CONGRATULATIONS
the Danger of Collisions.
In reports of the arrival Of an ocean
liner the statement sometimes appears
that she came by the southern route"
to avoid ice or that she made her first
| trip of the season by the northern
lane" To the ordinary reader the idea
of lanes or pathways on what we have
been taught to think of as the track
less sea- seems somewhat paradoxical,
but if you consult the charts in the of
fee of a steamship manager or in the
United States photographic office instead
of the ordinary map you will lind that
| there are four well defined highways
across the north Atlantic as clearly
marked to the navigator's perception
as is a time worn turnpike on land to
the eyes of the pedestrian.
1t as over these great ocean thorough
fares that the Atlantic fiiers, with their
tens of thousands of passengers and
their hundreds of thousands of tons of
freight, pass on their voyages between
America and Europe. They are closely
| adhered to by all fast steam vessels
and just as carefully avoided by sail
ing ships and by the fishermen who ply
their trade off the Grand banks. The
situation Of n small craft on the liners
route would be comparable to that OF
a man driving Il light runabOut along a
railway track cleared for the fast linn
tied, for these main Travelled lines have
been set aside by custom and agree
ment for the Atlantic's lightning eX-
presses. Nobody is delayed at sidings
or confined to special tracks, however,
for the rest of the ocean is left to the
ordinary mariner.
1t is only few years since the tracks
upon which the great liners shall run
have been so clearly defined. Ever since
the commerce of the north Atlantic as
sumed important proportions sailing
masters have followed in q general
way the great circle that curves north
ward from the west coast of England
and ireland until it reaches about 46
degrees north latitude in midocean,
then bears southwestward past the
coast of Newfoundland and Cape Race.
Early experience proved that this was
the shortest and so, of course, the
quickest route between Europe and
such ports as Boston, New York and
Philadelphia.
While steam navigators kept fairly
near this course it was natural
enough that they should vary from it
somewhat according to the theories OF
individual captains. With the multiple
cation of steamships and the rapid in
crease in speed the very fact that all
the larger and swifter vessels kept to
one particular part Of the ocean greatly
increased the danger of collision be-
tween them. When forty or fifty swift
steamers were crossing the Atlantic Mt
the same time in one direction or the
other, all keeping to the same general
course irrespective of the direction in
which they were travelling, it was OBJ
vious that the possibility of two Of
them coming together in thick weather
was too great to be contemplated pleas
antly.
So Lieutenant MauTy Of the United
States navy made the suggestion that
all fast steamships should traverse GER
tain fixed routes, which he Indicated
paths following the great circle pretty
closely, for it was natural that the
steamship companies would not agree
to the adoption of any route that in
volved a loss of time in making the
ocean passage.
The most important provision sug-
gested by Lieutenant Maury was that
vessels going in opposite directions
should observe the rules of the road by
passing one another on the port side.
To carry out this plan he proposed that
west bound vessels should keep about
one degree to the northward of those
east bound. Thus the greatest danger
from the following of indiscriminate
routes-that of collision between fast
shipS-would be avoided. While it is
desirable in point of time for ships to
steer their course far to the north, the
presence of ice and fog in the high lat
itudes makes it impracticable for them
to do so during fully half the year. Ac
cordingly, Lieutenant Maury provided
for two great highways, one for sum
mer, the other for winter, one about
three degrees to the northward of the
east bound tracks.
The rivalry between the different
lines was so great at that time that
each hesitated to give unconditional
adherence to the plan, fearing that
some other would gain an advantage.
Two prominent steamship managers,
however, quickly appreciated the adj
vantages of Lieutenant Maury's plan
and independently of their competitors
gave instructions to their captains to
follow the lines laid down by him. |
These two men were Clement \. Girls |
com, then the head of the American |
line. and Thomas II. Ismay, director Of
the White Star line. AS these two lines |
then owned the fastest and most per-
feet ships on the Atlantic, the influence |
of their example was very powerful.
There is no doubt that the adoption |
of these lanes has been OF the utmost |
Importance in increasing the safety of |
ocean travel and possesses distinct adj
vantages aside from eliminating the |
possibility of head on collisions be- |