The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1903-11-03
PATHS OF THE OCEAN
ORIGIN OF THE LANES TRAvERSFo
BY ATLANTIC LINERS.
The Northern and Southern Routes
10 and From Europe. ns Indicated
by Lieutenant Naury-MiainizinE
the Danger Of Collisions.

"
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 IL you consult the charts in the Of
fee of steamship manager or i'm the
United States eshydrographic office instead
OF the ordinary map you will find 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 is 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 10y the fishermen who ply
their trade off the Grand banks. The
situation of a small craft on the liners
route would be comparable to that of
a man driving 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 nj sidings
or confined to special tracks. however,
for the rest of the ocean is left to the
ordinary mariner.
Ii 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 general
way the great circle that curves north
ward from the west coast of England
and ireland until ii 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 rs Boston. New York and
Philadelphia.
While steam navigators kept fairly
near this course IL was natural
enough that they should vary from it
somewhat according to the theories Of
Individual captains. With the muItipli-
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 at
the same time i'm 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 Maury 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 il was natural that the
steamship companies would not agree
to the adoption Of any route that in
volved loss Of time in making the
ocean passage.
The NEST i:;iportRn; provision sug'
gested by Lieutenant Maury was that
vessels going i'm opposite directions
should observe the rules of the road by
passing one another on the port side.
To carry cut this plan he proposed that
west bound vessels should keep about
one degree To the nortlward OF thos'
east bound. Thus the greatest danger
from the following of indiscriminate
rouies-that of collision between fast
! ships-would he avoided. While 1t is
desirable i'm point of time for ships &c
steer their course far TO the north. the
presence of ice and fog in the high lat
itudes makes IL impraciicable 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 10 the northward of tbs
other and each with west bound ant
t east bound tracks.
; The rivalry between the diferen
, lines was so great at that time tha
each hesitated TO give unconditional
/ adherence TO the pan. fearing tina
some other would gain an advantage
2 Two prominent steamship managers
however. quickly appreciated the ad
vantages OF Lieutenant Maury's plal
and indcprndt nily OF their competitor
gave Instructions TO their captains t
I, follow the lines laid down by him
: These two men were Clement A Girls
com. then the head of the American
line. and Thomas IL. lsmay. director o
the White Star line. As these two line
then owned the fastest and most per
D feet ships on the Atlantic the influence
OF their example WAS very powerful.
r There il no doubt that the adoption
l OF these lanes has been of the utmos
Importance in increasing the safety o
ocean travel and possesses distinct ad
vantages aside from eliminating tn
possibility of head on collisions be
: tween the liners. Extra precaution
e are taken TO keep the great highwa,
clear o. dcrclicts and other fioatin
dangers or To give warning of thei
: presence.
Since the masters of sailing vessel
e know the steamer routes. they consul
their own safety by avoiding them an
D by keeping sharp lookout wheneve
II is necessary TO cross them in eithe
D direction. - New York Mail and FL
press.