New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-09-11
ACCURACY IN NAVIGATION.

Experiments recently undertaken by Germans
in the interest Of the mariner are described
in consular report sent TO Washington a few
days ago. They were meant TO test the eff
cheney OF device which some one has pro-
posed TO use as check upon the eccentrici-
ties Of the compass. To begin with the needle
points directly to the north at very few places
on the globe. Again, the amount of deviation
itself varies with locality, so that from time
TO time the captain Of ship must make an
increasing or decreasing allowance in order to
maintain his course. Were this all that he had
to consider. and were he provided with freshly
revised magnetic chart, he would have little
trouble. But there are additional and more
perplexing distractions to deal with. To COM
pensate for the influence Of the metal in
ship it is usual to locate near the compass balls
of iron, whose effect should theoretically be
uniform. Unfortunately, it is not. Every now
and then something interferes. and the pre-
viously prescribed corrections for deviation are
found TO be degree or two out Of the way. If
the weather is fine, the navigator determines
his position daily by observing the sun or
convenient star and he often discovers at such
times that his compass has misled him. In the
great majority of cases. the worst consequence
of the error is that the vessel has travelled
more miles and consumed more time than
requisite, and, il she be a steamship, that she
has burned more coal than she needed. How
ever, disastrous results sometimes follow espe-
cially when there has been no chance to get
a satisfactory astronomical observation for sew
eral days.
The new invention is merely an adaptation of
an old principle, namely, that wheel, made
TO rotate swiftly and suspended in a suitable
manner tends to keep in the same plane. 1t is
that principle which the bicycle illustrates when
it remains upright so long as it continues to
run. The toy known as the gyroscope shows
how the influence acts, and at least one prac-
teal application of the idea has already been
made in the steering of the Whitehead torpedo
A gyroscope, caused to revolve Just at the in
slant the missile is launched controls the rud-
ders of the latter with beautiful precision. 1t
has been thought that heavy wheel, three feet
in diameter and mounted in gimbals, might
prove more infallible than a magnetic needle
Such piece of mechanism was recently tested
on a German war vessel, with encouraging
results. During run for four hours 1t proved
uuer than the needle and enabled the ships
officers 10 detect mistakes in the setting of
buoys. Finally, the firing of heavy guns and
the sudden reversal OF the engines failed 10
derange the gyroscope or affect its indications
percepdbly. Apparently, the device demon
strated its superiority TO the main reliance OF
the navigator
Before ship owners and ship captains will
care TO adopt such apparatus they will want TO
know how long gyroscope can be kept running
and whether the means employed TO cause it TO
rotate can modify its accuracy of aim Presum
ably If IL could work for four hours it coua
operate continuously for a week, but it is desir
able 10 verify that conjecture Some other nm
certaintics also must be dispelled as preim-