The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1907-08-31
ESTABLISH LANES
ACROSS THE OCEAN
HOW TO PREVENT STEAMER
COLLISIONS AND GIVE SAILING
VESSELS SAFE CHANCE.

A shipmastcr writing to a San Fran
cisco shipping paper commenting on
the recent Columbia disaster, advocates
the adoption of steamship lanes to be
regularly followed He says:
"Since the loss of the Columbia l
hear frequent inquiries as to what can
be done to prevent or diminish the
fearful loss Of life and destruction to
property by head-on collisions which
are becoming too frequent along the
North Pacific coast 1t seems to me
that shipowners, merchants and under
writer's might devise some way to
regulate the go as you please style
of navigation which we now have by
establishing well defined steam routes
between San Francisco and the north
ern points In 1860 Lieut.. Murray, U.
| NJ. advocated two steam routes or
lanes for the transatlantic steamers
plying between New York and the
| channel ports of Europe His object
was to diminish or mitigate the dan
gers of steam navigation and the risk
of life that passengers incur at sea.
These lanes, each about five miles
wide, started from Sandy Hook N.
Y, and gradually widened until at
mid-ocean they were about 20 miles
apart, then gradually converge at Cape
Clear, Ireland.
THE southern lane was for east
bound steamers and the northern for
those bound west. All the steam
| lines adopted these routes and had the
lanes laid down on all government
charts. All sailing vessels avoid them
as they would a lee shore, but if in
distress, by steering into one of the
lanes it would not be many hours be-
fore they would be sighted by some OF
the steamers that use them. You sell
dom hear of an ocean collision be-
tween the big liners, although there is
a continuous procession going east and
west If steam lapes have proved a
success across the North Atlantic, why
could they not be made so on our Pa
cific coast? On a more confined and
smaller scale. For example, mark
off on a north coast chart a lane three
miles wide, beginning at an ofing of
three miles west of Point Reyes LEI
this lane follow the ususal course along
the coast which vessel now take to
the entrance of the straits off Ia
toosh. Again begin at an offing say
six miles west of Point Reyes; mark
of another lane three miles wide, grad
ually diverging to the west away from
the other lane until the lanes are, say
ten miles, apart; then run rarallel with
the inner lane until approaching the
straits; then gradually converge off
| Tatoosh. The lanes could have side
branches to the Columbia river and
Eureka. All northbound steamers to
take the eastern or inshOre lane, and
those bound south to take the off
shore or western lane These lanes
being three miles wide ought to give
ample margin for any deviation from
course caused by currents or slight
lGIIOIS III I6ChOulnS. sailing NCoSCAo
should keep to the westward of | the
offshore or western lane, and when
obliged to cross the line in thick wea-
ther do so at right angles if possible.
When the lanes are established on the
coast charts sailing vessels will re-
cognize them as an ocean danger and
navigate more carefully when in their
vicinity in thick weather. The writer's
many years of experience as master
have proved to him the load of care
and anxiety that is lifted from the
captains mind and the sense of Sc
curity that passengers feel when they
know that their course is clear of dam
ger ahead, as their ship ploughs along
in thick weather