The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1908-04-22
SUBMARINE BELL
PROVES SUCCESS

IHuVLu uUuuLuu
THE HAGuE.--lhe services render
ed by the submarine bell at the en-
trance to Flushing harbor during the
long spell of fog last month nave in
duced the Dutch government to provide
the lightships near the harbor en-
frances and in dangerous places on the
Holland coast with similar bells. An
appropriation for this purpose has
been included i'm the budget for 1905. |
Although the excellence of the sub
marine sound signals had been fully
recognized by the United States, it took
n long time to convince England of
their efficiency, and It will be remem-
bered that the directors of the Queen ,
boro-Flushing line of sman steamers |
had great deal of trolble to get
consent to their placing a submarine !
bell at the entrance to the Thames. In |
1907 the company had bell placed on |
buoy near Queenboro pier and quite
a storm was raised in the English tech |
nical papers, most Of which blamed |
the boarl Of trade for advising against |
the board of trade for advising against
the petition Of the Dutch steamship |
company.
With the Dutch government the COM !
pany had more success. It's consent
was at once obtained to place bell
near the Flushing harbor entrance.
This is the same bell which has since
enabled the steamers to come in and
leave the harbor during the heaviest
fog with perfect safety. England then
soon followed and had the Royal So
yGreign and three other lightships pro-
yided with submarine fog signals.
Along the German coast from the Elbe
to KEEL submarine fog signals have
been applied and there is a plan to
place such signals along the Danish
and Swedish coasts so that the pas
sage from the sound to the Baltic wall
offer no difficulties in times of fog. SO
, now, when Holland shall also have
been well provided with these signals
| the whole coast line Of northern Eu-
. rope from the British channel to the
Baltic, will be rendered safe for navi-
| cation in the thickest weather.
No America DeiUngs the honor OF
having taken the initiative in the mat
ter of submarine signals. No less than
, twenty-One vessels of the American
, navy and eleven ships of the United
States lighthouse board are equipped
, with submarine fog signals The Ca
- madam Pacific has fifteen ships 50
[ fitted, the Plttsburg Steamship Com
q pany thirteen, the Hamburg
81 line fourteen, the Cunard line eight,
, the Holland-American line six and
p the Queenboro-Fluahing line six.
How useful these signals will be to
n the nayies Of the world in the coming
# period Of submarine boats can as yet
~ not be fully understood for whole
~ cOde Of signals can be arranged be
10 tween the battleships and the sub
n marine torpedo boats. The advantage
~ Of submarine signals can scarcely bC
Oyerestlmated Sound travels fou
ID times as fast through water as through
p. air. Then, too. the uniform density
, and stability of the conducting ma.
= terial render the signals far more re,
liable than those carried through the
n air, for the density of air is extremely
N variable. The direction whence the
ia sound comes can always be accurate
10 ~ ascertained under water, while it Is
n an absolute impossibility to do so foI
IN sounds transmitted through the air.
90 From reports Of captains on the At.
n lantic steamships it appears beyond d
90 doubt that the direction from which
u a sound comes can be most accurately
n asccrtaincd by the help of the sigma
4, receivers and this knowledge of the
direction Is Of the greatest value il
10 determining the position Of a harbo
L, entrance.
- When the entrance to the New Wa
~ terway' shall have been fitted up witt
+ the submarine signal bell a great dan
y ger Will have been removed and NJ
, such stoppage Of traffic will take place
a again as during the fog in February
last, for II will be almost as easy e