Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1908-02-13
THE BELL IN THE SEA
How Ocean Liners Hear Their
Way In Thick Weather.
FOG SIGNALS UNDER WATER.

Method by Which the Submerged
Gong 10 Operated and the Apparatu.
by Which the Sound ls Picked Up
Miles Away-port and starboard
Lights.
To those who so down to the sea in
ships probably no discovery In recent
times has been of more Importance or
tends more to save life than that OF
the possibility of signaling from, ship
to ship and from ship to shore b.
sound, writes Sidney +. Walker in TIL,
London Mail. 1t literally. when fully
developed. will enable steamers to
hear" their way under all conditions
OF weather and particularly in fog just
as we'll as they now see their way Oh
clear nights by the aid of the lights
that each ship carries and those ,...s-
tributed ros:nl the coast of every civ
ilized country.
The whole apparatus hinges upon
the fact that water is; Il good conduct
or Of sound The readiest example
of this of which the writer is aware is
TO be found usually at mineral baths.
There is nearly always pumping goin:;
On IL connection VISA TIE l,a.sls, but
tie. osi.l::.s' ct,ns,i :,l:. III. l:Hl..p l.,
no. lea:.s... When u:.a..a.; si:....:. for III
4 .S>i 4
rarcl' hear TAG p;.,a,. Int i:.Masliatcly
one IL in tie Ia.ll If exc places ones
head U:ls.er wafer the pump is almost
painfully evident. AID az, engineer
co;.!l c..sily toi.nt the strokes had he
watch at hand
For signaling purposes Il bell is en-
p!o..ea. Immersed some distance under
TIE water and i..closed IN chamber.
the hammer being worked by COM
pressed ali. operated from the surface.
The sound OF the strokes on the bell
Is transmitted to Il distance of several
niles eEd can be heard by suitable .,p-
pa:at;s::s. The hearing apparatus coa-
sists OF a.l.licra2hone. a modification
of taat we l:ec every time we speak to
TAG Telephone Enclosed IN claElbe.
i.si e the ship and connected with the
bridge by wires III the usual way.
The rli.ropaoAa q, lmber is flied with
Il spcsi::! ii,.r..:; which the Inventors
Lave fot:l' to answer the purpose
best. AMI t--.ere are. ais at present ar
ranged. c.le Gambler and one micro
phone Oh each bow below the water
li...,. In lie Chart holse on the bridge
are Il ps:..' of telephone receivers. sim
i':.is to t.,ose w.. put to OR ears when
we talk through the telephoneo.l shore,
snd Il switch. enabling the receivers
to l.a connected to either of the two
microphones.
Several of the lighthouses on the
coast of America and some. the writer
believes, on that of the United King
,.om are fitted With bells as described
above, which are rrng at certain inter-
walls, each lighthouse having different
nslilbe.' CT beats, so that any particu-
lar lighthouse Is distinguished by its
bell. just as IL clear weather 1t is dis
tinguished by the arrangement of It's
lights. An approaching ship can tell
within Very close approximation, as
mathematicians would say. how it lies
With regard to the lighthouse, because
the bell will be heard loudest in that
micropllone OF the side of the ship on
which the lighthouse is. and the officer
of the watch can steer accordingly.
All ships carry a red light at night
OH tho left hand. or port. side and
green light OH the right hand. or star
board side, while all steamers carry
iii addition a white light showing on
both sides. Neither of the lights can
be seen astern or for some distance
toward the bows, the limit being what
sailors call two points abaft the beam.
Il little astern of her middle point, SO:
that when approaching ship from
astern no lights are visible to the APP
proaching ship. but her full lights are
visible from the ship approached.
When two ships are approaching
each other from opposite directions end
on. each ship will see the others two
or three lights and can easily steer to
keep out of each others way. There
Is Il simple rule for this, and incidental
~ it may be mentioned that the dan
ger is least i'll this case, provided that
both ships are properly handled. The
danger of collision arises principally
from ships crossing each other, an for
this also there are simple rules GOV.
erncd Ivy what is called the rule of the
road. Leaving out the question of sail
ing ships for the moment, the ship
which has the other, the crossing ship.
on her own right hand (starboard) size
has to keep out of the way. and it does
so by turning slightly to the right. or
to starbcard, presenting her left side
to the other ship.
Whenever Il ship has to give way to
another the color of the light of the
other ship Is OH the same side as that
to which the helm must he moved.
Thus when red light is seen OH the
right hand istarboarD side the helm
is put to port. the side Of the light
seen. Similarly when a sailing ship is
crossing from port to starboard. show
ing her green light. that carried OH her
~starboard side, the steamer puts her
helm to starboard to clear. This rule
could lie followed quite as easily with
sound signals.
Recommendation.
ut seems to me that have heard