The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1908-05-30

steel caisson which Is sunk down into
the tranquil areas of ocean depths,
far below the comparatively limited
portion Of wave-disturbed water near
the surface. These steel caissons
have at their base wide fange, ex-
tending all around and heavily weight
ed. Upon these fanges the water
above rests. pressing down with enor-
nous weight, exerting at 80 feet be-
low the surface pressure Of 2.160
pounds per square foot, or at 60
foot depth pressure of more than
two tons per square foot. The inert
weight Of the structure itself and the
weight of the water upon 1t more than
counterbalances the action Of the
waves above. Imagine an ordinary tin
basin turned upside down and sub
merged, and you get an idea of the
Murray foundation. Upon this steady
floating foundation, then, any desired
superstructure may be built-light-
house, fortress or living or storage
room Of any kind.
The whole structure, then, In its
steadiness and immobility, might be
likened to a floating iceberg To any
one who has ever gone to sea in the
winter time one of the wonders of the
deep must ever be sight Of great
Iceberg floating steadily with the cur
rent, no matter how violently the
great waves beat against its sides.
Every schoolboy knows that this
steadiness of the floating mass of ice
Is owing to the fact that two-thirds
of its bulk Is below the level Of the
sea. And 1t is partly this principle and
partly the additional one of adding to
the depth below water the widely pro-
jecting fiange of steel that makes Muir
rays invention so valuable and Inn
portant In the eyes Of all marine en-
gineers. The downward thrust on this
fiange Of the immense weight of stable
water is the great secret of the sprac-
ticability of this invention.
Only Surface Of Sea Affiliated.
Countless experiments by marine
engineers all over the world have
demonstrated the fact that the depth
to which the wave disturbance OF the
surface of the sea extends averages Is
feet. A homely proof of this is to be
found in the way in which diver can
work on the bed Of the ocean without
feeling the slightest effect from any
motion Of the waves over his head.
And In many Of the longtime sub
mersion tests of submarine craft the
Crews have sunk below the level in
calm and risen to the surface In .
storm without feeling any indications
of the abovesurface disturbance
Nor only ia the Murray principle ap-
plicas,Is - lighthouses and fixhtships
ant doss1ng ESrtfssssay bot 20 every
Class ~ STATIONARY naasfae structures
such. nor Insfancss az brsakua.ers
md pierss; bridsss across arms Of the
ssa or tefae,tsd sssas 81 water: sub
nsrssd sposd,p gxs1ous whose stezdl-
neas WI give hfddsn 9raners deadly
sain5 doas5ag csa.sag stations, pro.
cfaion add 90 stsrzSs 6spots aad even
aosDfrsls sad Temporary hotels.
Aspls.sd cosamercsagly, tie Murray
hrysnsI.su Es7 ssvogseso1fzs 5reakBa,
$50 construction Miglaoas Of collars
hare seen sc.rt IA ne bEildinx N
bsszkssssss Ia tks creating Of a good
hxstDr or TIE construction Of q large
rz'lsoaS ssl sAtDSsrx terminal, and
IN q number OF czsss these brszkva
tiers. amer much time, rnonsy and e.
fort had been expended, have been do
ciare1 insufbcient and unsatisfactory
These breakvsters have been built ur
from the bottom Of haYbors by thu
dumping in Of enormous quantities o,
rock 1t huge cost The Murray sys
TEN, II II declared, win DO away with
this expsnsivs construction entirely
The Murray breakvatsr II built In sec
lions. each section resembling IN In
vsrted vessel, the upturned keel doins
the work Of brsaking the force Of thu
inrolling waves and the great project
ing bulk underneath held steadily b
the pressure Of the water II
/ OF Value Tor LIehtshIps.
One Of Mr.. Murray's chief claims Of
the value Of his invention, however
lies in its application to another. and
more picturesque, marine structure
the lightship. A lightships now ars
constructed, II II impossibls for them
to carry q light ut greater height
than 20 feet above thar decks. In I'D
dition, they must always be anchored
close to the reef or shoal over which
they stand guard. since It II not pos