The Washington herald., 1909-05-23
PILOTS or THE GREAT LAKES
PerpIexiies for inexperienced Men.
DeviatiOns of the Compass.
Two Hundred and Seventeen vessels
on Their shores During the
season OF 1905.

Frusz ths Chicago Tsi6Ine.
The finest pilots IN the world are IN the
vessel service Of the Great Lakes said a
Photographed once official. but in
spite Of the magnitude OF these lakes and
the volume OF shipping. there are the few
est possible navigstors in the seaman's
sense Of the term.
Give the average vesselman on the
Lakes a clear sky and good weather gen
orally snd be can be depended upon TO
steer a course to a hair: but give him the
thick fog. rain. snow and the elements.
and he may know so little OF his compass
as to place in danger his vessel. cargo
and crew. simply through his ignorance
Of navigation"
According to the reports Of the Hydro
graphic Office zIT vessels OF all kinds
stranded IN the Great Lakes ia 1903
Causes for this have been ascertained il
.i5s cases. and Of these ninety-two strand
ings are reported as being avoidable had
the navigators done fun duty as such.
Il would be surprising 10 the average
landsman on the rims of the Great Lakes
TO know how many young men Just on
the farms Of the country are wheeisEen
and naTigatorS OF lake vessels. Some Of
them in winter schooling may have gsiDed
some knowledge Of the principles Of navi-
cation: many Of them know little more
than 70 feel their way across the lake.
depending upon the senses Of sight and
hearing 20 lead them into port IN dense
fog OF binding rain or snow these pilots
might be the better OF II the Theeghouse
were not provided with a compass.
In this Great lakes region between the
eastern and western extremes Of the
Lakes there Is a total compass devia-
ton Of IS degrees from the true pole. At
to port Of Chicago, ror example, the
compass needle points degrees Go the
right Of the north. though at other
points on the lakes the deviation is as
much as 10 degrees
What the significance Of such deviation
is may be seen when. left uncorrecled,
the navigator attempts % san by such q
compass In one compass point" as con-
ssdered BY the navigator, there are eleven
and a quarter degrees. Thus at certain
ports on the Lakes the magnetic compass,
uncorrec:ed, may be almost one point cut
as 70 the true north On point ont OF this
true north on the part Of the wheelsman
steering for a harbOr 100 miles away wiz
leave him twenty miles out OF his destina-
ton Or II ne shall be trying 10 make the
mouth OF river only FIVE miles away IN
fog this Incorrect compass by only ore
point viii cause him to run astray by one
mile. This mile or ten or twenty miles
out Of his reckoning IN thick weather IS
promising Of almost any kind OF disaster
IN addition 70 this deviation OF the COM
pass needle, however. the effect Of car
goes OF magnetic iron ore. Of which so
much Is carried on the Great Lakes, may
put the compass needle even furthep|off,
With the needle several degrees out Of the
true north, due 10 the influences Of the
magnetic pole. the loading Of a vessel
with these ores may promise far greater
considerations TO the sailor
Not infrequently the navigator who
recognizes the necessity Of having his
compass corrected does so with a cargo
OF this ore in his hold He accepts the
correction, made with due recognition to
the cargo and its influences, after which
he may shift To a cargo of non-magnetic
matter. which in turn puts his compass
out again, perhaps leaving him with no
thought Of another~eorreetion as neces-
sa-y.
Comparatively few Of the wrecks OF last
year resulted in total loss Of the vessels.
but IN the delays and dry docking Of
vessels for repairs the money loss &c
owners was enormously heavy.