Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1909-10-29
MARINERS COMPASS,
Little Known Of the Real Origin Of
the instrument.
ITS USE BY THE CHINESE.


Magnetic Needle Long Before tho
Christian Era-The Claims Of Gioia,
the Pilot, and the Credit Due Him.
Much interest must forever attach TO
the discovery OF that valuable instru.
ment the mariners compass. aud yet
there are few subjects concerning
which less Is known. For a period the
honor of the invention was ascribed TO
Gioia, pilot. born at Pasiiano,
small village situated near Amalh,
about the end OF the thirteenth cen.
tury. His claims. however, have been
disputed.
Much learning and labor have been
bestowed upon the subject OF the dis
covery. Ii has been maintained by one
class that even the Phoenicians were
the inventors. by another that the
Of It. Such notions, however. have
been completely refuted
One passage, nevertheless. Of re-
markable character occurs In the works
Of Cardinal de Witty. bishop of ptole
mais. in Syria. He went to Palestine
during the fourth crusade. about the
year 1904 He returned afterwsrd TO
Europe and subsequently back to the
Holy Land. where he wrote his work
entitled Historic Orientalis." as near
ly as can be determined, between the
years 1915 and 1920, In chapter 81
Of that work he has this singular pas
sage:
The iron needle. after contact with
the loadstone, constantly turns to the
north star. which, at the axis Of the
armament remains immovable while
che others revolye, and hence II Is es-
sentially necessary to those navtgat
ing on the ocean"
These words are as explicit as they
are extraordinary. They state fact
and announce a use. The thing. there
fore. which essentially constitutes the
compass must have been known long
before the birth of Gloia. In addition
to this fact, there is another equally
fatal to his claim as the original dis
coverer.
1t IL now settled beyond q doubt
that the Chinese were acquainted with
the compass long before the Europe
ans. 1t Is certain that there are allu.
sions to the magnetic needle 10 the
traditionary period OF Chinese history.
about 1000 years before Christ, and
still more credible account Of It IL
found 10 the reign OF Chingwang Of the
Chow dynasty, before Christ TIA.
All this, however may be granted
without In the least impairing the just
claims of Gioia to the gratitude Of man.
kind. The truth appears to be that
the position OF Gioia In relation to the
compass WAS precisely that OF Watt In
relation to the steam engine-the ele-
ment existed; he augmented its utility
The compass USED by the mariners
In the Mediterranean during the
twelfth and thirteenth centuries was
very uncertain and unsatisfactory
apparatus. 1t consisted only Of a mag
netic needle floating In vase or basin
by means of two straws on bit Of
\oAh cuppoitiiS ~ oh thC oohA"NS oa
the water.
The compass used by, the Arabians
In the thirteenth century was an In
strument OF exactly the same desrrip
ton. Now. the Inconvenience and In
efficiency OF such an apparatus are OBJ
vious. The agitation Of the ocean and
the tossing Of the vessel might render
II useless In moment.
But Gioia placed the magnetized
needle on a pivot, which permits 1t to
turn to all sides with facility. After
ward 1t was attached to a card divided
into thirtytwo points, called rose de
vents, and then the box containing 1t
was suspended In such a manner that,
however the vessel might be tossed,
1t would always remain horizontal
Electrical Engineer.