The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1906-2016, 1909-10-24
MARINERS COMPASS,
Little Known of the Real Origin of
the Instrument.
ITS USE BY THE CHINESE

This Wonderful People Knew of the
Magnetic Needle Long Before the
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, and yet
there are few subjects concerning
| which less is known. For a period the
! honor of the invention was ascribed to
Gioia, a pilot, born at Pasitano, a
small village situated near Amaln,
about the end of the thirteenth CEN
fury. His claims, however, have been
disputed.
Much learning and labor have been
bestowed upon the subject OF the dis
covery. 1t has been maintained by one
the inventors, by another that the
Greeks and Romans had a knowledge
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 PtoIe-
| mais, i'll Syria He went to Palestine
during the fourth crusade, about the
year 1904. He returned afterward to
Europe and subsequently back to the
Holy Land, where he wrote his work
entitled "Historia 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 tmmOyabIe while
the others revolve, and hence it is es-
sentiaIly necessary to those navigat
ing on the ocean," ..,a
These words are as explicit as, they
are extraordinary. They state a fact
and announce a use. The thing, there
! fore, which essentially constitutes the
compass must have been, known long
I before the birth of Gioia. La addition
to this fact, there isaanother equally
| fatal TO his claim as the original dis
! coverer.
! 1t is now settled beyond 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 In the
! Evolutionary period Of Chinese history.
about 1000 years before Christ, and
! still more credible account Of it Is
| found in the reign Of Chingwang of the
/ Chow dynasty, before Christ lila.
! All this, however. may be granted
wthoN; il t,o }~lSi impairing the Just
J claims &C. Gioi;, 10 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
irelation TO the steam engine-the eIe-
I lnent existed; he augmented its utility
The compass used by the mariners
! il 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
cork supporting 1t on the surface OF
! the water
! The compass used by the Arabisns
in the thirteenth century was an In
strument of exactly the same descrip-
ton. Now. the inconvenience and in
{ efficiency of suchr an apparatus are OBJ
! vious The agitation OF the ocean and
] the tossing of the vessel might render
! It useless In a nrement.
| But Gioia placed the magnetiSed
needle on a pivot. which permits 1t to
turn to all sides with facility. After
! ward it was attached to a card divided
, into thirty-two points, called rose de
] vents. and then the box containing 1t
was suspended in such manner that,
however the vessel might be tossed,
it would always remain horizontal
/ Electrical Engineer.