Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-04-05
PILOTS OF THE GREAT LAKES.
Many PerpIexities for inexperienced
Manifestations of the Compass.

''Thc finest pilots in the world ar" in
| the vessel service of the Great Lakes
said q Hydroera Dhic Office official. but
| in spite of the magnitude of these lakes
and the volume of shipping. there are
the fawcst possible navigators in the
seaman's sense of the term.
Give the average vesselman on the
lakes clear sky and good weather
generally and he can be depended upon
to stear a course to 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 Hy
Geographic Office PIT vessels of all kinds
stranded in the Great Lakes in 1908.
Causes for this rave been ascertainei
in 15S cases, and of these nintey-two
STANDINGS are reported as being avoid
able had the navigators done full duty
as such
1t would he surprising to the average
landsman on the rims of the Great lakes
to know how many young men just off
the farms OF the country are Wheelsmen
and naVigatorS of lake vessels Some
OF them in winter schooling may have
gained some knowledge of the princi-
pies OF naVigation many of them know
lit tie more than to feel their way across
the lake. depending upon the senses of
sight and hearing to lead them into
port In dense fog or binding rain or
snow these pilots might be the better
off if The wheclhouse were not provided
with a compass
the eastern and western extremes Of
the lakes there is total compass devil
alton or IL degrees from the true pole
At the port of Chicago. for example.
the compass needle points to the right
of the north. though at the other points
Gu the lakes the deviation is as much as
~ degrees.
What the significance of such devia-
ton is may be seen when, left unco,-
rected. the navigator attempts to sail
by such COMPASS. In one compass
point" as considered by the naviea-
tor there are eleven and a quarter de-
grees. Thus at certain ports Oh the
lakes the magnetic compass, uncor-
rected, may be almost one point out
as to the true north. One point out
of this true north on the part of tn.
wh@elsman steering for a harbor JOG
miles away will leave him twenty
miles out of his destination. Or if ne
shall be trying to make the mouth of
a river only five miles away in fog
this incorrect compass by 1nly one
point will 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 to this deviation Of the
compass needle, however, the effect If
| carSnes Of magnetic iron ore, Of which
SO much is carried on the Great Lakes,
may put the compass needle even far
ther Off With the needle several de-
grees out of the true north, due to
the influences of the magnetic pole,
the loading of vessel with these ores
may promise far greater complications
| to the sailor.
Not infrequently the navigator who
| recognizes the necessity of having his
compass corrected does so with a car
go of this ore in his hold. He accepts
the correction. made with due recog-
! milton to the cargo and it's influences,
after which he may shift to II cargo
of non-magnetic matter, which in
| turn puts his compass out again. per-
haps leaving him with no thought of
another correction as necessary.
Comparatively few of the wrecks of
last year resulted in total loss of the
| vessels but in the delays and dry dock
| ing of vessels for repairs the money
| loss to owners was enormously heavy.
Chicago Tribune.