Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1909-06-23
THE MARINER,s coMPAss.
Its Very Ancient History and Its
Probable DfscOverer.

Its Very Ancient History and Its
Probable Discoverer.
Much interest must forever attach to the
discovery of this instrument, and yet
there are few subjects concerning which
less is known. For period the honor Of
the invention was ascribed to Gioia, pilot
born at Pasitano, small village situated
near Amalf, about the end of the thir-
teenth century. His claims, however,
have been disputed.
Much learning and labor have been be-
slowed upon the subject OF the discovery.
1t has been maintained by one class that
even the Phnnicians were the inventors;
by another that the Greeks and Romans
had knowledge Of it. Such notions,
however, have been completely refuted.
One passage, nevertheless. OF remark
eble character, occurs in the work OF Car
dinal de Witty, bishop OF Ptolemais, in
Syria. He went to Palestine during the
fourth crusade, aoout the year 1904; he re-
turned afterwsrd to Europe, and subse-
quently went back to the Holy land,
where he wrote his work entitled Historic
Orientalis, as nearly as can be determined,
between the years 1915 and 1920.
In chapter ninety-one of that work he
has this singular passage: 1.-THE iron
needle, after contact with the lOdestone,
constantly turns to the north star, which,
| as the axis OF the armament, remains i'm
movable, while the others revolve; and
hence it is essentially necessary to those
navigating on the ocean" These words
are as explicit as they are extraordinary;
they state fact and announce use. The
thing, therefore, which essentially consti-
tutes the compass, must have been known
long before the birth OF Giois.
In addition to this fact, there is another
equally fatal to his claim as the original
discoverer. 1t is now settled beyond
doubt that the Chinese were acquainted
with the compass long before the Euro
peans. 1t is certain that there are allu-
sions to the magnetic needle in the tradi-
tiouary period Of Chinese history, about
1900 years before Christ; and still more
credible account of it is found in the reign
OF Chingwang, OF the Chow dynasty, be-
fore Christ lila. All this, however, may
be granted, without in the least impairing
the just claims of Gioia to the gratitude of
mankind.
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 element 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 magnetic
needle floating in vase or basin by means
| OF two straws on bit of cork supporting
T, it on the surface OF the water.
The compass used by the Arabians in
the thirteenth century was an in instru-
ment OF exactly the same description.
| Now the Inconvenience and inefficiency CT
such an apparatus are obvious; the agi-
tation OF the ocean and the tossing of the
vessel might render it useless in moment
But Gioia placed the magnetized needle on
a pivot, which permits it to turn to all
sides with facility. Afterward it was at
tached to card divided into thirty two
points, called Rose de Vents, and then the
box containing it was suspended in such a
manner that, however the vessel might be
tossed, it would always remain horizontal.