The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1909-04-15
PILOTS OF THE GREAT LAKES.
Many Perplexities for inexperienced Mer
Deviations of the Compass.

DeviatiOnS of the Compass.
''The finest pilots in the world are in
the vessel service of the Great Lakes"
said photographic Office official, "but
in spite of the magnitude of these lakes
and the volume of the shipping, there are
the fewest possible navigators in the
seaman's sense of the term.
''Glve the average vesselman on the
lakes clear sky and good weather gen.
orally and he can be depended upon to
steer 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 Hydro
graphic Office PIT vessels of all kinds
stranded in the Great Lakes in 1908.
Causes for this have been ascertained in
1853 cases, and of these ninety-two strand
ings are reported as being avoidable had
the navigators done full duty as such.
1t would be 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 gain
ed some knowledge of the principles of
navigation; many of them know little
more than to feel their way across the
lake, depending upon the sense of sight
and hearing to lead them into port. In
pilots might be the better off if the
compass.
In this Great Lakes region between the
eastern and western extremes of the
lakes there is total compass deviation
of - degrees from the true pole At the
port of Chicago, for example, the COM
pass needle points degrees to 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 devia-
ton is may be seen when, left uncor-
rected, the navigator attempts to sail by
such compass. In one compass "point, +"
as considered by the navigator, there are
eleven and a quarter degrees. Thus at
certain ports on the lakes the magnetic
compass, uncorrected, may be almost
one point out as to the true north. One
point out of this true north on the part
of the wheelsman steering for a harbor
100 miles away will leave him twenty
miles out of his destination. Or if he
shall be trying to make the mouth of a
river only five miles away in fog this in
correct compass by only one point will
cause him to run astray by one mile.
his mile or ten or twenty miles out of
is reckoning in thick weather is promis-
h'g of almost any kind of disaster
min addition to this deviation of the
compass needle, however, the effect of
cargoes of magnetic iron ore, of which
so much is carried on the Great Lakes,
may put the compass needle even farther
off. With the needle several degrees out
of the true north, due to the influences of
the magnetic pole, the loading of YES
sci 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 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 cargo Of non-mag-
netic matter, which in turn puts his com.
pass out again, perhaps leaving him with
no thought of another correction as nee
essary.
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 enoormusly heavy.-Chi-
cago Tribune.