Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1909-03-25
STEERING BY SOUND,
How BlindfoIded Pilot Guided Tug
by Submarine Bell Signals.
WAS NOT DECEIVED ONCE.

Eugene f. Moran from point over
three miles out in the open sea to the
Ambrose channel lightship, in New
York bay, the other day, picking up the
light vessel by the sound of the sub
marine signal bell and following the
course by the guiding sound of the
bell ringing some thirty feet below the
surface.
The Eugene f. Moran left pier ..
North river, New York. soon after 10
O'Clock in the morning, with shipping
men and experts on board. The tug
boat James II. Moran went along, hav-
ing on board signal bell apparatus
for the trials.
The tug went down the lower bay to
the Ambrose lightship and ran along
side to request that the submarine bell
on board be kept ringing
In a short time the man who had the
telephone headpiece connected with
the microphone receivers at the bow of
the tug reported:
There goes the bell now"
The Moran continued to a point
about three miles beyond the Hook.
and, after Assistant Engineer Fay had
been blindfolded the Moran was put
out of her course to confuse him, while
the receivers were put at his ears.
There was a short interval, and then
Fay said to Captain Reilly of the tug,
"The bell is off the starboard side"
The course was changed, and then.
Fay reported the sound as coming
from the port sides. Again the wheel
swung around, and again Fay report
ed on the direction of the bell.
"a little to port" he ordered, and
then, as the tug swung over, he said:
Now l hear the bell from port and
starboard. The lightship lies dead
ahead. Keep that course. captain"
So the blindfolded man kept her to
the course. Occasionally he would or
der trife more to port or to star
board as the sound indicated that the
bow was swinging point off the line
to the lightship.
AS the tug approached the lightship
the test was made complete. The tug
swung from one point of the compass
to another. The blindfolded man was
never fooled. He called the bells as
accurately as a hotel clerk calls the In
dicator.
Now we've got him." said Captain
Reilly as he pointed the Moran on one
course.
"Now where is the lightship?" de
manded the scoffers
almost ahead" said Fay, listening
intently Dead ahead" he corrected
a moment later, and dead ahead" It
was.
Those who crowded into the pilot
house or who had obtained places at
the windows watched the guiding OF
the boat with interest looking out to
see how true the vessel was going on
her way to the light vessel. SO Fay
brought the tug to the Ambrose light.
The company officials explained the
working of the submarine signal, and
every one on board had chance to
listen to the bell. AS another test the
| James H. Moran was sent ahead about
a mile. and she fastened up on the far
, side of the schooner Goodwin Stod-
dard. anchored off Staten Island. Her
bell was put over the side and started.
There was no difficulty in locating the
tug by the sound Of the bell.
About leo liShtshipS are now equip
ped with the submarine bell, and OF
these forty-ninc are along our coast.
The lightship bell is hung by davits
over the side. II is attached TO Il case
and is operated by compressed air fed
, through twin rubber hose. The strokes
on the bell are automatically CON
trollcd, so that each li-HtShip sends
out under water her code number.
Every lightship has It's code nUmhcr-
66 for Nantucket. 10 for Boston bay,
for Hen and Chickens, in Buzzard's
bay: 80 for BretonS Reef GS for the
Diamond shoal lightship.
The receiving apparatus is Installed
in the fore peak and as far below the
water line as possible. The receiving
mechanism consists of two small tanks
fastened to the "skin" of the vessel.
In each tank two microphones are
placed immersed in liquid. These
microphones receive the sound waves
coming through the water and strik-
ing against the vessels side. From
these tanks wires run to the battery
box. which supplies the power and
from there to the indicator box.
The receiving telephones are similar
to the telephone car pieces now in
use. The indicator box. shaped like a
clock. is fastened to the wall of the
pilothouse. BY means OF a switch
either the port or starboard micro
phone can be connected with the re
ceiving telephones. \ dial shows
which side is connected. 1t was ex-
planned that the bell works best at
about thirty feet below the surface.
The sound of the bell has been heard
eighteen and n half miles.