The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-06-06
WORK OF Fa.lIl
 ON C54T AXES Some PerpIexitIeo or hex
 perienCed Men DEVIATI0NS OF COMPASS Two Hundred and Seventeen Vessels on Their Shores During the
 Season of 1sos-Finest Pi-
 lots in the World.
DEWlATlONS OF COMPASS

From the Chicago Trib une.
 The finest pilots in the world are in the vessel service of the Great Lakes" ] said a Hydrographical Office official, but in spite of the magnitude of these lakes and the volume of shipping, there are the fewest possible navigators in the seaman's sense of the term. Give the average vesselman on the lakes a clear sky and good weather generally and he can be depended upon to steer a course to a 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 Fly topographic Office PIT vessels of all kinds stranded in the Great Lakes in 1908. Causes for this have been ascer- tained in 15S cases, and of these 92 stranding are reported as being avoid able had the navigators done full duty as such
 It 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 ves sells. Some of them in winter schooling may have gained some knowledge of
 
 them know little 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 blind ing rain or snow, these pilots might be the better off if the wheelhouse were not provided with a compass. In this Great Lakes region between the eastern and western extremes of the lakes there Is a total compass deviation of IS degrees from the true pole. At the port of Chicago, for ex- ample, the compass needle points de- grees to the right of the north, though at other points on the lakes the deyia tion is as much as 10 degrees. What the significance of such devia- tion is may be seen when, left uncor- rected, the navigator attempts to sail by such a compass In one compass point" as considered by the naviga tor, there are 11A 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 wheelman steering for a harbor 100 miles away will leave him 20 miles out of his destination. Or if he shall be trying to make the mouth of river only five miles away in fog this incorrect compass by only one point will cause him to run astray by one mile. This mile or 10 or 20 miles out of his reckoning in thick weather Is promising of almost any kind of dis aster.
 In 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 fur ther off With the needle several de- grees out of the true north, due to the influences of the magnetic pole. the loading of a 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 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 magnetic matter, which in turn puts his compass out again, perhaps leaving him with no thought of another cor rection 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.