The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1909-04-09
PILOTS OF The
GREAT LAKES.
Perplexities for inexperienced
Men and Deviations Of
the Compass.

"The finest pilots in the world are
in the vessel service Of tee Great
Lakes" said a HydToghaphic Office
official. but in spite of the magnd-
tude of these lakes and tne volume
of Shipping there are the fewest pos
sible navigators in TIE seadhan's sense
Of the term.
Give the average vesselmun on tee
lakes a clear sky and good weather
generally and ne 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 mis- compass as to place
in dnager his vessel, cargo and crew,
simply through his ignorance Of mo-
vigation."
According to tee reports of the
photographic Office 217 vessels of all
kinds stranded in the Great Lakes in
1908. Causes for this Lave been as
certained in 1853 cases. and of these
80 STANDINGS are reported es being
avoidable he'd tie navigators done
full duty as such.
1t would be surprising to the aver
age landsman on the rims of the
Great Lakes to know how many young
men just off the farms Of the coun-
try are wheelsmen and navigators Of
lake vessels. Some of them in win
ter schooling may have gained some
knowledge of the principles OF naviga-
ton, many 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 binding rain
or snow these pilots might be the bet
ter off If the wneelhouse were not
provided with a compass.
In this Great Lakes region between
the eastern and western extremes of
the lakes there is total compass de-
Walton of Is degrees from the true
pole. At the port of Chicago for ex-
ample the compass needlepoints three
degrees to the right of the north,
though at other points on tire lakes
the devotion is as much as 10 degre
What the significance of such de-
Walton is may be seen when, left
uncorrected, the navigator attempts
TO sail by such q compass. In one
compass point as considered by
the navigator, there are liz degrees.
Thus at certain ports on the lakes the
magnetic compass, unoorected may be
almost one point out as to the true
north. One point out of this true nortn
on the part of the wheeman steering
for a narbor 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 as
tray by one mile. This mile or 10
or 20 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 eject
of cargoes Of magnetic iron ore, of
which so much is carried on the
Great Lakes may put tie compass
needle even farther off. With the
needle several degrees out of the true
north due to tie influences of the
magnetic pole the loading Of a vessel
with these ores may promise for great
er complications 10 the sailor
Not infrequently tie navigator WHO
recognizes the necessity of having
his compass corrected does so with
cargo of this ore in his hold. He &C
cepts the correction, made with due
recognition to tee cargo and its in
fluences after which he may Shift to
a cargo of non-magnetic matter, which
in turn puts mis- compass out again
perhcps leaving him with no thought
Of another correction, as necessary.
Comparatively few Of tie wrecks
OF last year resulted in total loss of
the vessels but in tie delay and dry
docking of vessels for repairs the mon
ey loss to owners was enormously
heavy.