The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1910-01-12
MARINERS COMPASS,
Little Known of the Real Origin Of
the instrument.
ITS USE BY THE CHINESE.
This Wonderful People Knew Of the
Magnetic Needle Long Before tho
Christian Era-The Claims Of Gioia,
the Pilot. and the Credit Due Him.

Much interest must forever attach TO
the discovery Of that valuable instru-
uent the mariners compass. and yet
there are few subjects concerning
which less IS Known. For period the
honor Of the invention WAS ascr!bed 20
Gioia, 4 pilot. born 1t Pasitano.
small village situated near Amald.
about the end o: the thirteenth CEN
tury. his claims. however. have been
disputed.
Much learning and labor have been
bestowed upon the subject Of the dis
coyery. 1t BAG 1een maintained by one
class that even the Phoenicians were
| the inventors, by another that the
Greeks and Romans had knowledge
Of It Such notions. howe:er. have
been completely refuted.
One passage. nevertheless. OF re-
narkablc character occurs In the works
OF Cardinal dc Witty. bishop Of rtole-
mais. in Syria. &c wen. 20 Palestine
during the fourth crusade about the
year 1905. he returned afterward to
Europe and subsequently, back TO the
holy Land, where he wrote his work
entitled "Histor!a Orientalis." as near
! Il as can be determined, between the
years 1c15 and 1920. In chapter 81
! Of that work be has this singular pas
sage:
The iron needle, after contact with
the loads.one, constantly turns 10 the
north star. which. at tbe axis Of the
armament, rematns inmovable while
the others revoIve, and hencc il IS es-
sentially necessary to those narigat-
! ing on the ocean"
These words are IS explicit as they
are extraordinary. They state fact
and announce use The thing. there
fore, which essentially constitutes the
compass must have been known long
before the bi-th Of Gioia- In addition
| to this fact, there IS another equally
fatal to his claim as the original dis
coverer.
It IS now settled beyond doubt
that the Chinese were acquainted with
the compass long before the Europe
ans. It IS certain that there are allu-
s!ons to the magnetic needle in the
traditiorary period Of Chinese history.
about 2,oo0 years before Christ. and
still more credible account OF 1t Is
! found in the reign Of Chinswang OF tae
Chow dyrasty. before Christ liza
AL this, however. may be granted
without In tss least imparinS the just
claims OF Gioia to the gratitude OF mea-
kind. The truth appears to be that
the position Of Gioia IN relation to the
compass wos precisely that OF Watt in
relation to the steam ensine-the ele-
ment existed; be augmented its Utility.
! The compass used By the mariners
IN the Mediterranean during the
twelfth and thirteenth centuries was
a very uncertain and unsatisfactory
apparatus. It consisted only OF mag
net!c needle coating in vase or basin
by means Of two straws Oh bit OF
cork supporting it on the surface OF
the water.
The compass used by the Arabians
:n the thirteenth century was an IL
strunant Of exactly the same descr:p-
ton. Now. the Inconvenience and in-
efficiency Of such al apparatus are OBJ
yious. The agitation OF the ocean and
the tossing Of the vessel might render
tt useless II moment
But Gioia placed the masnetized
needle on q pivot. which permits 1t to
turn to all sides with facility. After
ward It was attached to card divided
into thirty-two points, called rose de
vents, and then the box containing It
was suspended IN such manner that.
however the vessel might be tossed.
It would always remain horizontal
Electrical Engineer.