Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-03-11

down past the Spanish headlands and
back again above the equator until lost
in that reputed cemetery for derelicts,
the Sargasso sea- In the south Atlantic
other of these significant lines may be
traced apparently endeavortng, like the
Phantom Ship" to weather the Cape or
Good Hope and lose themselves in the In
dian ocean. These are the tracks OF the
sealed bottles the purpose of which has
been described.
In this remarkable office there are
shown during the course of the day, oy
means of other charts, the progress of
cyclones the drift and positions OF ice
bergs, the reported locations Of recent
waterspouts the movements Of the gulf
stream, the temperature OF surface water.
the singular variances in the audib1lity
of fog signals, the formations Of clouds
denoting probable weather" the rise of
fog banks, and so on through all the phe-
nomena bearing upon the safety OF YES
sells at sea-
all the information. The charts and the
other publications Of the office are made
from data supplied by thousands OF sea
captains scattered practically over the
entire globe. The shipmasters themselves
make all Of the observations, which are col
lated in the charts and so published for
their own general guidance. The officials
in the Office in this city are the over
seerS-the real work of original observa-
tion is conducted on the seas in all quar-
often in extremely perilous conditions.
But there is great skill of method and
efficiency of result in handling the infor-
nation thus received.
There are observations made each day
by mariners in the four seas at noon,
Greenwich time. Although when it is
noon at the standard English meridian
point it may be midnight where the OBJ
servation at sea Is made, the observer,
by means of calculations which he GUS
tomarily employs, can calculate Green
witch noon to the instant, and formulate
his record with absolute precision. Such
observations are forwarded to the hydro
graphic office, and form an important
part Of the records.
Into this center for marine information
pour all day reports from the most dis
tant and varied portions of the seas.
These are not merely of the routine ma
ture indicated, but convey information
regarding special conditions encountered
by the senders. Thus. a message may
read-as one of them does-transmitted
recently by wireless from a British ship:
Latitude p degrees 50 minutes, longi-
tude 6S degrees II minutes, passed a
large whistling buoy painted red and
black, vertical stripes. apparently in good
-Veinot."
This communication is Of great impor-
tance, as 1t tells that what was intended
to be the sailors safeguard has slipped
from its post and become his menace.
The warning of the wave-tossed bell is
now a false one, and the real danger is
left unheralded.
The danger to ships that sail the icy
seas of the north is well conveyed in the
following report:
Latitude 4S degrees. longitude 4S de-
grees. passed some small bergs; latitude
As degrees longitude 40 degrees found
ourselves surrounded with field ice and
bergs; steamed around the field in lati-
tude As degrees 80 minutes. passing
countless bergs. Dense fog caused US to
stop the ship for the night; kept clear Of
ice by noting the wash of the sea-
Durango (Br. s.s). Evans"
One readily conceives the anxiety Of
the crew of the Durango that night.
when they depended for their safety by
noting 1.-The wash Of the sea-"
Another message from the northern
seas reads:
Latitude 80 degrees o5 minutes, longi-
tude As degrees. - minutes, passed a
large confcal hero 1E0 feat high. Saw four