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

OF course, tndt many SnOulu pc IOSt,
but the manner in which these queer
government records often survive de-
lay and injury and turn UP for tran
cription in the charts which the hydro
graphic office is constantly engaged in
compiling out of this and other sources
of information is truly marvellous.
The mariners who supply Information
to the photographic office. as they wend
their courses over the apparently track
less ocean, reap an abundant reward for
their labors in this wise. The office issues
two publications. one weekly, the other
monthly, which are of inestima BILE service
to navigators the world over. The n
formation which is constantly pouring
in, and which is handled in such gu ct
and efficient manner by the photographic
clerks, issues forth again. carefully c l.
lated and prepared in the weekly bulle-
tin and the monthly pilot chart In
these is contained remarkably fuil
description of the recent behavior OF all
the seas. with their constantly changing
perils, in the forms of storms. icebergs,
derelicts, uncharted islands. reefs. etc.
All these are indicated, according to the
latest information, on the pilot chart ana
recorded in the bulletin.
A remarkable system of weather pre-
diction has also been instituted by the
office, and is indicated on the pilot charts
| Within each rectangle formed by the lines
| of latitude and longitude on the chart
are set four small circles with small ar
| rows projecting from them. There is a
numeral within each circle Inc prop
| able direction of the wind is indicated
| by the arrows, their length and char
acter denoting for what time and with
| what force 1t may be expected TO blow
| from a certain quarter. The numeral
within the circle indicates the mum Der
OF chances in 100 for Gains in that To-
cality. Information in regard to recent
| important changes in the direction and
| strength of currents. as learned from
the records of the bottles. is also given,
| as well as the region of frequent fog.
The tracks of the storms of the past
month are set forth, as well as the pos
sible course and time of those of the
coming month. This is only a small part
| of the information conveyed to mariners
| by the charts.
One of the features in the work Of pre-
| pairing these publications is of an unique
! character, and is so striking as to i'm
mediatelv interest the visitor to the hy-
geographic office, who may readily watch
the proceeding On the wall of one OF
| the rooms there hangs what is called a
blank chart To the uninitiated observer
! it appears a large blackboard, upon
which are delineated, in permanent out
| lines. all the oceans Of the world, with
| the continents which divide them traced
| between. The parallels of latitude and
| the meridianS OF Longitude are likewise
| shown. Then, starting at various points
| in the oceans and running seemingly at
random over the surface. are numerous
! Irregular lines traced transienty in chalk.
| A pin is stuck at the termination of each
| of these lines, and little green tag de-
pends from the end of each tag.
! One can scarcely wait any time before
! this board without seeing an official OF
| the office remove one of the pins and
| tags continue the line the termination of
| which was thus marked further across
| the chart. and insert pin and tag at the
| end of the new line. Several extensions
| of this sort may be made in most of the
| lines in the course of day, until finally
| they come to straggle from their appar-
/ emily original directions, and to turn
| and twist about the seas in queer zig
zaging fashion. On each tag is seen q
name which may be the Flying Foam
or the Ethelinda. These are the cog
nomens of dereffct vessels that are known
to be wandering about in the ocean be-
reft of human control and the lines depict
/ the courses which each abandoned craft
| has been following. the tag denoting the
| location at which she Is reported to the
| Office as having been last sighted.