The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1912-05-09
Transmits Orders usually by
Telegraph or Audib|y by
Telephone.

so That he may and does receive his
orders by word of mouth. In times
OF stress, however, should the wheel
house be damaged or the ordinary
steering apparatus put out Of commits
sion, the after wheelhouse is used and
the emergency steering gear.
In addition to these telegraphs, vi
tai parts of the modern mechanism of
communication from the bridge, the
interior independent communicating
SYSTEM as it is called, are the navi-
eating telephones. These instruments,
which are usually connected with the
chief vital portions of the vessel-the
engine room, the after bridge, the
crows nest and the bow or eyes-are
completely independent of all the 9TH
er telephones of the vessel-the hotel
service, as it might be called. They
are usually operated from a separate
power station or generator.
Character of Navigating Telephones.
These navigating telephones are now
nearly all cloud speaking telephones
that is, instruments especially adapt
ed for marine use. At sea, with the
noise Of the wind and the waves, the
ordinary telephone is of little use save
in communicating below decks or from
cabin to cabin, and so these special in
struments have been invented in which
headpieces are so arranged that re-
ceiver is held to both ears and wind
kept out from them entirely. By their
use conversation is practicable even in
the highest wind. It was by means Of
just such an instrument that Fleet,
one Of the lookouts in the crows nest
Of the ill fated Titanic, sent his warn
ing of an iceberg ahead to First Officer
Murdoch.
In addition to these telephones, the
bridges Of the great ships Of today are
fitted with special telephone fog sig
nails. The receiver Of this instrument
is on the bridge, and a dozen or so
transmitters are set in tanks carried
one on each side of the bow below the
water line. The tanks or wells are
open to the sea, and by means of their
batteries of transmitters the approach
Of vessel can be apprehended through
her vibration under water. The vibra-
ton can be heard, and the captain or
navigating officer is thus warned Of the
approach Of some other craft out Of the
smother of concealing mist.
Control of Compartment Doors.
On the bridge, the center Of all things,
Is also located the control for the i'm
portant water tight doors, the vaunt Of
many vessel, which failed to save the
Titanic, but only failed, the experts
say, because too much Of her side must
have been torn out by the berg to allow
any system Of water tight compart-
ments to avail. The control for these
pieces Of mechanism which convert the
ship In trice into a series of separate
and water tight compartments is called
the emergency SWITCH 1t is placed in
a convenient position on the bridge,
where the navigating officer can reach
1t without seconds delay.
The operation Of the emergency switch
is electric, but the actual closing Of the
doors themselves, which are, Of course,
extremely heavy, is effected hydraul-
lcally, the electric current giving but
the initial impulse. There is in addi-
ton at each door what is called an Eat
w1ll' switch, which is means for re-
leasing the lock Of the door TEMPORARY
~. This is device intended to pro-
vide means for escape should any per-
sons be caught on the wrong side Of a
bulkhead door. By means Of it the
door can be opened long enough for
the person to pass through and then
closed back into position. In most
vessels the water tight doors are not
placed in parts Of the hull intended to
be used as living quarters for either
passengers or crew, but the lat will'
switch is designed for unusual cases
In which persons might nevertheless
be cut off. If it were not for this pro-
vision they would, of course, die like
rats in trap.
Other Devices.
Great compasses and ships clocks
are also found, Of course, on the bridge
as we'll as, in many cases, a device to
show the number Of revolutions the
propellers are making, and a contriv-
ance called the commutator to indi-
cate the list and it's amount.
Experts in the matter Of marine in
terror signals have been asked why it
was necessary, with such an elaborate
system Of communication between the
captain on the bridge and the rest of
the vessel, to send the fourth officer,
Mr.. Boxhall, and the ships carpenter
scurrying down into the Titanic in or
der to- discover the extent of the DAM
age she had suffered from the iceberg.
Their response is that it was not nee
essary, but that the captain probably
issued these orders as a precautionary
measure.
The bridge, then, is the clearing
house for all the vital information con-
corning the ship in times Of calm and
In time Of stress SThoro thu oo1+o;,,