The Punta Gorda herald. [volume] (Punta Gorda, Fla.) 1893-1958, 1913-07-03
WRESTLING BUOYS
They Are Simple In Principle and
Certain In Operation.
PAINTINGS OF THE WAVES.

'"S n'so anu AN OF the water give
Birth to Their Penetrating ShrieIs.
Placing and Removing Them Arc
Tasks Frausht With Deadly Peril.
Sea travellers up and down our coast
lines often hear strange. weird sound
to port or starboard, sort of COM
pound of moan and shrek, at once soft
and insistent, subdued and penetrating.
1t is the call Of the whistling buoy to
the man at the helm. warning him of
shoal or dangerous place.
These whistling buoys, which are
enormous masses Of iron, often weigh
ing several tons. are as simple In prin-
ciple as they are certain in operation.
The buoy proper consists Of huge
pear shaped bulb. little end up, on top
Of which Is a powerful whistle. pro-
tected from accidental blow or collision
by framework Of iron bars, and an
air intake. Below and projecting far
down into the water is an open tube of
metal. The whole thing is secured in
position with an anchor and chain,
which last is long enough for the depth
of the water in which the buoy is
placed to permit the free movement of
the mass up and down.
When wave lifts the buoy up in the
air the water in the tube, acting as a
piston, sucks In air through the intake.
1t is confined in the bulb Of the buoy
by simple valve which prevents its
egress through the intake. When the
waves drop the buoy in the trough of
the waves the water in the tube
presses up on the confined air and COM
presses it. 1t finds exit through the
whistle. which thus sounds its warning |
note
1t might be supposed that, having no
mechanism but valve. such buoys. |
once put in position, could be left there |
for an indefinite period of time. But |
the sea has strange ways with her
and even If the necessity of
constant painting Of the buoy to pro-
tect 1t from the action of Sea water was
not existent it would still be necessary
to keep u watch on these signals and
to take them up and replace them
rather often. for the big tube project
ing down into the water is Il great at
traction to barnacles and seaweed, and
not infrequently these marine growths
20 interfere with the action of the buoy
rs to keep it silent in ordinary weather
and to dim its voice in bad weather.
1t then becomes necessary to work"
new whistler in position. which is a
.eguar part of the duty Of lighthouse
ender or buoy tender, Of which yes
els there are many in the service.
When buoy is to be worked" the
ender repairs to yard or station and
" means of her crane lifts on deck the
reshly painted and thoroughly repair
d new buoy which is to replace that
me which is either silent or which has
erved it's allotted time and is now due
or replacement.
There is nothing difficult about this.
t is getting the enormously large and
nwieldy mass of iron overheard and
aking on board the one which is In
be water which causes the difficulty.
he very waves which are necessary
, the successful opeEation Of the buoy
lake 1t hard to manage at the end of q
rane on board a comparatively small
essel. ,
When a buoy tender goes to work"
whistler she clears her deck Of every
ling else but the buoy, which is Sc
lred with checks and chains against
lie roll OF the vessel. The old buoy is
Dproached cautiously, within couple
: hundred feet, and the new buoy is 2
lowed to slide overheard rather than :
cked up and placed in the water, the =
ew guiding 1t by guy ropes, while the :,
,werful crane lifts just enough to per- =
1t the buoy to move. With the vessel =
owly rolling from side to side on the .
ow seas of even a quiet day-the good :
Iys are purposely picked for this =
ork-the mass Of freshly painted iron u
it'll its long tube presents potentiali- Z
Is for evil which must be closely =