Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-06-23
SHIPS AGAINST ICE
BERGS
Unique Little Invention That Takes
Messages From Sea to. the Chart

house.
| Prof Howard T. Barnes has shown
| that icebergs affect the temper allure of
the surrounding sea for miles away. He
has proved conclusively that an iceberg
actually seems h warm the surface
water rather than to chill it, as seafar-
ers have imagined heretofore. This is
ra ther astounding, but the reasons for
it are simple. The frigid body sets up
currents which sink into the ocean and
thereby induce other and surface cur
rents which bring toward the ice the
warmer waters.
Now comes Prof William II. Bristol
with an apparatus by which the naVi-
gator may have these temperatuTs
changes given to him automatically & :
far as they mark the approach TO men
AGING ice, and his cunning device is de-
signed to do this in number of ways,
81, that the man on the bridge cannot
escape the warning signals. This is a
far better method than the custom
hitherto prevailing of dipping up a
bucketful of surface water from time
to time and leaving the temperature
taking more often than otherwise to a
deck hand. sls4 s.F,-55
Prof. Bristol's instrument is an eX-
ceeaingly cunning adaptation of what
is known to physicists as the thermo-
electric couple. This. in short. is funda-
mentally but two wires of dlsslmiiar
metals joined together at one END ana
open like a hairpin at the other. 10 the
latter is connected the wiring OF an
electric circuit. A current OF electricity
is induced merely by heating or sud
denly chilling the point of juncture OF
the two unlike metals. OF course, the
current of the thermo-electric couple Is
a weak one, but this can be considera-4
bly increased by combining NUMBER
of couples. An arrangement OF TINS SOFT
is termed a thermopile, and 1t is TINS
that Prof Bristol places IN contact
with the sea water. This current con-
Times to flow until the entire thermo-
,tle has acquired the same tenpefa-
ture. when il ceases and Is not aSdia
induced until affected by sudden
change of temperature. 10 increase
this interval of operation the remoter
ends of the couples are insulated, anu
during this period of lag the betis
and the lights give warning. 1t Is pos
sible to so adjust this lag that IL VIII
shit the speed of the ship and SO make
the duration of the alarm signals Mt
ting one. $3.50
The electric current produced by the
is a comparatively weak
one. but it is strong enough to operate
certain switches in the charthouse, ana
Nose in their turn make and break the
circuit of a strong local relay. This re-
law actuates a recording pen, the lash
ligias aud alarm bells. The thermopile
merely serves to take the message from
tho Goethe relay executes it, as 1t
were.
If the thermopile in contact WIN .he
sea water be chilled suddenly the m
duced current flows in one difeetioh' II
warmed abruptly the current IioWs w
positely. In this manner are op.aiiio'
the effects of a positive ana nesa'N,
current, and the different auaipie anu
visible signals are called into serNic
while the hills and valleys are tracer
as g curve upon the smokea oiai ~
the recording pen. The wide sMiae VI
the curve on the dial is the suide ioi
the navigator. The dial TevoiVes WIN
the hours of the clock. The navigator
interprets these records in compihdlioii
with his geographical position anu Tie
known normal conditions OF the SEA at
the particular season in question,
The bell signals and the hashilgh's
are distinctive. One bell is nign pltcheu
and the other low. One light IS RED ana
the other is green. The shflii oe'l /
sounds. and the red light flashes sinui-
taneously when the Stempefatuie
change means danger, and the oiier
signal operates when the condition IS
contrary. The admirable feature 81 tns
apparatus is that the navigator can Do
called to heed in q manner wnlcn Is
sure to reach him. He need not pothe.
about watching the recording dlaL
What the seafarer. needs is a re'iaoi1
that he knows IS always III
working order. Prof. Bristoi p,a.e9
abo,,t his .tell-tale thermopile h't'e
coil of wire which can be heated ny d
current controlled from inc
bridge by a push button. This hea. IS
sufficient to excite the apparatus when
Il is in working order and to cause Tue
,roper signals to be given ms 'es'
can lie made at any moment. ana as
sures the navigator that the detec.or -
on duty.-Popular Electricity.