Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1913-03-22

PLACING ana hemoNV8 iHeu NV
Tasks Frauaht With Deadly Peril.
Sen travellers up and down our coast
lines often hear u strange. weird sound
| TO port or starboard. "A sort OF com
pound Of moan and shrek. nj once soft
and insisteni, subdued and penetrating.
IL il the call OF the whistling buoy to
the man al the helm. warning him OF
shoal or dangerous place
These whistling buoys. which are
enormous MASSES OF iron. often weigh
INK several tons. are as simple In prin-
ciple as they are certain IN operation.
The buoy proper consists OF n 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 a chain.
which last Is long enough for the depth
OF the water In which the buoy Is
placed 10 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.
II 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
Il eh he ftt hn ftth a
presses up on the confined air and com
presses IL. IL finds exit through the
whistle, which thus sounds its warning
note
II might he 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
playthines. and even II the necessity OF
constant painting OF the buoy TO pro-
tect II from the action OF sea water was
not existent II would still be necessary
to keep watch on these signals and
10 take them up and replace them
rather often. for the big tube project
| ing down into the water is great at
traction to barnacles and seaweed. and
not !nfreQuently these marine growths
80 Interfere with the action of the buoy
ss TO keep II silent in ordinary weather
and to dim its voice In bad weather.
II then becomes necessary 10 work
n new whistler In position. which IL n
regular part of the duty OF Il lighthouse
tender or buoy tender. OF which YES
sells there are many In the service.
When buoy IS 10 be worked" the
tender repairs TO yard or station and
by means OF her crane lifts on deck the
freshly painted aud thoroughly repair
ed new buoy which Is TO replace that
one which IL either silent or which has
served its allotted time and Is now due
for replacement
There is nothing difficult about this.
1t is getting the enormously large and
unwieldy mass OF iron overheard and
taking on board the one which Is In
the water which causes the difficulty
The very waves which are necessary
10 the successful operation of the buoy
make II hard To manage at the end OF a
crane on board comparatively small
vessel
When buoy tender goes to work"
whistler she clears her deck OF every
thing else but the buoy. which is ~
cured with checks and chains agaIns>
the roll OF the vessel The old buoy 10
approached cautiously. within "A couple
OF hundred feet. and the new buoy Is
allowed 10 slide overheard rather than
picked M and placed In the water, the
crew guiding II by guy ropes. while the
powerful crane lifts just enough To per
init the buoy to move. With the vessel
slow!y rolling from side 10 side on the
slow seas of even quiet da. the good
days are purposely picked for this
work-the mass OF freshly painted iron
with it, long tube presents potential
ties for evil which must be closely
watched Let the buoy but get clear
OF the deck and the fall tackle get
damned and there would come into be
Ing three ton penduluId with an iron
fail thirty-six feet long capable OF
smashing the boat 20 bits and certainly
OF sweeping broken boned men about
the deck with no tnore effort than II
they acre 81 many flies.
But. If getting the new buoy over
board is dangerous work. hauling the
old one In Is more so The buoy Is trst
secured by good seamanship, managing
the steam vessel. with a rope through
the iron cage at its top Working
from this. ropes. chains aud springs
or heavy cables are brought into play
and the whole very cautiously lifted
and secured as II comes over the side
II IL allowed TO swing free not at all.
save perhaps for an instant. just as u
IL laid hat on the deck. and then. ap-
parently In the very face OF death. a
dozen men spring nj the mass. ready
to swing With the waves and 10 de
molish them aud thrust huge hiliets
OF wood underneath its sides TO bold
II long enough tor lash!ngs 10 make II
secure The boat being delayed to the
anchor chain then cautiously backs
! a A.