New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-06-28

ting UP conditions Of cold and warm
air that have resulted in heavy storms.
A strong and heavy Labrador current
pushes the Gulf Stream 20 the east
ward and this in turn causes hot
weather in Europe, like that Of the
/ last two summers. and cool weather
on the American littoral.
Every cause produces a result that
I in turn is the cause Of another result
[ which becomes cause Of another con-
dition. So much for the physical ef-
/ fects. II is not so easy TO follow the
/ invisible effects Of solar energy in
stability. IN fact, owing to the lack Of
( reports from separated sources 10 Is
rather difficult. Before the passage OF
I Halley's comet the United States lly-
/ geographic Office sent out chart and
bulletin TO shipmasters asking them
20 report observed effects on compass
os, weather. wind and sea. Many
shipmastera sent in reports, but most
Of these reports contained only de-
scriptions Of the appearance and posi-
ton OF Halley's comet, and gave scant
reference 10 the really important
things. Fortunately continuous obser-
yatiohs and reductions OF these OBJ
seryaticnB were made, and on these
end contributory data my late work
has been based.
II ia only this last month that the
University OF Chicago has announced,
as result Of the work Of Professors
Nicholson, Chamberlain and Mouiton,
TINT the interior Of the earth is rot
molten mass, but is as solid and as
rigid as steel, so ono need not be
afraid Of following out this theory OF
mine even il IL is rather radical.
REASON FOR RECENT COLLISIONS.
Now remains an explanation Of the
reason OF recent collisions and beach
inps. The energy constant OF the
corth being upset by the passage OK
comets. one Of It's results - tenn
porary alteration OF magnetic state,
10 which. OF course, compasscs are eN-
tromolv sensitive. II a ship captain or
a navigating officer has laid snip on
ber course, with reference to what ms
compasses show him is his bearing
and IL those compasses are not snow
ing normal bearing and variation put
on tho contrary arc out, ana II lhls
condition Of temporary alteration IS
most prevalent in fOggy weather Wheh
there is no check upon inc compass
il is not surprising that the navigator
finds himself far from where ne
thought he was.
The Pretoria was north OF Nncre her
commander thought she was wnen sne
rammed the New York; the Ne" lorr'
in turn. was south Of where her can
tain thought she was: Inc hoyal ia
ward was OIL her assumed DearlhG
yben she struck an iceberg eastward
81 Cane Race. Il is striking to notice
+ that three Of the vessels in co fusion
zero colliers. heavy laden, and that
tho Copsewood, which was N colllsio"
with tho collier Etruria IN the Engil ~
Channel. was in cargo OF lron' nc
testimony Of tho officers OF the I'm
press of ireland and the Storstad' from
The roports available. seem to mo!caOc
.hat the two vessels actually were
drawn together.
4 steel or iron vessel has OF course
her own magnetic moment depend
3 inc on where she was laid down, how
her keel lag during building, how Shc
was built and tho constituency OF her
metal work. A ship is just as respoh-
siyc TO excess magnetism as q COM
rass. If the magnetic state OF inc
! earth is disturbed along certain ZINES
/ OF force q ship which has those llncs
/ OF force will be more apt to respond 20
the alteration than one whose snip
magnetism" is different. In simpler
words. a sceel vessel may become TEN
porarily a strong magnet, and IN tns
/ nrescnce Of another steel snip OF a.,
verse magnetism the two ships VIII
le bound TO come together IN COLLISION,
If under slow way and near eacn other
in vide water.
10 n thc two ships are under strong
Roadway the energy Of their movement
ovcicomes the mutual maSneuc pult,
and they pass each other ssie!y'
lave often noticed that steel vessels
lung at anchor in a fairway seem 70
attract some vessels and repel others,
and the same observation has PROB
abIv been made by many ship captains.
So much is this true that CAPTAINS
sometimes have difficulty in pre7enting
vessels with such magnetic ahnlVy
from fouling each other.
Consultation Of the charts printed
herewith and digestion OF the Legend +.
attached will help make clear some OF
the noints dealt with. The astronomical
chart shows the sun and earth, not IN
scale, with passing comets on different
nlanes. The dotted lines indicate or
bits. the projected lines the radiant
energy OF the tails" the rough curved
lines the ether back wash, and the
effect of both is shown on the atmoo-
sphere of the earth. The magnetic
chart used is the Chetwynd British I'D
miralty chart, the ice movements are
from the Danish ice chart; the refer
ence to the abnormal highs" IN the
northern hemisphere is from. the
United States Weather Bureau, charts.
The end Of the present disturbed con-
ditions is not yet in sight and navigat-
ing officers are urged to exercise the
r.tJnost care during the remainder OF
the summer. Collisions and ground.
ings. explosions Of magazines ana
ships fires from inhammaole csrgGes
are Going 20 be far too common this
year for .he comfort of any one con-