The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-11-18
DEVICE TO END SEA
COLLISIONS IN FOG
PhOnOmctcr Tells Direction
From Which Sound of
FOghOrn Comes.
SHOWN TO SCIENTIST,

Nine hundred and nfty-seven rcrso,
lost their lives in the sinking Of u
steamship Empress of ireland in the :
Lawrence River on May 20, 1911, h.
cause the helmsinan of the collier So.
stad could not tell from what dircdt.o
the s0pnd OF the liners fughorn cam,
DR.. Arthur Gordon Webster of CI.i
University showed the members of Oh.
Nat!oml Academy OF Science yes,erdt
a device which may prevent such a dE
aster ever occurring again for such
reason.
DR.. Webster called the simple ma.
chine "A phonometer. because he inventet
1t to measure the intensity Of sound
But 1t IL much more valuable as an In.
strument that tells with consids ahl.
precision from what direction "a sound
comes.
In appearance the ~phonometer r.sem.
bles "a surveyors transit with two cont.
cal horns sticking out at one end. Thr
instrument is complete In itself AMI
needs only a small dry battery. In can
he Carried on the smallest craft eve,
a rowboat would hold one. Before
showing the phonometer Or. Webster "a.
hibited another machine on a similar
tripod which he called the phone. This
produces sound at a standar dizcd pitch
1t Is dofe this way.
How PhonOmeter IL Used.
On a table is a tuning fork. This 5
struck and an electrict current from /,
dry battery carries the sound. which =
always OF the same pitch, to "A resOnatur
"A small metal box on the tripod. Near
the resonator is a tiny electric ligh'
This light, reflected IN a mirror. grow.
brighter as the sound is made louder ami
DINNER ms the sound is lessened.
The sound from the phone enters IN,
two horns Of the phonometer. In focused
at the neck and imping.s on a delicate
diaphragm, behind which is "A needle
The diaphragm vibrates and tho neel,
moves. The louder the sound the create
lhe movement of this needle.
Al the other end of tho surveyor,
ira rsit, where the surveyor would be
sighting the user Of the phonome,es
looks III a lens with a tiny electric bulb
close to the eye. The light OF this bul.
10 reflected in a mirror which Is novel
by the moving needle. When the sound
Is loudest the two horns are at right
angles to the direction whence II comes
SO ii Is only necessary for tn. person
with a phonometer To visit IL about on
It's pivot until the sound Is received uo,;
loudly In the horns and the band -
light IL greatest. lie knows then ihai
the horns are at right angles to n,
direction from which the sound pro.
ceeds and that as he lifts his head from
the p%eephole he Ia looking straight to-.
ward the source of the sound.
VIII ASrrt Sea Disasters.
Hitherto. IT has not been possible o
tell within ~ degrees what direction a
sound was coming from said ur. Web.
ster. "The phonomc;er will tell within
a very few degrees.
The terrible disaster To- the Empress
OF Ireland Mas caused Just through lack
OF a means TO tell whence tn. sound -
the foghorn came. Both the Empress,
n the Storstad knew OF each Others
presence and nearness. hut the S,pfstad's
pilot coul not be sure OF direction IN
the fog. and so. instead Of putting hl,
helm over he kept straight ahead. thilk-
ing he was doing the right thing io clctr
the liner. As 1t happened, McGtl IN.
versity had been making sumr sound
studies at the site OF this disaster. I'D
afterward | went UP there and studied
conditions myself at the scene -. the a.
cident."
DIR. Webster's machines excited u!Hh
interest among the scientists. TIE orn.
ion was expressed that with the ID mn.
ometer available 10 determine the 5irc.
ton OF a sound the chief need would lo
a mechanism 10 determine how Ear z
the sound was. II is possible tlt' e
phonOmeter can be adapted 'o ih.r 'r.
since In IA rough a il dos record 'n'
udness of The sound. bf course there
is another obstacle which lr. N.r,',-
has not attempted To overcome -" TO-
fraction OF sound by fog. THIS ontt =
soinetit es 30 great that q sound o. ~
hundred yards of cannut lc hcp.I \
the fog and yet will be clearly aId e
to another ship a mile away IN , s.rr-.
ent direction.