The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-07-06
RADIO TO TELLLOST
SHIP WHERE SHE Is
System Of Tfiangulation Here
Will Give Bearings to Be-
wildered Craft.
ALL L. S. PORTS WATCH
Operators at Stations Figure
Out Position Of Boat by
Compasses.
ALL U. S. PORTS WATCH

Not the least OF the dangers attend
ing the business OF being a mariner has
been that Of losing his bearings while at
sea. Time was when the sailors life
was more replete with danger than in
these days of advanced maritime ell
cheney. But though the ocean terrors
were eliminated one by one until there
remained little to be afraid of. there still
was the dsconcerting possibility OF
ship losing itself; Of Its navigators be-
coming confused by fogs and compass
Irregularities of mlshaps to instruments
and disabilities Of steering mechanisms
Thus every 40 often a liner or freightsr
or a warship was reported "lost In the
fog or tout of its course
The United states Naval Communica-
ton Service has perfected system OF
triangulation that has eliminated the
possibility OF further maritime reports
of this sort 1t Is not the discovery or
any one man. indeed, IL truly cannot De
elias SIZED as discovery. 1t is simply
a perfection Of basic rule or position
finding that has formed the fundamental
of range determination in the army and
n straightforward geometric theorum
concerning intersecting lines.
The perfected system has been In use
in the American Navy for year. Al
~ whitehall street yesterday the sys-
tenn was explained briefly by attaches
of the New York district central con-
trolling radio station.
1t is to be assumed that a ship Ia
hundred miles off the middle Atlantic
coast. She has lost her bearings. Her
navigators are unable to tell her lati-
tude and longitude At once the De-
Nildered ships radio flashes the Ameri-
can coast a demand to be told the data
ehe needs most:
Where am To-
This redtfest coming within the sec
tor for which the New York district CEN
trail controlling radio station is RESPONSE
BILE. the appeal is received by Ave radio
compass stations located at Montauk
Point, L. l.: Fire Island, Rockaway
Beach, Sandy Hook and Mantolokng,
n. J.
Each of these stations Is connected
with a. Whitehall street by telegraph
and telephone. These radio compass
stations cannot communicate with the
'1ost" ship. as they are receivers only
and not transmitters. However, each oil
the radio compass stations notifies the
central station in whitehall street tha'
n ship within the district Is demanding
to know its location. Immediately the
central station radios the bewildered
mariner to continue flashing his call let
ters for at least thirty seconds And al
the same time the radio compass stations
begin obtaining bearings on the ship.
The operators in the five stations turn
their compass wheels until each has ar
accurate, bearing. These five readings
are transmitted to the central station
where, on a huge chart, the five readings
~ aDl. 1tn0 Will
cate a certain number of miles between
the ship and the station that took the
bearing 1t is a relatively simple mat
ter, then. to project these lineAeuppn, thu
chart until the five lines intersect. And
that point OF intersection Is the location
of the calling ship. Acknowledgment
from the ship completes the operation.
Every American port is now beins
safeguarded by just such systems of ra
do compasses and central stations
Within n few months, at any point alons
the coast. mariners will be able to ap
proach channels, reefs and shoal water!
with an absolute assurance that the,
will not proceed too near, nor yet eN
ercise such great caution as to throw
them out of their course. And thus alsC
is the danger attending fog banks elm
mated.
Lieutenant-Co Commander r. B. Coffman
U. S. N. IL superintendent of the cen
trail station at "A Whitehall street
Lieut. VI. w. Arps, L. 8. NJ. Is in dlrec
charge of the New York district.