Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-03
NEW SYSTEM FOR NAVIGATION
EVOLVED BY WASHINGTON MAN
Lieut.. Comdr. Joseph Y.
Dreisonstok Devises Com
pact Set of Tables.
Method, Used by Navy in
Panama Maneuvers, Is
Highly Lauded.

A Washingtonian, Lieut. ComdT Joseph
Y. Driesonstok, U. S. N, of 1916 Six
tenth street, has evolved a new and
Simplified method of solving naviga-
tional problems, whereby with pocket
sized set of tables, necessary charts, a
nautical almanac, a sextant and a
watch, a navigator can take battle
ship, an airplane or lifeboat. under
every condition on its course. These
new navigational tables, officially desig-
mated as H. o. 208." will be ready for
public distribution by the Hydrographic
Office of the Navy about the middle OF
the month Comdr. Dreisonstok. is now
commanding the U. S S. Lardner. I
Already, the Navy Department an
nounced yesterday. the new system has
been put to the test, for vessels OF the
United States fleet were supplied with
copies for the maneuvers in the Gulf
of Panama and the department lis daily
receiving complimentary comments from
the fleet
Prepares Tables for Byrd.
The new tables are proving very popu-
lar and bid fair to replace other navl-
gational books now in use, the depart
ment said. The photographer of the
Navy, Capt. G. S. Kempff, U. S. NJ.
has had prepared for the special use OF
Comdr. Richard E. Byrd, u. S. NJ, tables
for ATTITUDES 66 to 80 degrees and these
will be mailed to Dunedin, New Zealand,
to be forwarded to the Byrd Antarctic
expedition base in the Bay of Wales.
with the extension of the tables, a
navigator can pilot his ship or plane
from the Equator to the Poles," the De-
partment asserted.
The tables for the "USe Of Mariners
and Aviators" were made, and the
method and formulate deduced by Comdr.
DreiSonStok while member or the
naval examining board. He was later
attached to the division Of nautical re-
search of the photographic Office and
there he completed the calculations and
placed them in the present form. Comdr.
F. J. Roberts, u. S. N, and G. w. Lit
tlehales of the photographic Office, as
sisted Comdr. Dreisonstok with valuable
suggestions and criticisms in the prep
aration of the tables.
Explaining this important new navi-
gational method, the Navy Department
said: This method of solving naviga-
tional problems can be applied without
variation to all problems regardless OF
the position of the heavenly body, be
it sun, moon, planet or star. It requires
few figures and gives quick solution
for determining line of position, cor
pass error, meridian altitude, Gr7
Circle course and distance, and iden
fication of unknown stars. The accura
of the Azimuth data fully justifies L.
use in obtaining compass error. The
same simple formula is used for each
problem.
THE precision is within Oh of a mile.
Table Made Compact.
ITO facilitate the use of this table, it
has been made small enough to fit into
a side coat pocket. The book contains
about "a pages, II of which are devoted
to an explanation of the construction
and use of the tables. Seventeen prob
lens which cover all possible applica-
tons are computed in the book.
The equipment of navigator using
this method need only include H. O
208 nautical almanac, Sextant and
a. watch. With these articles and the
necessary charts, he can navigate
battleship, airplane or lifeboat under
every condition"
Comdr. Dreisonstok was born In
Washington on July 4, 1889, and was
appointed to the Naval Academy In
1908, being graduated in 1912.