Great Lakes Art Database

Marine Review (Cleveland, OH), 26 Dec 1907, p. 33

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A GOOD WORK BADLY NEEDED. Capt. John M. Fields, through the Pittsburg Steamship Co., has been able to bring about many needed reforms in the matter of compass equipment. Since taking hold of this work for the company Captain Fields has con- ducted a seriés of examinations simi-' lar to those of the compass office of the United States navy. All new com- passes are tested for magnetic power, sensitiveness, pivotal action, lubber marks, needles set correctlf to card, etc. A' new compass that will not meet all these requirements is returned to the makers as N. G. An inventory of the old compasses in use is also taken and subjected to the same ex- amination, and those found lacking in any of the essentials of a good work- ing instrument are sent out for fe- pairs. The compass is a most deceiv- ing instrument to purchase by one inexperienced in such matters, and un- less the purchaser subjects it to the examination as already stated, in nine cases out of ten he is going to get "stune. One can never tell by the looks--paint and polish make them look nice, but as these have nothing to do with the working principle of the compass one can not judge by this any more than to tell a man's character by the clothes he wears. Another departure inaugurated by the company is the manufacture of all its own compensating binnacles, soft iron correctors and magnets. The binnacles are wooden and are of a design especially adapted for lake boats. All these things are made by the company's own workmen and as there is no middleman's profits, or op- portunity for dishonest methods the company is assured of getting the very best article for the money. Not only this there is the satisfaction be- sides, which is worth more than the while. Another innovation is the care- ful manner in which the middle fore- and-aft line of every ship is found. This is a most important matter, and Captain Fields has lost no opportu- nity to impress this on the minds of masters. More trouble has _ been caused from misplaced lubber lines than can be imagined. The writer knows of several cases where vessels have been nearly lost or greatly dam- aged through want of attention to this highly important matter. Misplaced lubber lines are many times the real cause of a compass adjuster's trou- bles, and all the more so when he does not know where to look for the cause. This kind of error lies con- cealed, like a snake in the grass, and cannot be dragged to light by azi- muths, as these observations, unless "TAE MARINE REVIEW treated in a mathematical manner re- veal only the errors of the card, and not those of the bowl. Another great soutce of troub'e is the carelessness in reshipping the compass bowl when temporarily removed from the bin- nacle for any purpose. It is usually put in at random by some one ig- norant of the mischief that may ac- crue from their heedlessness. How often it occurs that when the wheels- man is cleaning the outside of the compass that he will flop the bowl entirely over so that the after lub- ber-line will be forward and the for- ward one aft. The inexperienced would never detect the difference, and so far as looks goes even an experi- enced person could not tell. Never- theless, a great mischief has been done, for the bearings (prongs on the side of the bowl) are made to fit the cups of the gimbal ring one way and unless this is done the compass will not work satisfactorily. The writer has gone aboard boats and seen the gimbal ring upside down in addition to the reversal of the lubber marks. Every master should pay strict atten- tion to these matters and he should also do everything in his power to encourage and establish a routine that wil eventually make these things im- possible to occur. -It can easily be done with a little interest and study. It would be a good idea to have the lubber marks of the same compass in different colors, the one to steer by in' black, the after one in- red, and the two athwartships in green. The only use of four lubber marks is the facility 4t affords in' lining: up the compass, etc. THE INTERNATIONAL DATE LINE. Where and what is the internation- al date line? The international date line is a line on which, by agreement among all the commercial nations of the world, it is agreed that the day shall begin. When it is: noon at any meridian on the globe, it is midnight at the meridian exactly opposite. Hence, the neces- sity of a line which shall be consid- ered the starting point. It is called the international date line because all the nations of the globe have agreed upon it. It follows the meridian of 180° in the main, with some' varia- tions to suit the wishes of the inhab- itants of certain islands. It begins at the south pole, follows the 180th me- ridian north to a point opposite the southern cape of New Zealand, then turns northeast and follows a line parallel to the 180th meridian, leaving the Samoan islands on the east; then goes back to the 180th meridian, which 33 it fol'ows to the north pole, with three minor variations, one of which is that the line passes through Behring Strait. If east of the line the day is Sunday; west of the line it is Monday; and ships, in crossing the line, change the count of the day. In other words, sailing westward, the navigator must skip a day, so that there will be a Sunday, or a Monday, etc., omitted in the log-book for that particular week, according to the day that the ship crosses. When sailing eastward, the navigator must reckon the day Over again, so that there will be two Sundays, or Mondays, etc., in the log- book for that particular week, accord- ing to the date the ship crosses. This insures the ship keeping the Green- wich date on her return to port. It this were not done the ship's date would be a day ahead or behind the actual date. If no attention were paid to this important matter a vessel in- circumnavigating the globe eastward would gain a day, and westward, would lose a day. Navigators use the - 180th meridian and not the interna- tional date line, the date line being more in the interests of countries. CONTRACTS TOTAL $2,000,000. Contracts have been placed with the Westinghouse interests by the French government for the equipment of the principal navy yards. The same company has also secured the contract for the in- stallation. of machinery for railroads in India, while in Scotch ship yards the company will also install new apparatus. The total of these contracts foots up' more than $2,000,000. The work for the French government calls for complete plants for the opera-. tion of the navy yards at Cherbourg and Brest. The order was taken by the So- ciete Anonyme Westinghouse (the French Westinghouse company), but the equip- ment will be made in this country and shipped to French ports. The contract from India is for a complete lighting plant in the station of the East India railway at Delhi. The work in Scotland calls for the complete electrical equipment of the Yar- row yards at Scotstown. Electricity for the operation will be taken from the Clyde Valley works, one of the largest of its kind in Great Britain, and which is equipped throughout with American ap- paratus. The current will be transmitted at 11,000 volts to the Yarrow works, where it will be stepped by huge trans- formers to 400 volts. The Napier Ship Yards, Miller's Ship Yards, the Clyde Trust Ship Yards, the Coventry Ordnance Works, Scott & Co.'s Ship Yards, and those of the Beardmores have also ordered Westinghouse equip- ment.

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