Great Lakes Art Database

Marine Review (Cleveland, OH), 24 Dec 1908, p. 17

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the northeast trades in the northern hemisphere, and the southeast trades in the southern hemisphere. The. trade winds then may be con- sidered to be caused jointly by the rotation of the earth on its axis, and the movement of the air toward the equatorial regions, to.take the place of the other. air. which has risen from the effect. of 'heat. Speaking roughly, the limits. of the trades are 30 degrees north latitude and 30 degrees south latitude, between the two. being a. band of calms and light variable airs. This belt is called "The Doldrums,"' probably from the old Spanish word dolorsa, signifying tormenting, which a region of calms undoubtedly' is. to.a sailing ship. The doldrums are the meeting ground of the northeast and southeast trades, _and at this. meeting point they have a neutralizing effect on each other, 'Here. rains are frequent and. very heavy. - The limits of the trades are con- tinually changing, varying with the season of the year. Following the 'motion. of the stn in the heavens, in the summer they extend probably 200 or 300. miles further toward the north and in winter they recede toward the south. -.It will be understood from this that the belt of equatorial calms is variable in position as it is also in width. In spring its center is found about 100 miles: north of the equator, while in summer. it extends 500 miles higher in latitude. Its width is ordi- narily 300 miles, but at times it is thrice as wide, and then again there is occasionally. no dividing: line be- tween the trades, and vessels are for- tunate: enough to. run directly from one into the other. To come now fromthe trades. in general to the trades of the' Atlantic. These have been known for centuries. Columbus probably noted 'the " north- east trades on his'first voyage of dis- covery. When not interrupted by hur- ricanes, which are tincommon, excpt in oAugust, September - and October, this' northeast trade wind region is a veritable summer sea, so much so, in- deed, that it' was-caHed "The Lady's Gulf" by' the old Spanish navigators. It extends from the doldrums to the Horse latitudes, which is a belt of calms "and variable: winds: from -- be- tween 30 degrees and 35. degrees north 'latitude, according to the season of 'the year, and' takes- 'its peculiar name from the 'fact- that in early days ships etigaged ° in "carrying: 'catgoes of horses from Europe' to the' "West In- dies frquently found it necessary to 'light to the mariner. pros 'Tack Marine Review throw them overboard, owing to the frequent changes, rains, thunders, lightning, puffs and calms following each other in rapid succession in this perplexing 'region. 'But the northeast and. southeast trades of the south Atlantic. blow over a wider extent on the African than on the American side, but, on the other hand, the doldrums are much broader on the eastern side, making dita part of the ocean to be avoided if possible. The southeast' trades 'are much stronger and more constant than the northeast, which are, in fact, some- what capricious, frequently showing breaks in their regularity, which is hard to account for. a The trade wind regions are a de- Fogs are rarely experienced and. gales. rarely occur. The weather: is pleasant, and the. air dry... The:-wind «being constant, the captain: .and officers have very little anxiety; and the sailors still less, of the usual monotonous work of set- ting and -taking.in sail, reefing and bracing yards. In fact, vessels some times "rin down the trades" under all sail, and for days at a time there is no nécessity of touching a rope... SMALL CANAL TRAFFIC. Statistics collated. by. Superintendent of Public Works F. C; Stevens show that the tonnage on the New York state 'canals for the season of 1908 was. the smallest known for. years, amounting on all canals to 3,051,877 tons, as -against 3,407,914 tons last year. «lhe department _ of . public works attributes the falling off largely to.the trouble which arose among the boatmen; the: Erie Boatmen's. Union, before the season. opened. having es- tablished. an - arbitrary . tate, Of 0 cents: :per bushel on wheat between Buffalo. and New _ York, refusing to make any. concessions. As. a result s large number. of the union, boats were idle a greater portion of the season, but some of the owners. did not ob- serve the agreement. and by. cutting prices » did considerable 'business. Leading 'boatmen, agents and for- ee of New Yors and Buffalo have. declared that but for' the trou- 'bles between the poatmen the season would have been one of the most perous that boatmen have known for many years. As if was, the rail- roads vo " Capt. BOA Moore denies that the foreign: 'missionary steamboat? Morn- ing "Star, thas been sold to" Warren Stetson for 'the: Port: "iAngeles-Seattle route, as has been currently reported. a7 COMPASS ADJUSTMENT OF BULK FREIGHTERS ON THE GREAT LAKES. BY FRANK HENRICH, COMPASS ADJUSTER. COPYRIGHT. -- It appears without further 'investi- gation that for the bulk freighter on the great lakes there exists three con- ditions, every one of which will cause an aberration, with consequent change of deviation in the compasses of these steamers, they are: When loaded with iron ore, iron, 'or other magnetic cargoes. When. loaded with a or other non-magnetic cargoes. When without. cargo. It follows that to ascertain ae courses should be steered by com- pass, a steamer after adjustment, must be swung for deviations, under all the above mentioned conditions. From the tables of . deviations .so acquired, any change in the compasses, except for sub-permanent and transient mag- netism, can be predicted, and a change in the adjustment made, if found nec- essary. oe Without this complete method ° of adjustment, the navigator from the start is -- placed + at a disadvantage, which constitutes a serious danger to 'the safety of the ship.: * The changes 'in the. compasses be- tween a load of iron' 'ore and non- magnetic cargoes being 'small,:: this 'paper 'will be devoted to the differ- ence in deviation between loaded and light, they are decidedly larger in cer- tain types of steamers, and depend:" 1. On the length of the ship. 2; On the accuracy with which' the initial adjustment is made. -- a) 3. Upon the: 'favorable placing of 'the compasses iand absence of disturb- ing influences in their vicinity. -->2°o3 ' Referring to (1) thé length: of the ship, it is'evident that the longer ships have the smaller angle of pitch whén light; let: us assume four steamers, respectively 300, 400, 500 and 600: ft. Jength of keel, each drawing 16 ft. aft, and nothing forward; then «the draft aft, divided by the length of: keel will be the tangent of the: angle of pitch, which gives' for the differént lengths: 600 -ft. == 1°32'; 500 ft. == T7350! 400 ft, *== 2°19", 300. fer = 3°45 front this jt follows that the difference betweén loaded and light'is more noticeable in short. than in long steamers. eae swingings of 'numerous steamers is found that on those over. 500 'e lerigth, the error is 'small, and' vanr ishes for practical purposes* on ships approaching" the length ~ of 600: ft.,

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