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Show RIGHT (MUSSES NAVY DEPARTMENT TO HELP NAVIGATORS OF LAKES. Marks to Be Set Up at Points Where Beds of Iron Under Water Disarrange the Needle. Washington, D. C Tho navy department de-partment has sent Comninnder Reginald Reg-inald I1'. Nicholson, assistant chief of tho cirnlpmcnt bureau, to Clovcland to lako steps to help tho captains of lako vessels to rectify their troubles with refractory compasses. For many years past theso skippers havo been both-erod both-erod by the erratic behavior of their compares in different localities on I ho lakes. At, first it was thought that tho cargoes ot Iron or other ores they wero tarrylni; In their vessels wero re-poii3lblo re-poii3lblo for this deviation in tho needles; but nowadays It Is recognised that the real sourco of tho trouble lies in the naturo of tho bottom of tho lakes, nnd not in tho enrgoes. Great beds cf iron undcrllo tho lakes In various places, and theso affect the compasses. It Is to coirect this evil that Commander Com-mander Nicholson Is going to Cleveland Cleve-land with Instruments that will onablo lilm to set up, at certain conspicuous places, "marks" fixed at tho truo north, eo that the captains of passing ships may noto nny errors in tholr compasses com-passes and make the necessary adjustments. adjust-ments. At present It is his Intention to ser up theso "marks" In St. Clair river and In the straits of Mackinaw, which will cover tho greater part ol tho lake tnilllc. How strongly thounderlako Influences Influ-ences affect tho .compasses of lako vessels ves-sels was revealed to a traveler last summer whllo crossing Lako Ontario on a lumber steamer. From tho tinifi tho Mitp cleared tho mouth of. tho St Lawrence river on Its westerly pas-sago pas-sago until it was across tho middle ground In the center of tho lako, tho captain or mate stood upon tho Hying Hy-ing brldgo conning tho ship from the compass on that lofty height. Ex. porlence had taught tho skipper that natural conditions under the bod ol tho lake affected his compass In the whcclhouso so materially that the compass com-pass was practically useless In thai particular portion of tho voyage, and consequently tho vessel's courso was kept by tho compass upon the bridge, hvhleh was bo far nbovo tho disturb-'lng disturb-'lng mineral elements ns not to bo affected af-fected by them. Tor tho grentor pa'rt of iho run across tho lako tho coui'j pass In tho whcolliouso was n point or two "olt" from the truo direction of. the one on tho brldgo. Tho "marks'! to bo Ret up by tho government's by-drographcrs by-drographcrs will enable this particular captain, as well as others, to correc such deviations every trip If they care to. |
