Show MYTHS THERE HERE Is a strain of the mystic in marinero mariners ma which will never die for safe tys sake they hold to mathematical precision when necessary but deep in the long night watches vat elies come over again the old apparitions of the sea even in the navy nary this holds theres the thick main ariner belt poured and forged by formula forr nulL theres the nice complexity of the anemometer there are drop forged cranks and pistons pl stong and glistening oll oil tempered torpedo tubes cubes yet tet who has not heard beard the whisper of fog on the armor shelf no doubt columbus knew that the lips of 0 thick weather on its way can always warn the keen eared ship captain though the truth of the matter Is that thick weather comes with aim balm and the wash of sea ts Is then more mora noticeable and who nho ln in spite of anemometers wind velocity measurers measure rs does not know that westerly wind will work evil with nith ones compass though the scientific fact Is that homeward bounders blunders bo into queenstown Queens town started started this myth they were right too for with weeks on westerly trades the earths forces induce a slight new magnetism into the ships iron slid and so works evil with the compass needle why not blame the wind there is the th well known attraction of land on ships which the old rascals used to bring up in court after an inexplicable grounding they used to get away with it too but can you imagine a better creed when one has a a fifteen million dollar man of war and a thousand lives on ones hands than to believe that rocks and shoals are drawing the helpless monster into danger Is there a better spirit to keep a 0 man eternally vigilant and alert some old beliefs are very real local magnetic spots are not devils holes as wai was first supposed oft off madagascar and in several parts of the south pacific are areas of iron sand bottoms or something of the sort british cruisers have bave several times reported sudden and alid extreme variations of their compasses at these points on the tha other band equinoctial storms march 21 and september 21 are pure myths so are weather changes with changes of the moon and its lunacy to believe abat that afternoon sights are less dependable than those of early morning unless ones grog allowance Is too great |