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THE MARINE RECORD. PRACTICAL METHOD FOR FINDING COMPASS ERRORS. ARRANGED FOR MASTERS AND PILOTS ON THE GREAT LAKES. BY JOHN ROSS, LATE MASTER LIGHT-HOUSE TENDER 9TH. DISTRICT, (Copyrighted 1897, all rights reserved.) CHAPTER V. On the Great Lakes there are a number of places where stations could be established for finding the compass devi- ations. At Liverpool, England, Cherbourg, France, and Cronstadt, Russia, stations for finding the compass error have been in use for years, and similar stations, at small expense, could be established for the benefit of lake navi- gators, at Buffalo, Cleveland, Sand Beach, Chicago and other localities. The sketch illustrates a supposed station at a breakwater on the lakes. Magnetic bearing of chimney, S. 9° E. Ata station such as is shown in the sketch, a deviation table for a steamer may be obtained by making the vessel turn in a large circle, and noting as the vessel’s head is on each (or on each alternate) point of the compass, the bearing of the chimney as observed by the standard com- pass and the magnetic bearing painted on the breakwater, and entering the bearings in their respective columns in the table and on the same line with the heading of the vessel at the time they were taken. The vessel should be made to describe two circles, one with a port and one with a starboard helm. Two sets of deviations will be obtained; the mean of these will be a correct table. The best results will be obtained by steaming slowly in a circle as large as the station will permit; it is also advisable to frequently tap the compass bowl to overcome any friction on the pivot. Or, a vessel may employ a tug to swing her while at anchor outside the breakwater; as in the above case, she should be swung twice, once with and once against the sun, and the tug should be kept at least 60 feet from the vessel. The mean of the two sets of deviations thus ob- tained, will be a correct table. CHICAGO HARBOR. Ranges which may be used for finding the compass error. (Taken from U. S. Hydrographic Office Chart No. 1365. ) FRONT OBJECT. REAR OBJECT. aes Four-Mile Chicago Water- . |Chicago Ave. Waterworks works: Crib: fiacisisinies ns Cribeiight: alsin. ita N. 44%4° W. Four-Mile Chicago Water- Chicago Harbor Light on WOES Cribs. 05 a ile SE. end of Outer Breakw.|N. 59%4° W. Four-Mile Chicago Water- RVOTSOTID crt. skates Wes Masonic Temple Chimney.|N. 82° W. Four-Mile Chicago Water- 3 PWOTI Se CHLD ei. ace visi ccc seed oe -|Auditorium Tower ......... S. 891%4° W. Four-Mile Chicago Water- MMOSIES! CTID 5 iii Soins sens Clock Tower, foot 24th St...|S. 63%° W. Chieago Harbor Light on SE. '_ end of Outer Breakwater... |Masonic Temple Chimney..|S. 65%° W. Chicago Harbor Light on SE. end of Outer Breakwater... |Auditorium Tower.......... S. 49%° W. Chicago Ave. Waterworks | oa Noid (oe 0) ape are aie a op mare Water Tower on Pine St....|S. 65° -W. Chicago Ave. Waterworks OFS He oa 6 coy er ine rer pe Beet Masonie Temple Chimney,.|S. 49° W. Chicago Ave. Waterworks (55s 2d By 02 Feira an ae Auditorium Tower.......... S. 3834° W. The preceding example shows how to obtain a com- plete deviation table or curve when the time will per- mit, but this is not the only application that can be made of the method. The magnetic bearings of a number of ranges in Detroit and St. Clair River and Lake St. Clair, at the entrances to many of the harbors, and along the shores of the different lakes, can be obtained by taking the true bearings from the charts and applying the variation. These ranges can be used by the navigator while on the passage up or down the lakes, to obtain, without delay, the deviations for the courses he will need most during his run. If he is favored with daylight, while bound up the lakes he should be able to get the deviations for his northerly courses and construct a curve for them. The same may be said about the trip down the lakes, on whicl he could obtain deviations for the southerly courses, When selecting a range which is taken from the chart, and which is to be used for finding the compass error, pick out objects which are distant from each other at least two miles and in a locality where the vessel can pass within 14 miles of the front object of the range. A good rule to follow in selecting a range is to pick out one, where the front and rear objects will be two miles or more apart, and where the vessel will not be over one-half as far from the front object, when she is passing it, as the front object is from. the rear object. This rule, of course, does not apply where ranges have been specially established for finding the compass error. If the correct magnetic bearing of all the lighted ranges on the Great Lakes were given, they would be of the greatest assistance to lake navigators for finding the com- pass error, but extreme care would be necessary on board vessels where the masts interfere with the sighting of the compass directly ahead; not only must the vessel be fair on the range, but she must also be pointed straight for the range. In such a case, the difference between the magnetic bearing of the range and the course the vessel is steering as shown by any compass is the error of that compass for the course steered, Novrr.—lIt is not intended that the method of finding the compass error by ranges or bear- ings should do away with the services of the adjuster; its use is to check the work of the adjuster and enable the navigator to find, with the least trouble and delay, what error his compass has. (To be continued. ) or or SUEZ CANAL TRAFFIC IN 1896. Mr. Frederic €. Penfield, U. S. agent and consul gen- eral at Cairo, has forwarded to the department at Wash- ington a detailed report of the traffic through the Suez Canal for the year 1896, from which it appears that the tolls aggregated the sum of $16,000,000. The number of vessels using the great waterway in 1896 was 27 less than in the preceding twelve months, but the tonnage last year was greater, and the receipts were abnormally enhanced by the transit of a great number of Italian soldiers, go- ing to or returning from the Abyssinian war. As in 1895, a few more German ships passed through the canal than in the previous year, while the falling off of British ships was considerable. In 1895, the number of ships flying the British flag using the canal was 2,330, while the num- ber in 1896 was 164 less. As it was, however, Great Britain supplied two-thirds of the total traffic of the Suez Canal in 1896. It is a regrettable fact that not one ship under the United States flag passed through the canal last year. In 1895, four war ships or yachts flying the stars and stripes made the passage of the canal. The statistics of the traffic in’ 1896 are given in detail in the following table: Nationality. Steamers. | Net tons. Tie receipts. PRUSEHA N58 age 71 158,751.38] $289,857 BONSAI ec ic ge oes a I 1,891.22 3,431 BOUISH wa eat 2,166 | 5,824,100.13] 10,649,130 Dutch. ees 199 382,386.7 699, 900 Beyptian. ik. 2 bases I 2,274.18 7,336 Brench ooo eared. Ses 218 558, 163.96} 1,032,010 German. hip, ase 320 773,405.29] 1,434,499 a fo) YEH chats eee ar tia Re a 229 399,758.72 806, 825 JADEMCS Ores cnet cece Io 30, 553-79 51,348 Norwegian. 3: 2eik. i 38 72,248.76 128, 880 Portugese cate ders atdssnrcia vf 7,993.74 13,404 FRUSSIA TS soy rte wares 47 129, 127.8 288,843 PAUSE cy sce ears 63, 182,361.79 383,751 PEUIERAS Ua se ease ee: 37 41,289.87 141,221 OtaE=s tirwca ema 3,407. |. 8,594,307.33] 15,930, 4 Total for 1895..... met 3,434 | 8,448, 245.83 ae eer OO Oo oe COMPARATIVE STRENGTH OF NAVIES. The writer of an article in a recent issue of the Marine Rundschau has laid before his readers a carefully thought- out estimate of the fighting values of the various fleets expressed in terms of units. After dealing with the fleets of England, France, Russia, Germany, Italy, the United States, and Japan the conclusion is arrived at that there is only one sea power of the first rank, namely, England. Expressed in units the author of the article estimates the English fleet at 1,001, the French at 466, the Rus- sian at 280, the American at 195, and the Japanese at 179. 30, 1895, and before June 30, 1808. TREASURY DECISIONS RELATING TO NAVIGATION LAWS. ; A vessel registered pursuant to law, which by sale has become the property of a foreigner, shall be entitled to a new register upon afterward becoming American property, unless it has been enlarged or undergone change in buil outside of the United States. e Vessels propelled in whole or in part by steam, and vessels above fifteen tons burden, carrying freight o passengers for hire, and propelled by gas, fluid, naphtha or electric motors, must, before receiving a register, en rollment, license, or other papers, undergo inspection by the proper officers and receive certificates that the laws re- lating to the construction and equipment of such vessels have been complied with. 5 On and after June thirtieth, eighteen hundred and ninty- eight, every place appropriated to the crew of a seagoing vessel of the United States, except a fishing vessel, yacht, pilot boat, and all vessels under two hundred tons regis- ter, shall have a space of not less than seventy-two cubic feet and not less than 12 square feet measured on the deck or floor of that. place for each seaman or apprentice lodged therein. Provided, That any such seagoing sailing vessel, built or rebuilt after June thirtieth, eighteen hundred and © ninety-eight, shall have a space of not less than one hun- dred cubic feet, and not less than sixteen square feet measured on the deck or floor of that space for each sea- man or apprentice lodged therein. Such place shall be securely constructed, properly lighted, drained, heated and ventilated, properly protected from weather and sea, and, as far as practicable, properly shut off and protected from the effluvium of cargo or bilge water. The requirement as to crew space of seventy-two cubic feet per man applies to vessels the construction of which was begun after June Fishing vessels, yachts, and pilot boats are specifically exempted from the provision of section 1 of the act of March 2, 1895, so far as regards the amount of space which shall be appropriated to the crew, and from the provis- ions that said space shall. be kept free from goods or stores not being the personal property of the crew in use — during the voyage. (Act of March 3, 1897.) If there be a break, a poop, or any other permanent closed-in space on the upper deck available for cargo or stores, or for the berthing or accommodation of passen- gers or crew, the tonnage of that space shall be ascertained _ and added to the gross tonnage: Provided, That noth- ing shall be added to the gross tonnage for any sheltered space above the upper deck which is under cover and open to the weather, that is, not inclosed. Sir: The Department is in receipt of your letter of the 3rd inst., protesting against the payment of $5.60 charged you by the local inspector of hulls at San Francisco, Cal., for inspection of your schooner, George and Olive, pre- liminary to change of name of the vessel, in accordance with the provisions of Department Circular No. 22, March 12, 1881, and Department decision 4821, dated April 8, 1881. In reply to your protest, you are informed that the money collected by the hull inspector was in no sense a fee, but was payment for the service performed, such ser- vice not being a part of the officer’s legal official duty, which is confined to the inspection of steam vessels. The act of Congress which authorizes the change of name of vessels, by the Secretary of the Treasury, also authorizes the collection from the owners of vessels whose names are to be changed the necessary cost of ex- amination as to the vessel’s seaworthiness, either when made by civilian experts or by officers of the Steamboat Inspection Service. The Department has, for reasons of — its own, adopted the method of which you complain, and can not at this time find sufficient reasons to warrant a change therein. That a similar charge is not made for the examination of steam vessels, when applying for a change of name is due to the fact that the information of the vessel’s sea- worthiness may always be found in the inspector’s certifi- cate of inspection, an inspection not made for the purpose of change of name, as in the case of sail vessels, but for the protection of life and property, therefore in the inter- est of the general public, whereas, in the case of a sail vessel, the inspector’s examination is simply in the interest of the owner of the vessel to procure a change of name wholly for his: own gratification, L. J.. GAGE, A. J. Mervy, 678 17th St., Oakland, Cal. Secretary.