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324
[left column, three clippings, two dates]
CHARTS AND COMPASSES.
Pacific Marine News.
We extract the following from "Sug-
gestions to Managing Agents and Masters."
published by the North of England Pro-
tection & [and] Indemnity Association.
Courts of inquiry continually bear wit-
ness that inferior and inaccurately ad-
justed compasses are a frequent source of
disaster.
Surveyors should look well after charts
and compasses as they do after a few
paltry tons of cargo more than the ship
ought to carry. They stop the ship for
overloading, but defective charts and in-
struments are never tought of, and it
was alleged that compasses "are allowed
to be sold by public auction and used in
a condition unfit to boil eggs in," that "a
proper position for them is seldom
planned or provided for while building
this most important factor of safe navi-
tion being generally dumped down in
any place where there is room for it,"
that "the deviation cards are not reli-
able," and it was suggested that as an-
chors and chains are tested, and even the
lime juice must bear the government
stamp, why not also qualify the compasses
by inspection, and use some dircrimina-
tion in placing them where they are least
affected by influence of iron"--also
that the whole syllabus of deviation
should be included in the examination for
masters.
A rather timely article on compass ad-
justment recently appeared in Eastern
marine papers written by Ensign Creigh-
ton Churchill of the United States navy,
wherein he not only demonstrates that a
large portion of strandings are due to
compass errors, but that there are men
engaged in adjusting compasses who are
totally incompetent.
For our own part we hold that compass
adjustment and rating of chronometers
should only be permitted by those duly
qualified and licensed by the government.
"Trust in deviation cards is a snare,"
says an old navigatorand with truth if
he means trust in cards not proved to have
been worked out with care and precision.
A careful master will ascertain for him-
self from time to time his compass devi-
ations by proper observations.
Invariably at every investigation follow-
ing a loss of a vessel the following ques-
tions are asked:
1. Whether the vessel was supplied with
proper and sufficient charts and sailing
directions.
2. What number compasses had the ves-
sel. Were they in good order and suffi-
cient for the safe navigation of the ves-
sel and when and by whom last adjusted.
3. Did the master ascertain the devi-
ation of his compasses by observation
from time to time. Were the errors cor-
rectly ascertained and the proper correc-
tions to the courses applied.
---
APRIL 5, 1905
---
SOLD FOR SCRAP IRON
Obsolete Warships, H.M.S. Warspite
Among Them, Disposed of.
London, April 4.--An unusual sale oc-
curred at Chatham dockyard today, when
thirty-one obsolete British war vessels
were sold to the highest bidder. The
total realized was $690,600.
The lot included twelve cruisers,
among them being the warships War-
spite, Northampton, Galatea, and Aus-
tralia, two torpedo boats, and the train-
ing ship Exmouth. The terms of sale
provide that non of the vessels could
be sold to a foreign power. All of them
must be broken up within twelve months.
The ships sold represented an original
outlay of $15,000,000.
---
APRIL 14, 1905
---
A RARE EGG FOUND
A moa's egg has been found in a min-
ing district in Central Otago New Zealand.
There was a fall of earth in a dredging
claim and presently the huge egg was
seen floating uningured in the water. The
discovery is the more interesting from
the fact that it is the second perfect moa's
egg that has ever been found. The only
other perfect specimen was unearthed by
a man while digging in the alluvial soil
at the Kalkoura mountains in the early
60's. This egg, which was nine inches in
length and seven inches in breadth was
taken to England and sold for $500. Some
[idea] of the size of those eggs may be
[gleaned] from the fact that a man's hat
[makes] an excellent egg cup for them.
---
[middle column, 4 clippings, 1 date]
History of the Order
The Ancient Arable Order of Nobles of the
Mystic Shrine was founded by Katif Alee,
son-in-law of the Mohammenden in 656--
hence it will be 1250 years old the com-
ing year, thus determining its claim to
antiquity as the oldest of all the promin-
ent fraternal orders. The order was or-
iginally intended as one for the suppres-
sion of violence and crime then prevalent
in Arabia. It grew in strength, and hav-
ing accomplished the object of its creation,
the members kept the brotherhood intact.
The Shriners being originated by Moslems
beautiful imagery is to be found in all its
rites and ceremonies. A maxim of the or-
der being religious toleration, so conse-
quently both Jew and Gentile meet upon
a common platform. There is a mistaken
belief among the uninitiated who do not
belong to the Masonic craft that the Order
of the Mystic Shrine is the highest degree
in Freemasonry. This view is erroneous.
The only connection is that in North Am-
erica only knights templars or 32 degree
Scottish rite Masons are admitted, thus
ensuring to the fraternity the very best
elements in Masonry. The shrine was
founded on thi continent in 1872 in New
York and its social features have largely
caused its rapid growth, to say nothing
of its wonderful record for benefit to man-
kind in general. Gizeh Temple, A. A.
O. N. M. S. Victoria was instituted Aug-
ust 10 1902.
---
Soaping Sticky Furniture
"Persons come to me every day and say
that the drawers of dressers and other
furniture stick fast and cannot be open-
ed or shut without great difficulty,"
said the "complaint man" in a downtown
furniture store. "This is a trouble with
much furniture, especially that which is
new.
"What do we do in such cases? We
simply tell the customers to wet the sur-
face of a bar of common laundry soap
and rub it firmly over the parts of the
wood that stick. This makes the surface
smooth and slippery, and in nearly all
cases the drawer will slide easily, es-
pecially after it has been opened and shut
a few times.
"This also is valuable with doors which,
in new flats, are likely to settle, or are
apt to scrape at the top as the building
settles." --New Orleans Picayune
---
NOVEMBER 29, 1905
---
THE WORM IN THE STONE
New York Tribune.
A remarkable find was made by work-
men blasting stone at Blackburn, Scot-
land. A stone weighing a ton and a half
was split open and a living worm was
found imbedded in it, being located ten
inches from the outside at the nearest
point. The reptile measured, according
to an unmistakeable impression left in the
stone, seven inches long. Immediately on
exposure it wriggled about in a lively fash-
ion and contracted itself until it measured
only about four inches. The worm is of
the orninary type, and when seen on Fri-
day was still alive, despite the fact that
it had suffered some injury during
the splitting operation. The stone was obtain-
ed from a stratum of acres of solid rock
at a dept of 100 feet below the surface,
where the presence of boulders indicates
that it belongs to the glacial period.
---
Rabbits in Australia
"The reqard of $100,000 offered by the
government of Austrialia to any person
who may devise a successful mode of ex-
terminating the rabbits, whoes numbers
make them a pest, is still standing," said
Mr. A. McDonalsd of Melbourne at the
Shoreham.
"It was offered a good many years ago,
and a great many people thought they
saw an easy way of getting a nice lump
of money, but so far no effective schema
of eliminating the bunnies has been pre-
sented. No matter how fast they are
slain, they breed with such rapidity as
to defy extinction and continue to plague
the cattlemen and farmers. They are
shipped to London by the thousand in
refrigerator vessels where they are
eagerly bought by the English who seem
to prize them as an article of food. In
Australia few people will eat them."--
Washington Post.
---
[right column, two clippings, one date]
NOVEMBER 30, 1905
The Gentler Sex
To Make a Broom Last
If you want to make the broom last
long and be pleasant to use put the straw
into boiling water and let it remain there
until the water is cold. Then put it out
in the open air until it becomes dry as
far as you can see. When ready to use
it dip it into water and out again quick-
ly; then it may be used. Frequently wet-
ting the broom adds to its usefulness and
is better for carpets. Besides it catches
much of the fine dust when wet, and it
is good once a week to dip the straw on
the broom into boiling soap suds, letting
it remain one minute only. Do this with
the broom at least once a week. It
makes the straw tough and pliable.--
Washington Star.
---
OCTOBER 12, 1905
--
MADE A MASON
84 YEARS AGO
The Claim of "Ninety" Bowie
Would Make Him More
Than One Hundred
Years Old
Special to the Post-Intelligencer
OLYMPIA, Oct. 11--"Ninety" Bowie
who is believed to be more than 100 years
old was yere yesterday to attend the
funeral of Grad Secretary Reed of the
Washington lodge of Masons. Bowie is
a Mason and was raised by a Kentucky
lodge 84 years ago. This is proved by
records.
Bowie's story is that he is a cousin of
the famous Col. [Colonel] Bowie and that he was
born in Kentucky. A przed possession
is a handsome Bowie knife of immense
size which he says the colonel gave him.
He tells of being in the Alamo in 1836
when Santa Ana and his 1500 Mexicana
surrounded and butchered 140 Texans and
then killed the six who surrendered.
March 5th that year Bowie says he es-
caped through a water pipe into which
he crawled. He served in the Mexican
war and is still drawing a pension from
the government despite the fact that dur-
ing the civil war he fought in the Con-
federate army.
Bowie drifted to Olympia about twelve
years ago and applied for work at the
logging camp of the Simpson Logging
Company in Mason county where he has
been employed ever since. He does a
man's work every day and is strong and
active. He said he was more than 90
years old 12 years ago when he arrived
there and is known throughout the
woods as "Ninety" Bowie. During the
Spanish war he tried to enlist but was
rejected. He votes the straight Demo-
cratic ticket every election and attributes
his longevity and health to the fact that
he drinks straight Kentucky whisky.
Bowie says he intends to work three
years more and then retire on the little
money he has saved.
Sol G. Simpson, owner of the camp
and one of the best known lumber men
of the state has investigated the old
man's story and believes it is true. In-
vestigation through Masonic channels
also confirm Bowie's Masonic claims.
Today in the funeral line Bowie walked
as briskly as any of the others. His
hair is thick and has not a trace of
gray. His slight stoop and a multitude
of wrinkles in his parchment like shrunk-
en face alone give evidence of his great
age.
The old man cannot make himself well
understood in conversation as during
the civil war a bullet tore away part of
his mouth and palate.
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RIGHT PAGE
325
[pasted sideways, upsidedown to other clippings]
VICTORIA DIALY CO [Colonist]
[written in pencil]
From Seattle P.I. [Post Intelligencer]
July 1905
[large illustrated clipping, 4 small clippings, left to right, all pasted sideways]
NO RAILROAD WRECKS WITH THIS DEVICE
[three illustrations of, a train wreck, a
"WESTINGHOUSE FRICTION DRAFT GEAR" and
of "GEORGE WETINGHOUSE" plus the inset
headline THE GREAT INVENTOR AND HIS
APPLIANCE FOR PREVENTING ACCIDENTS]
Not long since 300 delegates to the
International Railway Con-
gress held in this country, wit-
nessed what under ordinary
circumstances would have been
termed an attempt at train-
wrecking. It occured near Pittsburg
says the Philadelphia North American.
There was nothing lawless about the
incident, nor did it endanger the lives
of hundreds of passengers. It was made
upon the private railroad of George West-
inghouse, jr., and was intended to demon-
strate the efficiency of an apparatus to
reduce to a minimum the possibility of
damage in collisions upon the rail.
It is asserted by Mr. Westinghouse that
equipped with a device invented by him-
self, two trains may dash into each other
at full speed without the loss of life and
property that has made railroad acci-
dents of the past so terrible.
Upon the Westinghouse stretch of road-
way a train of fifty steel cars was made
up and then divided into three sections,
to meet the conditions of a train that had
parted through a defect in the couplings.
Two sections were left upon the track
at a little distance from each other. The
third section thereupon was hauled by
the locomotive two miles up the road.
At a speed of forty miles an hour the
locomotive and the cars accompanying it
rushed down upon the two sections that
were motionless.
A fearful wreck seemed to impend.
Many of the spectators hurried to a safe
distance from the track.
It was expected that before the impact
came the engineer and firemen would
jump from their posts, but they did
no such thing. Mr. Westinghouse stood be-
side the track to witness the collision at
close range.
With a tremendous roar and crash the
locomotive struck the first motionless sec-
tion which, in turn was hurled like a
catapult against the second standing sec-
tion.
According to all precedent and expec-
tation a disastrous wreck should have oc-
curred. Such conditions had always re-
sulted in bad wrecks.
When the noise and grinding of the suc-
cessive impacts had ceased, and the dust
had cleared away, the spectators saw
that the cars were apparently uninjured.
More than that, the entire train had
coupled itself automatically and serene-
ly and was ready to proceed on its way
as a whole.
These results, so promising of safety
in future collisions, were due to the de-
vice invented by Mr. Westinghouse.
It consists of an arrangement to take
up the shock of impact and by friction
to absorb the force that causes a wreck.
The inventor calls it a friction draft
gear. Each device is hidden in a mal-
leable iron cylinder thirty inches long
and twelve inches in diameter.
The cylinder, attached to a car, back
of the coupier, is concealed from view.
Inside it contains several hundred pieces
designed to take up the terrible shock of
the meeting of two trains. Each is tested
to withstand a blow of seventy-five tons
under a steam hammer, and, as there are
two at each coupling, each end of the
car equipped with them can take up a
shock of 150 tons.
Three locomotives, couled up and sent
full tilt against a train, would not de-
velop more force than that, nor would
any single train striking another train
develop more.
Inside the cylinder are large steel
springs, facing each other, to take up
the ordinary pressure against the cou-
pling while the train is in motion.
Outside the springs are segments of
steel, to which are attached "V" shaped
pieces, or wedges of steel. These wedges
fit tightly into grooves of the cylinder,
greating a friction when pressed.
Ordinary pressure, such as the back-
ing up of a train at slight speed against
another, as is cystomery in making fly-
ing couplings, does not budge the wedges.
They are there for a more serious pur-
pose.
It requires an extraordinary shock to
force the "V" strips back into their
grooves. When such a shock takes place
--such as in a collision at full speed--the
strips are all forced back but in being
so forced take up the momentum gradu-
ally instead of going back with one
bound, as would steel springs.
In this way by having these devices
take up the shock of impact from car to
car, it is possible for a train to with-
stand a terrific blow with safety.
Nor do the steel wedges rebound after
a shock as would a spring. In noting
the effect of a number of wrecks, Mr.
Westinghouse found that the breaking of
car couplings and other disastrous inci-
dents was due largely to the strain caused
by the reaction of the buffer springs.
Experiments with springs proved, Mr.
Westinghouse says, that they alone can-
not be depended upon to take up the
shock of collision, and that such results
can only be obtained through a frictional
device. It was only after many years
of thought and experiment that the pres-
ent wedge scheme was perfeccted.
Of course this device is not depended
upon exclusively to prevent the wreck-
ing of trains in collision athough it is
expected to do a greater share toward
that commendable end than any other
agency.
The most improved apparatus is being
used to give the engineer perfect control
of his train, so that he can minimize the
shock by prompt operation of the air
brakes. The air couplings, too, must be
able to withstand any sudden and tre-
mendous call made upon them.
Improvements in brake apparatus have
resulted in the reduction of the distance
required for stopping high-speed trains
from 25 to 40 per cent.
Even if the rear cars of a train are not
fitted with air brakes, use of the friction
draft gear, it is asserted, will make it im-
possible for an accident to happen from
the bursting of an air hose in the middle
of the train.
The friction device, Mr. Westinghouse
states, has been adopted by the Pennsyl-
vania and a number of other railroads,
Already more than 120,000 cars are equip-
ped with it.
---
BRINGS UP VEGETATION
Special to the Post-Intelligencer
TACOMA Nov. 28--A crew of men
drilling an artesian well on the tide flats
today found shells, grasses, bits of bark
and wood in a perfect state of preserva-
tion at a depth of 300 feet.
The discovery of the evidence of an
ancient sea beach at such a depth is a
great surprise to all who have viewed the
well. Many people who have seen the
relics cannot fathom how the beach could
have been so low.
---
To Mend China--F.W.T--Stir plas-
ter of Paris into a solution of gum
arabic until it forms a viscous paste.
Apply this mixture with a brush to
the fractured edges and stick them to-
gether. When this cement has had
time to dry (it takes about two days)
It will be extremely difficult to break
it again in the same place. Another
good cement for joining china is made
by beating the whites of eggs to a
froth and adding to them when they
have settled, grated cheese and quick-
lime. These must be well beaten in,
and a little of the mixture applied to
the broken edges. The advantages of
this cement is that it resists both heat
and water.
---
What a Killowatt-Hour Will Do
A novel method of selling electricity and
bringing home to the public mind the ver-
satility and wide range of application of
electrical energy, was devised by a mu-
nicipal lighting plant of Loughborough,
England. This consists of a list showing
some of the various things that a kilo-
watt-hour of electricity will do for them.
Some of these performances are:
Cleaning 75 pairs of boots.
Keep your breakfast warm for five
hours.
Run a seweing machine for 21 hours
Cook 15 chops in 15 minutes.
The list as a whole is quite striking
and interesting.
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