Finisterre, Western Spain; 472. -Oct. 19. Steamer Cambraia lost off Inishtrahull; 170. -Oct. 20. Steamer Varuna, New York for Galveston, sunk off Florida coast; 72. 1871-Jan. 14. Steamer T. L. McGill, burned on Mississippi River; 58. were foundered; 150. -July 22. Spanish steamer Gigon and British -Sept. 22. British gunboat Wasp wrecked off 1885-Feb. 15. British steamship Humber left port, -Jan. 27. Steamer Kensington collides with bark -Dec. 23. Steamer America, Buenos Aires to 1872-April 11. Steamer Oceanus explodes; 40. -Aug. 30. Steamer Metis sunk in collision on Long Island Sound; 50. -Nov. 7. The brig, Mary Celeste, left N. Y. harbor, under Capt. Benj. S. Briggs, laden with alcohol, bound for Genoa, 5 weeks later, found abandoned in the Atlantic, with all sails set, 300 miles west of Gibraltar. Crew never heard from. 1873-Jan. 22. British steamer Northfleet sunk in collision off Dungeness; 300. 19. 1887-Jan. 20. Steamer Kapunda in collision with -Sept. 12. Italian steamship and steamship La -April 1. White Star steamer Atlantic wrecked -Aug. 8. Steamboat Wawasset, burned in Potomac -Sept. 27. Steamship Ismailia, Anchor liner, French Line steamer Ville du Havre, 1875-May 7. Hamburg mail steamer Schiller, -Dec. 6. Steamer Deutschland, Bremen to New -Nov. 24. United States sloop-of-war Huron -Nov. Steamer Atacama wrecked off Caldera, 1878-Jan. 31. Steamer Metropolis wrecked off -March 24. British training ship Eurydice foundered near the Isle of Wight; 300. -Sept. 3. British steamer Princess Alice sunk in collision in the Thames; 700. -Sept. 28. German steamship Hermann Ludwig, -Dec. 18. French steamer Byzantin sunk in American Fishing schooners foundered off George's Bank, Newfoundland; 144. -March 19. British steamship Bernicia, left port, 1880-Jan. 31. British training ship Atlanta left -Oct. 16. American steamer Alpena foundered on capsized in -Nov. 24. French steamer Uncle Joseph sunk by -Aug 30. Steamer Teuton wrecked off the Cape 1882-July 4. Steamer Sciota wrecked in collision -Sept. 14. Northwest transit service steamer 1883-May 3. Grapples burned near Bute Inlet, -July 3. Steamer Daphne capsized in the Clyde; -July 13. -Dec. 27. British steamer Shanghai burned in 1891-March 17. Steamer Utopia, Anchor Line, -April 16. British ship St. Catharis wrecked off -April 22. Chilean warship Blanco Encalada -Sept. 10. Italian steamship Taormina sunk in -Nov. 2. Steamship Enterprise sank in Bay of -Dec. 18. Steamer Abyssinia, Guion Line, burned 1892 Jan. 13. Steamer Namchow wrecked in -May 22. Brazilian warship sank near mouth of Roumania, Anchor Line. wrecked off Portuguese coast; 113. 1893-Feb. 8. Steamer Trinacria, Anchor Line, wrecked off coast of Spain; 115. -Feb. 11. White Star steamer Noronic, Liverpool -June 22. British battleship Victoria sunk by 1894-Feb. 2. United States covette Kearsarge -June 25. Steamship Norge, wrecked on Rockall -Nov. 1. Steamer Wairarapa wrecked off coast of 1895-Jan. 30. German steamer Elbe sunk in Regenta Spanish cruiser Reina foundered in the Atlantic at entrance to the Mediterranean; 400. -May 28. French steamer Dom Pedro wrecked 1896 June 17. Steamer Drummond Castle wrecked United States battleship Maine -Oct. 14. Steamer Mohegan, Atlantic Transport -Aug. 14. Steamer Islander, with $3,000,000 In water; dead and missing, 70. -Dec. 2. British sloop of war Condor vanished off 1902-July 21. Steamer Primus sunk in collision 1904-June 15. Steamship General Slocum took 1905 May 28. Russian battle cruiser, Admiral -Sept. 13. Japanese warship Mikasa sunk by St. Lawrence River; 44; also on this day a great storm destroyed, on Lake Superior, the steamer Henry B. Smith, 26; on Lake Huron, the steamers John A. McGean, 23; Charles S. Price, 28; Isaac M. Scott, 26; Hydrus, 24; and Argus, 24, with many small craft. 1914-March 31. Sealing steamer Southern Cross wrecked south of Belle Isle Strait; 173. May 29. Canadian Pacific steamship Empress of Ireland sunk in collision with Danish collier Storstad in St. Lawrence; 1,024. -Sept. 18. Steam schooner Francis H. Leggett wrecked near mouth of Columbia River, Oregon; 80. -Sept. 14. Australian submarine El failed to return from dive; 37. -Oct. 30. British hospital ship Robrilla wrecked on coast near Whitby, England; 54. 1915 March 24. U. S. submarine F4 failed to return after submerged run off Honolulu; 22. -April 3. Dutch steamer Prins Mauritz lost off Cape Hatteras; 59. 1906-Jan. 21. Brazilian battleship Aquidaban --Jan. 22. American steamer Valencia lost off -Aug. 4. Italian emigrant ship Sirio wrecked off -Oct. 21. Russian steamer Variag on leaving 1907-Feb. 12. Steamer Larchmont sunk in Long -Feb. 21. British steamer Berlin stranded off the 137. -March 12. killed 117. Austrian steamer Imperatrix wrecked: Explosion on French battleship Jena -July 20. American steamers Columbia and San 1908-March 23. Japanese steamer Matsu Maru -April 30. Japanese training cruiser Matsu Shima --Nov. 6. Steamer Taish sunk in storm; 150. 7. Cunard Line steamship Lusitania, -Aug. 13-14. Steamship Marowijne, in Gulf of -Aug. 16. Dredge San Jacinto wrecked off Gal- -Aug. 16. Dredge Sam Houston wrecked off -Aug. 19. White Star liner, Arabic, sunk by -Nov. 7. Italian liner, Ancona, sunk in Mediter- -Feb. 3. Steamer Daijin Maru sunk in Pacific: -Feb. 26. French auxiliary cruiser Province sunk in Mediterranean. Of nearly 4,000 on board but 870 were saved. -June 5. British cruiser Hampshire sunk by German mine in Orkneys; Earl Kitchener and several hundred others lost. Philip--Aug. 29. United States cruiser Memphis wrecked at Santa Domingo; 33. 1909-June 12. Russian submarine Lambala rammed; 20. -July 4. British submarine CII sunk; 13. -Aug. 1. British steamer Waratah, from Sydney -Nov. 14. Steamer Scyne sunk in collison with --Aug. 29. Chinese steamer Hsin Yu sunk off -Aug. 29. Japanese steamer Wakatsu Maru -Oct. 20. Steamer Marida lost on Lake Erie: 20. General-Nov. 21. British hospital ship, Britannic, sunk Chanzy wrecked off Minorca; 200. -May 26. French submarine Pluvoise sunk: 25. 1911-Feb. 2. Steamship Abenton wrecked: 70. -April 2. Steamship Koombuna wrecked; 150. -Sept. 5. Steamship Tuscapel wrecked; 80. -Sept. 25. French battleship Liberte sunk by explosion at Toulon; 285. -Nov. 23. Steamship Roumania sunk in Adriatic: 60. 1912-Jan. 11. Russ, Russian steamer, foundered in Black Sea; 172. 1917-Jan. 25. British cruiser, Laurentic, sunk off -Feb. 8. American merchant ship, California, -March 5. Spanish steamship Principe de Asturias-Oct. -March 28. British steamship Koombana lost in -April 8. Nile excursion steamer, sunk in collision near Cairo, Egypt; 200. -April 14-15. White Star steamship Titanic sunk after collison with iceberg in North Atlantic; 1,517. -April 30. Steamer Texas blown up by mine at -June 8. French submarine Vendemairo sunk; 24. -Sept. 28. Japanese steamer Kickermaru sunk off 1913 March 1. British steamer Calvadas lost in blizzard in Sea of Marmora; 200. -March 5. German torpedo-boat destroyer S-178 sunk in collison with cruiser Yorck, near Heligoland: 66. 1918 Jan. 21. British troopship, Louvain, sunk in -Feb. 1. French steamer, La Dive, sunk in -Feb. 5. Tuscania, British ship with U. S. troops -Feb. 24. Red Cross liner Florizel wrecked near -April 25. Chinese steamship Kiang-Kwan sunk -May 1. American steamship City of Athens -May 23. Moldavia, British ship with U. S. -March 7. British steamer Alum Chive destroyed-May 26. Leasowe Castle, British troopship, sunk by dynamite explosion, Baltimore; 50. in Mediterranean by German submarine: 101. -Oct. 9. Steamship Volturno wrecked by fire-May 31. U. S troop transport, President Linand explosion in midocean; 135. -Nov. 9. Steam collier Bridgeport wrecked in coln torpedoed by U-boat; 26. -June. The U. S S. Cyclops, 19,300 tons dis 656 She -June 27. British hospital ship, Llandovery -July 12. Japanese battleship Kawachi blown up -July 14. French troop ship Djamnah sunk by torpedo in Mediterranean; 442. -July 19. U. S. Cruiser, San Diego, sunk by mine, off Fire Island, N. Y.; 50. -Aug. 3. British hospital ship, Warilda, torpedoed off England; 123. -Sept, 12. British transport, Galway Castle, pedoed in Atlantic; 189. town, Mass., in collision with Coast Guard de- 1928-July 7. Chilean transport, Angames, wrecked -Aug. 6. Italian submarine F14 sunk in Adriatic Pannonia), in Mediterranean; 40. -Sept. 26. U. S. ship Tampa, torpedoed off Eng-July 9. British submarine, H-47, in collision land; 118. -Sept. 30. U. S. ship, Ticonderoga, torpedoed in -Oct. 6. Otranto, British ship with U. S. troops, with sister submarine L-12; 21. collision with tanker, off Santa Cruz, Calif.; 70. Aug. 30. Coasting steamer, San Juan, sunk in -Oct. 7. Norwegian steamer, Haakon VII, hit rock in storm and sank near Floroe; 44. -Oct. 10. Irish mail steamer, Leinster, torpedoed-Dec. 21. Chinese steamer, Lee Cheong, sank on in St. George's Channel; 480. -Oct. 25. Canadian steamship Princess Sophia 1919-Jan. 1. British steam yacht Iolaire (Eagle), way from Swabue for Hong Kong: 300. 1930-April 2. Ferry-boat capsized near Tobata; 110. -June 10. Oil tanker Pinthis sunk in Massachusetts Bay in collision with coast steamer, Fairfax: 50. storm in Black Sea; 50. 1931-Jan. 20. Russian steamer, Javaria, sunk in -Jan. 17. French steamer Chaouia lost in Straits-Feb. 9. French steamer, Porthos, sunk in snow of Messina; 460. -Sept. 9-10. storm off Kobe, Japan; 50. Spanish steamer, Valbanera, lost-March 11. Chinese steamer exploded in Yangtse between Havana, Cuba, and Key West, Fla.: 500. 1920-Jan. 12. French steamship sunk in Bay of Biscay; 500. 1921-Spanish steamer Santa Isabel storm-wrecked near Villagarcia; 214. -Jan. 20. British submarine K5 failed to return -March 18. Steamer Hongkong hit rock near 1922-Jan. 4. Greek torpedo boat blew up at -May 20. British steamer Egypt, in collision off Aug. 26. French battleship France, 23,000 tons, Chilian steamer Itata sank in storm off Coquimbo; 301. 1923-March 10. Greek transport Alexander sank off Piraeus; 150. -April 23. Portuguese mail steamer Mossamedes went aground at Cape Frio, Africa; 220. The Mallory liner Swiftstar left Gulf --July 13. end of Panama Canal, never heard of; 33. -Aug. 21. Japanese submarine 70 sunk: 88. -Sept. 3. Fleet of seven U. S. destroyers, including the Delphy, S. P. Lee, Chauncey, Fuller, Woodbury, Nicholas, and Young, went on rocks in fog off Honda Point, Cal.; 22. 1924 Jan. 10. British submarine L-24 sunk off Ward Line steamship Santiago on Florida, and British aircraft carrier, Glorious, off Malaga, Spain; 40. -June 9. British submarine, Poseidon, sunk in -Oct. 24. Russian submarine sunk in Gulf of H42 sunk off 1932-Jan. 26. British submarine, M-2, sunk off -Sept. 9. Steamboat Observation, carrying work- New 41,000-ton French steamer, -Sept. 8. American steamship Morro Castle, Ha- -July 3. Japanese cruise steamer, Midori Maru, Japanese submarine 43 sunk in Collision off Sasebo, with battleship Tatsuta; 49. -June 12. Explosion on U. S. S. Mississippi, at gun practice off San Pedro, Calif.; 48. 1925-March 12. Japanese steamer Uwajima Maru lost in gale off Takashima; 103. Excursion steamboat Mackinac, -Aug. 18. Narragansett Bay, boiler explosion; 47. U. S. submarine S-51 sunk in col-Sept. 25. lision with City of Rome, off Block Isl., R. I.; 37. -Nov. 11. British submarine, M-1, sunk in col--Dec. 12. Spanish submarine sunk off Malaga lision in English Channel: 69. 1926-April grounded in storm off Horomushiro, Japan; 230. Buryvestnik 28. Passenger steamboat -Aug. smashed into a river pier near Cronstadt, Russia, and sank; 300. -Oct. 16. Troopship blown up in Yangtse River, at Klukiang, China; 1,200. 27. Passenger by a torpedo; 47. steamer Chichibu-Dec. 26. Italian steamship. Cesare Battiste, blew -Oct. 20. British navy sloop, Valerian, sunk in -Dec. 20. Oil tug, Linseed King, overturned in -May 23. U. S. submarine Squalus, sunk in practice dive off Portsmouth, N. H.; 26: 33 rescued. Open air intake valve blamed. This boat was raised and recommissioned in 1940. -June 1, British submarine Thetis sunk in test dive in Irish sea off Great Ormes Head, Wales; 99, 4 rescued. -June 15, French submarine, Phenix, sunk in practice dive, Carn-Ranh Bay, off Indo-China; 63. -Sept. 3. British merchant ship. Athenia, sunk in the Atlantic, on the way to Montreal, 200 miles west of the Hebrides: 93 of the 1,104 passengers lost. Visibility at Sea Source: United States Coast Guard The table following gives the approximate geographic range of visibility for an object which may be seen by an observer whose eye is at sea level; in practice, therefore, it is necessary to add to these a distance of visibility corresponding to the height of the observer's eye above sea level. DISTANCES OF VISIBILITY FOR OBJECTS OF VARIOUS ELEVATIONS ABOVE SEA LEVEL The table following gives the approximate geographic range of visibility for an object which may be seen by an observer whose eye is at lake level; in practice, therefore, it is necessary to add to these a distance of visibility corresponding to the height of the observer's eye above lake level. DISTANCES OF VISIBILITY FOR OBJECTS OF VARIOUS ELEVATIONS ABOVE LAKE LEVEL Boston light, 100,000. The Fire Island, N. Y., Light is 167 ft. high; visible 19 nautical miles. The Shinnecock light has 140,000 candlepower; Electricity is the illuminant now used in most of the larger lighthouses, electric incandescent lamps placed inside the larger sizes of lenses producing beams of as much as 9,000,000 candlepower where such brilliance is required. The flashing characteristics which distinguish many of the lighthouses are produced by revolving the entire lens by electric motors. Lenses which are aggregates of highly polished glass prisms are assembled in a variety of types to produce whatever characteristic will best differentiate a particular light from its neighbors. The larger light stations are also fitted with fog signals, various types of sounding devices such as diaphones, trumpets, oscillators, sirens, and horns. A typical fog-signal installation consists of gaso- houses and all United States lightships are fitted Fast Ocean Passages by Ships BY SAILING VESSELS Columbus, in 1492, sailed from Spain (Palos) to the Gulf of Mexico in 70 days, Aug. 3 to Oct. 12. The best day's run was 200 miles. His flagship was the Santa Maria. The other vessels were the Pinta and the Nina. From Palos they Went to the Canary Islands, and it was not until Sept. 6 that they left the Island of Gomera. They were not out into the open sea until Sept. 9. His second voyage, in 1493, from Cadiz, Spain, to Dominica, in the West Indies (Sept. 25-Nov. 3) was made in 40 days, but the land-to-land passage was only 21 days; his third, to Trinidad (May 30July 31) in 1497, in 62 days; his fourth and last, to Honduras, in 1502 (May-July) in about 62 days, but the land-to-land time (May 26-June 15) was but 20 days. The American-built, British-owned ship. James Baines, sailed 21 nautical miles (knots) an hour. for several hours-a record. She sailed from Boston Light to Rock Light, Liverpool, in 12 days, 6 hours. The Flying Cloud twice made the voyage from New York to San Francisco, around Cape Horn, in 89 days. The "medium" clipper, Andrew Jackson, did it in 89 days. The British tea-clipper, Thermopylae, sailed in 1854 from Liverpool, England, to Melbourne, Australia, in 63 days, 18 hours, 15 minutes. The Northern Light, "medium" clipper, sailed from San Francisco to Boston in 76 days, 6 hours. The run north from Cape Horn was made in 38 days. The clipper Red Jacket, built at Rockland, Me., sailed from N. Y. to Liverpool in 13 days, 1 hour, BY STEAMSHIPS AND The first steamship to cross the Atlantic was the Rising Sun, in 1818; built in Britain by Lord Cochrane. She voyaged to South America. The first American ship to use steam in crossing an ocean was the Savannah, 350 tons, built at New York City, which left Savannah, Ga., on May 24, 1819, and reached Liverpool in 26 days, during 18 of which she used her side-paddles. She was a sailing vessel with steam auxiliary. The Great Western, on her maiden voyage from Bristol, England, to New York, covered the distance in April, 1838, in 15 days. Her best record was 10 days. 10 hours, 15 minutes. The Britannia, first Cunard liner, in July, 1840, came from Liverpool to New York in 14 days, 8 hours. In May, 1851, the Pacific reduced the Atlantic record to 9 days, 19 hours, 25 minutes. The Persia, in 1856, did it in 9 days, 1 hour. 45 minutes; the Scotia, in 1866, in 8 days, 2 hours, 48 minutes; the City of Brussels, in 1869, in 7 days, 22 hours, 3 minutes; the Baltic, in 1873, in 7 days, 20 hours, 9 minutes; the City of Berlin, in 1875, in 7 days, 15 hours, 8 minutes: the Arizona, in 1880, in 7 days, 7 hours, 23 minutes; the Alaska, in 1882, in 6 days, 18 hours, 37 minutes; the Etruria, in 1888, in 6 days, 1 hour, 55 minutes; the Majestic, in 1891, in 5 days, 18 hours, 8 minutes; the Lucania, in 1894, in 5 days. 7 hours, 23 minutes; the Lusitania, in 1908, in 4 days 15 hours; the Lusitania, in 1909, in 4 days 11 hours 42 minutes; the Mauretania, in 1910. in 4 days, 10 hours, 41 minutes, at the rate of 26.06 knots an hour. The foregoing records, since and including 1856, are between New York and Queenstown, averaging 2,780 nautical miles. The Deutschland, in Sept., 1900, went from Sandy Hook, New York, to Plymouth, England, in 5 days, 7 hours, 38 minutes. The Leviathan, Oct. 4-10, went from New York to Cherbourg in 5 days, 6 hours, 21 minutes, at an average speed of 24.67 knots. In Aug.. 1933, the Italian Steamship, Rex. crossed the Atlantic, from Gibraltar to Ambrose Light, New York Harbor, 3,181 miles, in 4 days, 13 hours, 58 minutes. The Europa of the North German Lloyd Line, on her maiden voyage, went, in 1930 (Mch. 20Breakwater, 25), from Cherbourg France. to Ambrose Channel Lightship, New York Harbor (3.157 nautical miles), in 4 days, 17 hours, 6 minutes. In July, 1933, she covered that route (3.149 miles) in 4 days, 16 hours, 48 minutes (average 27.92). In June, 1933, Ambrose to Cherbourg, 3,196 miles, in 4 days, 19 hours, 57 minutes (average 27.56). The Bremen, of the North German Lloyd Line. on her maiden voyage, went in 1929 (July 18-22) 25 minutes. The packet ship, Yorkshire, in Nov The ship Starr King once sailed from 50 degrees south to the Golden Gate in 36 days, a record. She was 8 days more getting into San Francisco, owing to fog. The Golden Fleece took only 122 days from the Equator to within 200 miles of San Francisco. Those 200 miles took her another week. The Atlantic, in the race for the German Emperor's Cup, in 1905, sailed from Sandy Hook to the Lizard, England, in 12 days, 4 hours, 1 minute and 19 seconds; 3,013 nautical miles, average speed 10.31 knots. The best day's run was 341 nautical miles. In 1928 she crossed from England in 23 days. The Yankee came from Bishop Rock to Boston Light in 1936, in 22 days, 6 hours, 7 minutes. OTHER POWER VESSELS from the Breakwater at Cherbourg to the Ambrose Channel Lightship, (approximately 3,164 nautical miles) in 4 days, 17 hours, 42 minutes, at an average speed of 27.83 knots, or nautical miles, an hour. She returned to Plymouth, 3,082 miles, in 4 days. 14 hours, 30 minutes (average 27.91). In July. 1933, Ambrose to Cherbourg, 3,199 miles, in 4 days, 16 hours, 15 minutes (average 28.51). In Nov., 1934, Cherbourg to Ambrose, 3,092 miles, in 4 days, 14 hours, 27 minutes (average 28.00). The Queen Mary, Cunard White Star liner on her maiden voyage, May-June, 1936, went from Cherbourg to Ambrose, 3.158 miles, in 4 days, 12 hours, 24 minutes (average 29.13). She returned, Ambrose to Cherbourg, 3,198 miles, in 4 days, 15 hours, 15 minutes (average 28.74). On Aug. 8, 1938, the Queen Mary arrived in New York port, having come from Bishop's Rock, off Southampton, to Ambrose, 2,907 miles in 3 days. 21 hours, 48 minutes (average 30.99). Bishop's Rock is 126 miles nearer to Ambrose than is Cherbourg. On the return trip, the Queen Mary traveled from Ambrose to Bishop Rock, 2,938 miles, in 3 days, 20 hours, 42 minutes (average 31.69). The French liner, Normandie, on her maiden trip to New York, May 29-June 3, 1935, went the 2,971 miles in 4 days, 3 hours, 13 minutes, 38 seconds (average 29.94). Returning to Europe she covered the 3,015 miles in 4 days, 3 hours, 25 minutes (average 30.31). In July-Aug. 1937 the Normandie went 2.906 miles, westbound, Bishop's Rock to Ambrose, in 3 days, 23 hours, 2 minutes (average 30.58). In Aug., 1937 the Normandie covered the east bound course, 2,936 miles, in 3 days, 22 hours, 7 minutes (average 31.20). The light cruiser Omaha, of the U. S. Navy, In 1923 (May 8-11), steamed from Diamond Head. Oahu, Hawaii, to the San Francisco Light Vessel, a distance of 2,091 miles, in 3 days 3 hours 40 minutes 40 seconds. The average speed was 27.76 miles an hour. The U. S. S. Memphis, which brought Capt. (now Col.) Charles A. Lindbergh back to the United States after his airplane flight from New York (Mineola) to Paris (Le Bourget), left Cherbourg, France, at 4:35 p.m. (Zone-1) June 4, 1927. and arrived abeam of Cape Henry Light (Delsware Capes) at 4:00 p.m. (Zone plus 5) June 10, 1927; a distance of 3,320 nautical miles at an average speed of 22.21 knots for the run. Captain H E. Lackey, U. S. N., was in command of the ship. The U. S. warship, Lexington, left her anchorage at San Pedro, Calif., at 1.01 p.m., on June 9. 1928, and arrived at Diamond Head Light, Honolulu at 11.08 a.m., on June 12-2,226 nautical miles in 72 hours, 36 minutes; an average speed of 30.66 nautical miles an hour. |