AN ALARM COMPASS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 8734, 21 February 1890, Page 5 (Supplement)

AN ALARM COMPASS.

An electrical recordiug alarm compass has been invented by Mr H. A, Chase, electrician to the Boston police signal service, which (says Iron) will probably mark a new era in navigation. 'Xhe compass has been constructed by Messrs', J. -P.-Gushing and Co., ot that city, and consists of two parts, the binnacle and the recorder. The binnacle contains a Ritchie compass, modified to suit requirements, and is located in the pilothouse, while the recording and coursedirecting device is placed aft in the main cabin, the two being connected by a flexible wire cable. The compass has contact points for each point of the compass, a separate wire connecting each point with the recorder located in the cabin. This latter device consists of a number of magnets, one i'or each point of the compass, and a recording sheet properly ruled to correspond with the points of the compass and- time of day, actuated by clockwork at the rate of ISiu for every watch of four hours' duration. Each magnet is connected to a prick point, and every time the circuit of a magnet is closed at the compass the point is operated to perforate the paper. Connected in circuit with the other apparatus is a course-selecting device, by means of which the course upon which it is desired to steer may be set. Connected with this device are port and starboard alarm bells, which are sounded in case the vessel deviates any predetermined number o£ points from her course. The circuit for actuating the entire mechanism is run by nie&ns of Garsneis dry batteries, o£ which 12 cells are in use, but the receptacle in the base of the recorder is arranged to accommodate 20, a quantity sufficient, it is estimated, to run the entire apparatus a year and a half. In addition to what has already been accomplished, it is contemplated adding a registering log, which will show on the paper the number of knots made every hour or fraction thereof. By the' use ot the recorder, the owners of a vessel could take the registered papers, at the conclusion of a voyage, and tell very accurately what the vessel had accomplished. By means of charts they could locate the whereabouts approximately at every instant from the time of departure to the time or ariival, and could fix the course the vessel steered, and the speed she maue. ______