KNOWLEDGE APPLIED.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21221, 30 December 1930, Page 11

KNOWLEDGE APPLIED.

TO THE EDITOR Sir, —At Christmas there was another ot those marine tragedies that so often accompany the presence of fog in any paiticnlar part frequented more or less by shipping. It. is my firm belief that were, we to apply our wartime learning these losses could be almost eliminated An influence out of the fog gets at the compass and evidently deflects it from its north and south line. The ship steering by a deflected compass is evidently steerroc wrong. An ordinary compass at each lighthouse along a coast line would also show deflection in case of fog. The lightiteeper could wireless the amount of deflection and this could be' picked up by boats so that officers on board would know what allowance to make in order to steer a sate course.

An echo sounder for depth would tell the exact fathoms. * Charts as marked would thereby tell , exact position, further a wartime listener for engine throb of vessels near by would tell how close they were and so point a way .of satety, . H New Zealand, or any other country visited at times by fog, will compel ship's trading in its waters to be equipped with the safety devices I have mentioned, loss by fog influence should practically be The trouble seems to be that so many things are happening in the world nowadays that we forget, and so neglect to apply, our wartime lessons in regard to marine matters. Till we apply the knowledge we have, we may'expect in any fog things like the ice-breaker sending her m *Tim bottom in three minutes. What a Christmas box for the marine world were this at once attended to!—I am, etc., Scro.