Democratic Sentinel, Volume 15, Number 42, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 November 1891 — Timing Big Steamships. [ARTICLE]

Timing Big Steamships.

The British government has a lnttn stationed at Roche's Point, who is paid to record in a book the exact time these steamers puss his signal station, both inward and outward bound. Since the acute rivalry between the fleet ships of the White Star and Inman lines liassprung up, this man has been even more than ordinarily careful in carrying out his instructions, says the Pittsburg Dispatch. In passing Roche's Point the vessels go through a channel hardly three miles wide, and as a general thing they pass within an easy mile of the government signal station. Sinco the fast ships began to reckon their speed so carefully, this signal officer has timed them from the moment they were exactly abeam of his station. The outward bound vessels usually gopast him at full speed. What becomes of them after that is of no concern to the signal man. He immediately telegraphs his record to the steamship agents nt Queenstown, whence it is forwarded to the main office.at Liverpool. Both the Inman and the White Star lines have a man of their own on Roche’s Point to take observations and figures. Sometimes they differ. But if by any possible chance the question of a vessel's actual time came up in a British court of law the government signal man's figures would stand. In a similar wav the official time on the other side is takcu the moment the vessel is aboain of Sandy Hook. The line is set by the compass, and the telescope does the rest. The moment of crossing is almost ns clearly dofined as in the case of the running horse on the track. Passengers bn the transatlantic steamers date the time of their passugc either from Land’s End or from the time the vessel starts until she comes to anchor. The steamship companies do not take this into account at all in their official records. They know the time, of course, that a vessel leaves Liverpool and of her arrival at Queenstown. But this is not considered in the record of her passage. The subsidized mail boats —the White Star and Cunard— usually anchor at Queenstown, a mile or two further inside of Roche’s Point than do the Inm a boats and other Atlantic liners whic are not obliged to await the arrival of tl s Irish mail at Queenstown, except for t stray passenger or two. The mail boat are usually the last to get away from the harbor. M: i. William Northcott, of Bowmanville, Canada, was scratched on the hand by a pet cat a short time ago. The hand immediately begantoswell, mortification set in, and her arm had to be amputated belori the elbow. At last reports her recovery was considered doubtful.