The conclusions of
the committee were that in deep water oil had a calming effect upon a
rough sea, but there was nothing in either source of information which
yet answered the question whether or not there is in the force exerted
by the wind a point beyond which oil cannot counteract its influence in
causing the sea to break. He thought it appeared that oil had some
utility on tidal bars; on wrecks, to facilitate the operations of
rescue; on lifeboats and on lifebuoys. In regard to icebergs, he thought
the possibility of obtaining an echo from an iceberg when in dangerous
proximity to a ship should be tried. He advocated the use of automatic
sprinklers in the case of fire, the establishment of parabolic
reflectors for concentration of sound, and the further prosecution of
experiments by Professor Bell in establishing communication between
vessels some distance apart by means of interrupted electrical currents.
The improvement of navigation, he said, meant an international code of
police to improve police rules of navigation; an international code of
universal telegraphy for navigation; an international office of
meteorology and navigation to collect the studies; experiments on the
weather, on the sea, on the casualties; and the discovery by experiment
of new apparatus and appliances to diminish maritime disaster.
Pages:
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48