History of the Great lakes Volume 1 - Tapa blanda

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1899 Excerpt: ...and the compass cannot be relied upon as it can upon the ocean. In many places its variations are considerable, while in all places its variation is constantly changing, and the changes it undergoes depend not only upon the regular law of changes, which may be quickly learned, but also upon the proximity of masses of ore, particularly on Lake Superior, on which lake the compass varies according to the quantity of ore in the vicinity of which it may be, but also according to the distance from the ore the vessel may be, which is constantly changing when the vessel is in motion, the only time when the compass is of use. So that a thorough lighting of the shores of the lakes, of their straits, rivers, islands and reefs, is of vital necessity to their commerce. Storms are of frequent occurrence at certain seasons of the year, and fogs prevail to such an extent as to greatly endanger the lives and property that may be on board of vessels. Then, too, the depth of water is so nearly uniform that a vessel may, while in several fathoms of water, suddenly and without the least warning, encounter steep and rocky cliffs, and in other places the bottom of the lake may be so irregular that the sounding line is entirely useless. Every appliance, therefore, and aid to navigation that has been devised is not only a necessity, but is also an economy, for the unnecessary loss of a modern freighter, to say nothing of one of the passenger boats, would be as expensive as the establishment of many lights, sirens, steam whistles and whistling buoys. Canadian Lighthouse Service. The lighthouse service of the Province of Ontario, Canada, in 1897, included 184 light stations, 235 lights, 177 keepers, 3 light ships, 2 fog whistles, 11 fog horns, 3 fog bells, 5 bell-buoys and 2 gas buoy...