CARNEGIE BURNT

Hokitika Guardian, 3 December 1929, Page 6

CARNEGIE BURNT

GREAT LOSS TO SCIENCE

(By Telegraph—Press Association)

WELLINGTON, Dec. 2

Dr Kidson and Afr A. Thomson, late of the- Apia Observatory, pay a tribute- to Captain Ault, of the yacht Carnegie, whom they knew intimately, they having both sailed with lihn in the Carnegie. Dr Tv id.son said that Captain Au.lt was well acquainted with all parts of the world. He was a fine officer, and an indefatigable worker., with a knack of getting the kept out of those under his command.

Dr Kidson said: “The loss of the Carnegie was a serious blow to science. The huge expenditure, made on her and her equipment has been justified by the results. Her equipment was far in advance of anything previously and it included some quite new apparatus for the. measurement of gravity. The loss: of the equipment was itself a ''severe blow, and it was quite likely that it would be impossible to replace tile Carnegie.”..-

C A KM ROTE’S M ANY .VOYAGES?, i ■ Vi Disaster has overtaken the Carnegie on her seventh world cruise. For twenty years this staunch little brigantine has cruised in every Quarter of the globe in the interest of science. The work carried out has been of untold value to naviagtors, besides supplying scientists with a great deal of valuable information concerning terrestrial magnetism and kindred subjects.

Since the day that she was launched she has been under the command of Captain -T. P. Ault, a marine scientist of high repute, whose works have made him famous."* On three previous occasions she ha;j visited Lyttelton—in 1915. again in 1916 when she circumnavigated the world in 117 days, and once more in 1920. She was due there again from Apia on January 10, and alter refitting here, was to have sailed for Cape Town, where she was due on April 20. One of the principal subjects for which the vessel was used was the study of the declination of the compass. There are constant changes in variation in many parts of the world, and the scientists on board this vessel conducted much research work in ascertaining the amount of the variations. The vessel worked in' conjunction with land stations throughout the world, one of these being the Magnetic Observatory at Christchurch, where regular observations are taken.

Without the results of the observations’ at Christchurch and other land stations the work of the vessel would have been extremely limited. The Carnegie is rigged as a barquentine, and is constructed of wood, as metal would interfere with the accuracy of the observations which are necessary. She was built in 1909 to replace the ship Galilee, which had been used previously for this work by the Department of Terrestrial Magnetism of the Carnegie Institute at Washington.