ON THE BRIDGE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2813, 12 February 1908, Page 13

ON THE BRIDGE.

STEERING A BIG STEAMER.

Rt Will Lawson.

Eight bells chime from the bell on the fo'c's'le and are echoed below in the engine room. It is the end of the second dog-watch — i.e., 8 o'clock in the evening. In the western sky still linger the traces of the sun's departing glory. Sixteen miles away on the starboard bow the revolving light of Farewell sends its flashes over the waters at intervals of one minute. This is the first glimpse Of I\ew Zealand, and the passengers, ■weary of the sea voyage from England, watch for each reappearance of the tiny point of light which is for them a symbol of the goal they have crossed so many miles of ocean to reach. For weeks they have seen the steamer's wide wake stretching straight astern ; now, in the glittering half-lights, they see it curve very slightly as the vessel lays a course more eastward to enter Cook Strait. ■ The third officer relieves the first, who has been on the bridge four hours with a, short • respite for dinner, when the fourth relieved him. The man at the ■wheel is relieved also. He has been on duty two hours — during the second dog.watch, which covers the time between 6 and 8 o'clock, the first dog-watch being from 4 to 6. The watches at sea consist of periods of four hours each, but as this would involve each watch — the crew are divided into two watches, the port and the starboard — keeping the same hours every day and every night, and one of them always standing the hated middlewatch, from midnight till 4 in the morning, the watch from 4 to 8 p.m. is divmed into two dog-watches of two hours each. This arrangement varies the watches of tlie men. The engineers and officers are not, however, affected by it, and each lias its regular four on and four off during tL" 24 hours.

The bridge of the modern steamer is situated forward of the funnel, and extends from side to side of the ship. The front of the bridge is shielded by a canvas laced up to a line about the height of a man's chin, so that the officer on watch is protected from the wind as he paces back and forth. In the centre, the bridge has the appearance of a small promenade deck which is built over the chart room, and on this deck are the binnacle, containing the compass, and the steering wheel, so arranged that the steersman has the compass directly before him. The introduction of steam steering .gear has reduced the size of the steering ,-wheel, and no muscular effort is now (required to turn it, a£l the work of moving the heavy rudder being done by a steam engine, which is controlled by the movement of the steering wheel. The •binnacle is on a pedestal about 4ft high, and is a brass case with a glazed opening on the side next the wheel. The eomjiass is a circular card in a metal frame or bowl, which is very delicately swung so as to move freely and always maintain a horizontal position, no matlter how much the ship rolls. On th.'s card are marked the various points of the compass, and beneath it are fastened the steel .needles which point ever northward. On the inside rim of the binnacle is a black perpendicular mark, called the lubber's Tine, and as the ship is turned to port or starboard, the point of the compass which •is next to this line indicates the direction in which the (ship is steering. At either side are the binnacle lamps, which throw Sight on the card and nowhere elee, and there are also on either side balls of magnetised steel, called compensating magnets. These, by their equal and nullifying pull, prevent the masses of steel and iron in the ship's hull having any effect on the delicate needles.

When on the coast the captain sleeps in the chart room. From there a speak-ing-tube communicates with the bridge. The third officer paces quickly back and forth, at the end of each tramp casting liis eyes forward and aft, and now and then 'glancing down at the spe<fd-foam •alongside. When a man knows his ship well he can judge to half a knot what speed she is making by the colour of the froth alongside. At the stern is the patent log, consisting of a light line with a smaM propeller at its seaward end. The probeing towed astern, revolves in the rush of her wake, and this movement is communicated by the line to a clock-like contrivance attached to the steamer's after-rail. At every knot, or nautical anile, which is traversed a bell rings and a pointer indicates the number of miles traversed. ,

The look-out, is on the fo'c's'le head. •He must report -all he sees, but the officer on the watch does not rely entirely on the look-t>ut. He keeps his eye*- open, ■and he usually sees as much, and sometimes more, than the look-out. In bad weather, when the steamer is diving into the green seas, the look-out has a bad time, and is inclined to seek shelter, emerging only to strike tlie bell and cry : " All's well." In very bad weather he lis called up to the bridge and continues his vigil there.

An instance o£ an officer seeing more than the look-out occurred once on a coastal steamer. The lights of an approaching steamer were seen by the officer, but no warning cry came from the look-out. The lights came nearer, and still no cry from the fo'c's'le Then, after some moments, clear and sharp rang the voice of the Icok out. " Steamer's lights on the sta"b'd bow, £ir."' The officer took no notice. Again the man hailed ; no response ; a third time the warning rang. Then the officer spoke quietly.

"Well, you go and put the dam' things out."

The whistle of the captain's speakingtube sounds. The officer pauses in his tramp and places his ear to the tube.

"Yes. sir." he says in answer to an instruction. To the man at the wheel : ••' Port a little." The steering-wheel

moves and a pointer on a brass dial on top of the wheel-pillar moves slowly, indicating that the engine is turning the rudder-head. When the right amount of deflection has been obtained the officer says, " Steady." The wheel is reversed, and the pointer comes back to its -original position, showing that the rudder is in a straight line with the keel once more.

By this little manoeuvre the ship's head has been directed to starboard, which means to the right ; port signifying the left hand. Always when the order "Port" is given the ship turns to starboard, and vice versa. This practice is a relic of bygone days, before even steer-inij-vi heels were invented, when all ships were steered by means of a tiller. To turn the ship to starboard the rudder moves to starboard and the tiller in the reverse direction. The seamen of those days were illiterate men, and the orders were made as simple as possible. So the captain gave his orders as referring to the tiller which the steersman held in his hand. It is an example of the conservatism of the sea that nowadays, when the necessity for it has long since disappeared, the custom still prevails. The hours and half-houis are recorded by the ringing of the ship's bell, the even number of strokes at the hours and the odd strokes at the halves. Eveiy four hours eight bells are struck, and at eight bells the watches throughout the ship change. The time is kept by the apj>rentices, who strike a bell aft. The sound is echoed by the big bell forward, and the look-out chants his message to the bridge. " All's well." Sometimes the additional information, " Lights burning bright " is volunteered ; but this is not now usual, though some look-outs always do it. and a few skippers will reprimand a man for not reporting the side-lights. For some time the double flash of Stephen's Island light has been sending the* radiance of its twin stars through the night. Now the powerful light, visible on a clear night at a distance of 30 miles or more, is close at hand, the height of the tower, about 600 ft, making the light seem of astral origin.

Eight bells! "All's well." Then the order, " All aft." In answer to this call both watches — the men coming off duty and those coming from warm beds — muster below the bridge to be counted by the officer. He counts ; there are two missing. " Not all ait," he roars. Several men detach themselves from the mustered group and go in search of the absentees. Until they are found the wheel cannot be relieved, and the A.B. in charge is visibly annoyed at the delay. The procrastinators, being found, are dragged aft, and the officer counts again. This time the tally is complete ; the wheel is relieved and the new watch set, the second officer taking charge of the ship. The retirine steersman, as he makes his way forward, is heard making strict inquiries as to who kept him on the bridge five mortal minutes longer than he should have been, and vowing vengeance. It is well after midnight now. The captain visits the bridge and sets a course almost due south. The Brothers light, flashing every 10 seconds, is picked up. Gradually it draws abeam and passes astern. Then the course is altered more eastward, the Brothers being kept dead astern. The dark outlines of the Terawhiti Hills can be made out on the port side, and the tiny star of Wairau light shows to starboard. Onward the ship steams, lifting to the long swinging swell. The view of a steamer from her bridge is the best view that can be had. One sees her as a complete entity. The high bows lift and &ink ; the stern, teasing out always the streaming wake, swings •up and down in ceaseless rhythm, and her smoking funnel, short and squat, as seen in the dim light, seems to give the ship personality. The lights of a small steamer come into view, the fact being immediately reported by the look-out. " Steamer's lights, sir."' "All rif,ht," the officer replies. A porpoise breaks the ocean's surface into phosphorescent gleams. Another follows, and another, the drumming of the big propellers attracting them. The steamer whose lights were reported passes, and then the steady white beams of PoncaiTow appear as Sinclair Head recedes with the southward movement of the ship. The order now is '" Starboard." The vessel's head swings shoreward, and she steers toward Pencarrow and the first faint lights which are the precmsens of the dawn. The low level light at Pencarrow shows, followed by the red light on gomes Island. As the steamer moves eastward the island light gleams white. This is the leading light into Port Nicholson, and it throws its beams 10 miles out to sea, lighting the entrance. The light must be kept white until the wharf lights are made out. To port, the light shows red, to starboard green, and on either hand there are rocks and shoals.

The entire crew is turned out when making port. The officers whose watch it is below are called, the chief with the message : " Captain's compliments, sir, and will you please get your anchors ready?" But the calling is unnecessary, for the telegraph rings down in the engine room its message : " Stand by," and its jangle wakens the deck officers. The third mounts to the bridge to work the telegraph. The first goes foiward and, with some of his men, clears the anchors in readiness for anchoring. Ihe second is on the bridge as officer of the watch ; the fourth is on duty aft. The captain stands on the starboard side of the bi-idge, near which is the telegraph — a circular bias« drum with a dial on either side, set on a pedestal similar to that of the binnacle. On each side is a pointer, and abene it is the handle which operate* the chains and wires that convey the orders to the engine room. "Half speed," the captain says. The third, whose hand has not left the

handle, pulls it down towards him, throws it right over in the reveise ciirection. and brings it to rest opposite the printed words "Half ahead." The bells can be heard pealing m the engine room below. Then in the drum of the telegraph a ■whirring sound is heard, and the pointer moves to '' Half ahead." This is the answering signal to notify that the order has attention. The chief hails the bridge :

" All clear, s>li."

The lights of Wellington are visible now, pale in the growing daylight. An early locomotive vents its displeasure in shrill whistling, and the Post OfiVc clock is booming out the hour. Dead slow, the st-eamer creeps in to her anchorage. All the swing dud Jiid freshness of tile sea is gone and in its place there is a quietness which cloys by its comparative homeline. c j5.

The telegraph peals " Stop," " Slow astern." The anchor is poised, its snaky folds of chain cable lie in the locker below ready to rush through the hawsepipe.

"Let go."

There is a splash and a humming roar from the out-flying chain. The big ship swings round, head to the gentle southerly breeze, and the rising sun wakes the sleeping town into a confused murmur which Trill grow anon to a low deep roar.