On the Sea

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVII, Issue 40, 17 June 1915, Page 5

On the Sea

ON THE COAST OF SCOTLAND. (Received 8.25 a.rn. ) 'London, June 16. The Norwegian steamer Davager was submarined off Lewis, and the crew landed at Storonoway. SWEDISH STEAMER SUNK. Copenhagen, June 16. The Swedish steamer Verdandi, timber laden, was sunk by a submarine off Christiania. The crew were saved. Longshore folk have peculiar ideas of sea distances, and the limits of sailor men’s vision. Frequently one is assailed by such questions as—“ What are our ships doing thet they allow these German submarines to do all this mischief ?” If anyone wants to learn for himself how far under the most favorable conditions a look-out can see, he should study a map of, let us say, the Pacific. Let him then (states a Sydney writer) go up to the top of the South Head, and put a pinhole on the map to represent the signal station. Having done this, let him look seaward, and ask the nearest signalman how far off the horizon is. He will perhaps be surprised to hear that it is only about ten miles away, and, even so, he could only see that fur on a clear day. Then let him put a ten-mile circle to scale on his map, and ho will discover the limit of vision from the South Head. The height of an average cruiser’s masthead is less than the height of the South Head, but the casual visitor would find it difficult, even with the aid of a pair of good glasses, to pick up the periscope of a submarine at a distance of one mile! The submarine could pick up a ship at two or three miles, and at a distance of one mile would stand a good chance of getting her with her torpedo.