Magnetic Island of Bornholm

Te Aroha News, Volume XIV, Issue 2072, 29 January 1898, Page 2

Magnetic Island of Bornholm

A most phenomenal island is that of Bornhohn, in the Baltic, belonging to the kingdom of Denmark,. It is famous for its geological peculiarities, consisting as it does, almost entirely of magnetite, and its magnetio influence is not only- very well known to the navigators of those waters, but also much feared by them, on account of its influence on the magnetic needles, which makes the steering of a ship correctly a matter of much difficulty. In fact, this influence is felt even at a distance of miles, and so palpably that, on the island being sighted by mariners on the Baltic, they at once discontinue steering their course by the needle, and turn, instead, to the wellknown lighthouses and other holds to direct their craft. Between Bornhohn and the mainland there is alsa a bank of rock under water, which is very dangerous to navigation, and because of its being constantly submerged vessels have been frequently wrecked at that point. The peculiar fact in this case is that the magnetic influence of this ore bank is so powerful that a magnetic needle suspended freely in a boat over the bank will point down, and, if not disturbed, will remain in a perfectly perpendicular line.