“Modern Seamanship.” By Austin M. Knight, Commander, U. S. Navy.
D. Van Nostrand & Co. announce a new edition of Knight’s Modern Seamanship, the two previous editions having been exhausted. It seems appropriate at this time that the Institute should take somewhat more extended note of this important work than was done when it originally
appeared.
The great difference between this and other works on seamanship is that in all former works, even those which have been revised with a view to meeting modern needs and in which some importance is attributed to steamship seamanship, square-yard seamanship still remains distinctive.
In Knight we find that steamship seamanship is distinctive and preeminent, although square-yard seamanship is still recognized sufficiently to satisfy the majority even of those whose hearts are still with the old square-riggers. But to young and active minds, intent upon mastering the details of modern seamanship, Knight’s work will commend itself as discussing every feature from the standpoint of the necessities of the modern steamship, whether it be battleship or ocean liner, cruiser or torpedo-boat destroyer.
The book is contained in 27 chapters, as follows:
Chapter I —The Hull and Fittings of a Ship.
Chapter II —Rope-Knotting and Splicing.
Chapter III —Spars and Standing Rigging.
Chapter IV —Sails and Running Gear.
Chapter V —Mechanical Appliances on Shipboard.
Chapter VI —Blocks and Tackles.
Chapter VII —Handling Heavy Weights.
Chapter VIII —The Compass, Log, and Lead.
Chapter IX —Boats.
Chapter X —Handling Boats in a Surf.
Chapter XI —Ground Tackle.
Chapter XII —Carrying Out Anchors.
Chapter XIII —The Steering of Steamers.
Chapter XIV —The Rules of the Road.
Chapter XV —Maneuvering to Avoid Collision.
Chapter XVI —Piloting.
Chapter XVII —Handling a Steamer Alongside a Dock.
Chapter XVIII —Placing a Ship in Drydock.
Chapter XIX —Weather and the Laws of Storms.
Chapter XX —Handling Steamers in Heavy Weather.
Chapter XXI —Towing.
Chapter XXII —Rescuing the Crew of a Wreck.
Chapter XXIII —Man Overboard.
Chapter XXIV —Stranding.
Chapter XXV —Making and Taking in Sail.
Chapter XXVI —Manoeuvring Under Sail.
Chapter XXVII —Getting Underway and Coming to Anchor Under Sail.
Although, as before remarked, every subject here discussed is treated from the standpoint of modern necessities, there is manifest throughout a knowledge and appreciation of the practice of former days. It is interesting to remember that it is this former day practice which has developed all of the best seamen of the present—Knight among them.
In the preparation of several of his chapters, Commander Knight was assisted by the advice of some forty prominent shipmasters of the merchant marine, who, in response to a request by him, contributed their views upon the following subjects:
I— Taking a disabled vessel in tow in bad weather.
II— Rescuing the crew of a wreck in bad weather.
III— Rescuing a man overboard.
IV— Lying to in a gale.
V— The stowage and handling of boats.
VI— Manoeuvring single screw and twin screw vessels.
VII— Floating a stranded vessel.
VIII— Handling steamers around a dock.
It is not possible to over-estimate the value of the experience of these forty shipmasters, and therefore of this book, to those who follow the sea. The results of this experience are embodied in the chapters on “Handling Steamers in Heavy Weather,” “Handling Steamers Alongside a Dock,” “Towing,” and “Rescuing the Crew of a Wreck.” It has doubtless also colored the author’s views in many other parts of the work.
It may safely be stated that the subjects above enumerated have never before been properly treated in any publication, and it is not an exaggeration to say that their treatment here leaves nothing to desire.
At the present time officers young in the service, whose naval experience has been limited to watch-standing on battleships, cruisers or gunboats, are being ordered to command torpedo-boats, tugs and tenders, and these frail craft have received many injuries while being handled around docks through the pardonable inexperience of such officers. To officers thrust suddenly into such positions, Knight’s Chapter on “Handling Steamers Alongside a Dock” should be invaluable. In this chapter the circumstances of various cases are fully discussed and illustrated by plates, the whole producing in each instance a clear and effective picture.
Another chapter which will commend itself especially to young officers commanding small craft is that on “Handling Steamers in Heavy Weather.” It is probable that, had Lieutenant Smith, R. N., who at the time of his death was commanding the Cobra, been familiar with the contents of this chapter, the frail Cobra would never have been driven into the heavy seas which broke her in two and drowned most of her crew.
The notes on the “Rules of the Road,” the chapters on “ Manoeuvring to Avoid Collision,” “The Steering of Steamers,” and “Piloting” should be of great practical help to those who must face responsibility at sea. Upon the officer of the watch devolves the tremendous duty of the safekeeping of hundreds of lives, and of property of enormous value. He needs just the sort of guidance that is offered him here. It is rather surprising that no annotation upon the Rules of the Road has ever been before attempted in a work on Seamanship. Certain features of the Rules have been discussed in pamphlets by Admiral Colomb, and there exists a small work by an English Admiralty lawyer which contains many valuable notes, but these are not within easy reach of seafaring men. The notes here given cover almost every conceivable point of possible doubt or misunderstanding. The chapter on “Manoeuvring to Avoid Collision ” should be studied point by point by every one who is or may be called upon to take charge of a ship. The section “ In a Fog ” is especially illuminating and convincing. The author effectively disposes of the fallacy that it is safer to run at high speed in a fog than to slow down, and shows by a series of novel and interesting diagrams not only why this is true, but why the manoeuvres which he recommends give the largest chance of safety when vessels are near each other in a fog.
The chapters on “Boats,” “Ground Tackles,” “Mechanical Appliances,” “Blocks and Tackles,” and “Handling Heavy Weights,” treat of these subjects from the standpoint of modern practice. On page 64 a rule is given for the calculation of the friction when using purchases in hoisting. We read here that “it is a safe general rule to increase the load by ten per cent for each sheave over which the fall leads, and then to consider that this increased load is being lifted by a frictionless purchase. Accordingly, to find the power required by the hauling part, we add the percentage for friction as above, and divide by the number of parts at the movable block.” Those who have handled heavy weights with no rule to guide them save the vague generalization “due allowance must be made for friction,” will appreciate the great value of this practical quantitative rule.
The text of the book is accompanied by 136 full-page plates, which are so clear that comprehension immediately follows examination. Careful inspection shows that every line has its meaning and that every trifling point is absolutely correct. In these illustrations every part is named, not referred to by numbers which must then be hunted up. The knots illustrated could all be made from the drawings; the plate of the midship section of a battleship makes every part as plain as if the battleship had been sawed into slices and these slices put on the stocks for public view.
The writer of this review, formerly an engineer officer, desires to state that he bought this book when it was first published, which chanced to be at a time when he was preparing for line duties and examination, and that what he has here written is based upon an intimate use of the book for the past two years, during which time it has been of great personal help whenever the advice of a seaman has been needed. It should be of particular service to all former engineers, and to all young officers, and it should be in the personal library of every officer in the service.
It is well known in the naval service that Commander Knight was requested to undertake this work by the Naval Academy authorities, and that during the three years spent in preparing it he was head of the Department of Seamanship at the Academy. But while the book was written especially for Naval Academy use, the fact that two editions have already been exhausted indicates the place it has found for itself in the estimation of the sea-going profession, both of the naval service and the merchant marine. We may content ourselves with believing that for the present it is the book on Seamanship.
E. L. Beach, Lieutenant, U. S. Navy.
“All the World’s Fighting Ships.” By Fred T. Jane. Published in the United States by Munn & Co., 361 Broadway, New York.
This book can best be described by telling what it is composed of.
It contains a photograph of every warship in the world, and also diagrams showing the guns and armor of each ship. It also gives the length, beam, draft, horse power, speed, coal capacity, number and size of guns, thickness and disposition of armor of every warship in the world.
It contains chapters, written by celebrated critics, on Shipbuilding, Strategy and Tactics, Trials and Experiments, Marine Engineering, Torpedoes, Classification of Ships, Gunnery.
The book is published at simultaneous times in England, France, America, Germany, Russia, Italy, Japan and Sweden.
It contains 394 pages with over 3000 illustrations.
"The Admiral’s Aid.” A story of Life in the New Navy. By Chaplain H. H. Clark, U. S. Navy. Lothrop Publishing Co., Boston.
The hero of Captain Clark’s new story is David Stockton, who has just been graduated from Annapolis. As read by the naval officer, the marked characteristic of this story is its faithfulness to truth, and in this respect it serves a very clearly intended purpose. An officer who has been stationed at the Naval Academy is aware of the numerous inquiries from parents of young men, and of young men themselves, hoping to enter the Naval Academy, and intensely interested in all that concerns the life of the young officer. It is apparent that the purpose of “ The Admiral’s Aid ” is to present the life as it actually is. For many people this can be well done by having this life depicted in an interesting narrative. With this evident intention, David Stockton is followed on board ship, and he is seen at various duties. The life of the young officer on board ship is faithfully depicted. From many years at sea with young officers Chaplain Clark is well capable of telling of this life, and their daily doings, social pleasures, and the life on board warships is faithfully told. These are all combined in a prettily told love story, in which the interest increases as the story proceeds.
Chaplain Clark has had many generations of naval cadets and midshipmen before him; in his book he has paid tribute to them.
The tribute paid to Chaplain Clark by naval officers of all ages is too well known to need comment here.
“A Maker of the New Orient, Samuel Robbins Brown.” By William Elliot Griffis. Published by the Fleming H. Revell Company, New Lork.
Dr. Griffis needs no introduction to the members of the Naval Institute, because of two good reasons: first, because he is a member of the Naval Institute, and we hope that this is a matter of as much satisfaction to Dr. Griffis as it is to us; and secondly, because the author of “The Mikado’s Empire,” “Corea, the Hermit Nation,” “Verbeck of Japan,” and of 17 other works, many of them books to be found in the libraries of our ships, is known wherever books in the English language are read.
A new volume has come from his pen. He has already told us much of Japan, of its history, of its government, of its people, and of its life. In “A Maker of the New Orient” he tells us of one of the men who had much to do in the creation of New Japan.
We can best understand the principles of the new life of Japan, when, after studying the people as they have been and as they are, we study the life of those men who had most to do in the creation of these principles. And this is what we have in “A Maker of the New Orient.”
Samuel Robbins Brown was one of the American pioneers in Japan. He was a minister of God, and was a true missionary to Japan when she first began to aspire to the newer Western civilization. Dr. Brown was early recognized by both Japanese and the newcomers from the west, as a man possessing great powers for the good. This brought him into contact with the great officials and the influential men of New Japan. It was in this way that Dr. Brown was truly “A Maker of the New Orient.”
This book gives most interesting details of the Japanese life at the time Japan commenced to aspire to learn of Western nations. It will find a place in the libraries of all who have visited and are interested in that delightful country.