TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 



37 



wind at south-east, she would at first swing to the north-west, head to wind, 

 as in the diagram ; and it is necessary to remark, that both the ships and length of 

 cable, in this and the other diagrams, are unavoidably greatly exaggerated in size, in 

 proportion to the scale of the gale. 



As the whirlwind gale moves onwards in the direction of Norway, and as the wind 

 veers towards the south, the ship would swing towards the north, and whilst 

 swinging, by letting go the anchor No. 2 from the starboard bow, she would be 

 moored as in the figure. By inspecting the diagram, it will be seen, that had the 

 starboard anchor been first let go, and afterwards the port anchor, the cables would 

 cross ; but if the port anchor had been first let go, the ship would ride with what is 

 called open hawse. 



The next diagram will show that the rule just mentioned would not hold good in 



Fig. 2. 



Figure for 

 the North- 

 ern hemi- 

 sphere. 



-<-•<! 



\ i ( / ) ^ \ 



■ ,-4 



\ "-^c,^.....-"'' / 



Ship in 

 left-hand 

 side of gale. 



cases where a ship comes to anchor at the setting in of a whirlwind gale, and happens 

 to be on the opposite side of the gale's centre to that just described ; as for example in 

 the north-east storms of the Atlantic coast of North America, in which the wind 

 veers from north-east to north and north-west. In this case, if the port anchor 

 were to be the first let go, and afterwards the starboard anchor, the cables would foul 

 or cross ; and therefore the starboard anchor should in this case be the first let go, to 

 ride with open hawse, as will be best understood by considering the diagram. If a 

 whirlwind storm were moving northward, with its centre skirting the coasts of Hol- 

 land, the British Islands would be in the left-hand side of the storm, when the star- 

 board anchor should be the first let go. 



I have made two other diagrams to show what the effect of the veering of the wind 

 would be south of the equator. From these diagrams we see that ships will ride 

 with open hawse by letting go the port bower anchor first, when in the right-hand 

 side of a cyclone or whirlwind gale ; and that ihey will ride with open hawse by 

 letting go the starboard anchor first in the left-hand side of a cyclone,both in the 

 northern and southern hemispheres, notwithstanding their counter-movement north 

 and south of the equator. 



I have been here only endeavouring to point out general principles, which would 



