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Sometimes today, navigation instructors will  propose rather implausible
scenarios for learning celestial navigation as a  backup, e.g.  "for the day when
the enemy takes out the GPS". I was  intrigued by a parallel story from 1898
of an excuse for learning the old art of  longitude by lunars.

From "The Observatory", May 1898, noting that  vessels are being captured as
prizes in the Spanish-American War, then underway,  the author of a letter to
the journal wrote:
"   I am credibly  informed that the following device is, or has been, in
existence for encouraging  the study of lunar distances by the youthful naval
officer who finds the study  distasteful owing to the complexity of the
calculations and the apparent  uselessness of the method (now that we have good
chronometers). The instructor  points out that, although in times of peace, when
chronometers are plenty, lunar  distances are at a heavy discount, yet in times of
war 'when you take a prize'  (perhaps a delicate emphasis may be laid on the
'you') 'the captain of the  magnificent vessel which surrenders will probably
throw his chronometers  overboard, and then you will be puzzled how to safely
navigate the vessel into  port. Of course there will probably be three
chronometers on your own ship, and  if it is the first occasion of her taking a
prize, it may be that one of these  can be spared for the officer put in charge.
But what is to happen in the case  of the second and third etc. prizes? They
will have to be navigated home by  lunar distances; and hence we will continue
the study of this most important  matter.' "

And the author of the letter comments:
"  There is  considerable wiliness in this argument..."

That's for sure!

He's  willing to wait for reports from actual prize captures to learn whether
this  strange set of events might occur, but he adds:
"after all to throw overboard  the chronometers of a ship you are to travel
in, though a prisoner, is rather  like cutting off your nose to save your face."

-FER
42.0N 87.7W, or  41.4N 72.1W.
www.HistoricalAtlas.com/lunars

   

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