Northland (1939) -- Discussion: Questions, Comments and Coordination

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Randi
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Northland (1939) -- Discussion: Questions, Comments and Coordination

Post by Randi »

NARA URLJPG LinkLocationSector
https://catalog.archives.gov/id/7284541 January
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Non Arctic
Non Arctic
Non Arctic
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https://catalog.archives.gov/id/7284542 July
August
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Non Arctic
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On the weather page, please enter: date, locations, distances, courses, and all the weather data in the columns outlined in red in the spreadsheet.
It is not necessary to record Sea Conditions or Swells from.
However, ice mentioned in the weather grid should be transcribed using the magenta Sea columns.

On the events page please enter: ice, location information, and sailing information.
Aurorae and volcanic activity should also be reported.
Other events are optional.

One person can do both weather and events (Stream 1), but the system also allows one person to do the weather page (Stream 1) and a second person to do the events page (Stream 3).
Unlike in OW3, where three transcriptions were required for each page, we are doing only one transcription per page.

Every transcriber needs to enter the date.
The date is used to organize the pages.
(If one transcriber does events and weather and they are in the same image, the date is only entered once.)



OW web site: Northland

Direct links:
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Randi
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Re: Northland (1939) -- Discussion: Questions, Comments and Coordination

Post by Randi »

Hanibal94 wrote:Wed Feb 26, 2020 8:48 pm On July 29th, the Northland encountered a hurricane!
https://catalog.archives.gov/OpaAPI/med ... 32_035.jpg

At 10:15 AM, they first heard about it from another ship and made preparations - but it looks like it was already too late, as they really got hit hard!
Several injuries to the crew, one lifeboat lost entirely, several other boats and launches damaged, and many other bits of gear/supplies lost or damaged:
https://catalog.archives.gov/OpaAPI/med ... 32_036.jpg
https://catalog.archives.gov/OpaAPI/med ... 32_037.jpg
https://catalog.archives.gov/OpaAPI/med ... 32_038.jpg

All in all, this is the scariest thing I have ever encountered in the logs. I can't imagine what it must have been like for everyone on the ship.

It appears this was "Tropical Cyclone Four" of the 1939 Pacific season - the date and location from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1939_Paci ... ane_season match.

Randi wrote:Wed Feb 26, 2020 9:02 pm I notified the science team.

It must have shaken them up pretty thoroughly since for that day and the next it says NORTH ATLANTIC at the top rather than NORTH PACIFIC :o

Hanibal94 wrote:Sat Feb 29, 2020 1:15 pm On August 6th, the Northland got to Balboa in the Canal Zone.

The next day, two of those injured in the hurricane left the ship for X-rays (9 AM):
https://catalog.archives.gov/OpaAPI/med ... 32_054.jpg

Then they went through the canal on the 8th:
https://catalog.archives.gov/OpaAPI/med ... 32_055.jpg

And received some new boats, to replace those lost/damaged in the hurricane, on the 10th (at 7:15 AM), as well as exiting the canal:
https://catalog.archives.gov/OpaAPI/med ... 32_057.jpg

Hanibal94 wrote:Sun Mar 01, 2020 7:41 pm While arriving in Boston on August 19th, they ran aground! (05:08)
https://catalog.archives.gov/OpaAPI/med ... 32_066.jpg

Took about seven hours before they got free. Bet there were a lot of :-[ that day.

Michael wrote:Sun Mar 01, 2020 8:04 pm Storis did the same in Chesapeake Bay. It was very foggy, and it took them about 20 hours to get off the sand bar. Funny thing about fog, you can't see things. There was no mention in their log if they had their radar turned on or not.

Quite a number of years ago the Canadian Navy was taking part in an anti-submarine warfare exercise in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. It was very foggy and they turned off ALL their electronics so the sub wouldn't know where they were. Mind you, with their radar turned off, the destroyer didn't know where the tanker or container ship or whatever kind of ship it was until they rammed it. ::) :-[

Hanibal94 wrote:Wed Mar 04, 2020 9:26 pm September done and uploaded. She spent a while in Boston, then went to Staten Island and Berkeley, Virginia, before heading through the Caribbean to a certain canal.
On to October.

One interesting thing: On this page at 0625, they mention only being able to see a lighthouse due to a mirage.
https://catalog.archives.gov/OpaAPI/med ... 32_117.jpg
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Randi
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Re: Northland (1939) -- Discussion: Questions, Comments and Coordination

Post by Randi »

Hanibal94 wrote:Sat Mar 07, 2020 1:11 pm While heading back to California, she has been changing time zones.
When that happens, there is one WR which seems to contain two hours of measurements, such as 9 AM here:
https://catalog.archives.gov/OpaAPI/med ... 32_133.jpg

"Miles" is obviously the sum of the two hours, but I have no idea how they determine the rest - arithmetic average? Median average? Something else?

Michael wrote:Sat Mar 07, 2020 3:05 pm I'm not sure what they do. In the old days they used to write both values in the same row, with one above the other. Usually values don't change all that much hour from hour and, in the end, it doesn't make any difference for the climate models. Looking at the pressure data, I would guess they entered the first 9 AM values and ignored the second ones. The pressure going 29.91, 29.91, 29.94, 29.94 for 8, 9, 10 and 11. The second 9 AM value was probably 29.92 or 29.93.

On this page, they changed at midnight and made an extra line. I just did like your people on Northland. I summed the two distances and took the first value for midnight. They did the same for two other time changes.

ggordon wrote:Sat Mar 07, 2020 5:56 pm In 1935 the Northland handled time changes by making multiple time changes every few hours throughout the day. They were not consistent though. Over the course of the year they used 15, 20, and 30 minute adjustments. In most, but not all, cases they did not make the time change on the hour, apparently to avoid going through an hour twice or skipping an hour.

That approach avoided the need to be concerned about entries in the weather section. There was only a single entry for each hour, although the distance entered did not represent exactly an hour.

Michael wrote:Sat Mar 07, 2020 8:56 pm Bear 1921 did the same thing. They weren't consistent in which hour they chose to make the adjustment, nor the size of the adjustment.

Hanibal94 wrote:Sun Mar 08, 2020 9:27 pm On October 14th, the Northland received a call for assistance from the SS Point Palmas and set off to find her:
https://catalog.archives.gov/OpaAPI/med ... 32_138.jpg

Then around 2300 the next day, she found her:
https://catalog.archives.gov/OpaAPI/med ... 32_139.jpg

And started towing her early the next morning:
https://catalog.archives.gov/OpaAPI/med ... 32_140.jpg

This went on until the 19th, when she let the Point Palmas go:
https://catalog.archives.gov/OpaAPI/med ... 32_144.jpg

It doesn't say why, at least as far as I can tell. Maybe they had repaired her by then? EDIT: At 16:12, they were relieved of towing by another ship, the Itasca. Thanks Randi!

Hanibal94 wrote:Mon Mar 09, 2020 6:59 pm Another case of seeing lighthouses only due to mirage, in the 4AM - 8AM paragraph:
https://catalog.archives.gov/OpaAPI/med ... 32_147.jpg
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Randi
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Re: Northland (1939) -- Discussion: Questions, Comments and Coordination

Post by Randi »

Michael wrote:Sun Mar 22, 2020 12:07 am Here are the details on the 1939 Hurricane noted by Hanibal earlier. The description in the logs was so vivid, I couldn't help but transcribe it for your elucidation and enjoyment! ::)

Saturday, July 29th
Noon position: 17 44N, 103 18W
1015 Received information from S.S. Hanley (position 30 miles southeast Northland) of hurricane force winds. Immediately commenced battening down, double lashings on all deck gear, secured ship throughout. Changed course to 150 true. Wind rising rapidly form North, barometer falling steadily. 1130 Winds hauling from North to East, increasing to Force 12 at 1150. Maneuvering vessel to keep wind on port bow in order that she work offshore. Vessel rolling deeply.

1200-1600 Steering generally south with winds at hurricane strength from southeast on port bow, at various speeds in effort to maintain control of vessel which was rolling heavily. 1200 Forward radio receiving antenna carried away. 1210 Port lifeboat stongback broken by sea and boat finally secured by deck force after much difficulty. 1314 Starboard lifeboat struck by seas on down roll, strongback broken, gunwales crushed, boat overturned by wind. Since it was evidently impossible to secure this boat without hazard or serious injury to personnel, the Commanding Officer ordered it cut adrift. Between 1300 and 1500 the hurricane reached maximum force with winds estimated at 120 m.p.h. in gusts. Anemometer indicator needle stayed steadily against the stop at maximum reading of 90 m.p.h., indicating the lowest velocity to be well above 90 m.p.h. Barometer dropped steadily to a minimum reading of 28.40 at 1400. Maximum roll 65 degrees to either side by clinometer reading on bridge. Mountainous seas swept vessel breaking over bridge and boat deck. A considerable amount of water was taken into vessel through ventilation system, intakes, engine room ventilators and compartment vents, the covers of which had been carried away. One sea broke over motor launch driving cradle pad through the hull. All searchlight covers, boat covers, bridge weather cloths, and ventilator covers were whipped to shreds and carried away. Water breaking through bridge deck and through doors of radio room put all radio apparatus temporarily out of commission. 1500 Encountered unusually heavy rainstorm. Wind and sea subsided and barometer rapidly rose. Vessel placed on southwesterly course at various speeds, attempting to find most comfortable position while extent of damage was being ascertained. A further detailed list of damages sustained is appended. During the period of the storm the following personnel injuries were sustained: (List of eight crew and their injuries). Numerous other members of the crew sustained minor cuts and bruises.
The list of damages.

Michael wrote:Sun Mar 22, 2020 11:24 pm The voyage for 1939 has been calculated, and you can see it here.

Bravo, Hanibal!!!

I have overlooked the fact that Hanibal drove the Northland onto a sand bar on his way into Boston Harbor because:
  1. He did a super job transcribing;
  2. He avoided the Inside Passage;
  3. He got the ship safely through a typhoon with winds up to 120 mph; and,
  4. He towed the SS Point Palmas, which had lost her propeller, 287.6 nautical miles until a tug could take over.
This also may be the longest voyage we've processed thus far, but I haven't done the calculations for all the others.

Distance: 12,135.8 naut. miles
Time: 1,422 hours
Avg Spd: 8.5 knots
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