Old Weather Forum

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On the weather page, please enter: date, locations, knots, fathoms, courses steered, and all the weather data in the columns outlined in red in the spreadsheet.
If the ship is not moving (e.g., at anchor), knots, fathoms, and courses steered do not need to be transcribed. In that case, the course is usually the ship's heading.

On the events page please enter: location information, sailing information, and any mentions of ice.
In general there is no need to include comments about the weather unless there is something unusual or extreme.
Comments about problems with or changes of the weather instruments are very rare but should be noted.
Aurorae, volcanic, and seismic activity should be reported in the forum.
The names of US Navy and Coast Guard ships met should be transcribed, but if they are seen on the following days they don't have to be transcribed again. You can include all ships mentioned in a single entry without a time or any additional data. This gives the science team a chance to compare weather readings.
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 2).

Every page needs to have a date. The date is used to organize the pages.

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See Tuscarora: general for some general background and discussion.
See Tuscarora: examples for a quick introduction to transcribing or a refresher.

See Transcribing Guide to learn how to transcribe the data.
Post in Ask Questions Here or this topic if you have questions.

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Reserving this as well

As well.

Been seeing a couple of references to what looks like "Darien expedition" while anchored off Panama

e.g. 1600-2000 watch on this page

https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorag ... 25-058.JPG

The Darien scheme I am aware of was from ~170 years before (also in reference to Panama), and I have not been able to find anything on what this expedition could be about

There seem to have been several expeditions.

Another Route to the Pacific

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Additional articles (found before the article above):

https://www.americasquarterly.org/article/the-darien-gaps-fearsome-reputation-has-been-centuries-in-the-making/ wrote:In 1854 a U.S. expedition disappeared for 49 days in the jungle, battling starvation and insanity. Its leader, naval officer Isaac Strain, concluded the mountains made Darién “utterly impractical” for a canal. In 1870 the U.S. tried again, with an expedition team of over 100 men, an arsenal of the era’s most modern surveying equipment and a telegraph cable rolled out all the way to New York. But “in spite of the most careful preparations,” wrote captain Thomas Selfridge, “the expedition also depended upon extraordinary persistence and willingness to endure hardships.”

https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=DAC18700515 ... IN--------


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Ol ... lfridge_Jr.

In 1870, while in command of the first of these ships, he led an expedition to Panama, surveying the landscape for a route that could be used for a canal. He also conducted subsequent expeditions to this area later in 1870 and again 1873. Although the route he proposed was not actually used for the Panama Canal, his work did show that Darien was not a good choice, thus narrowing down the construction possiblities.

https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorag ... 25-074.JPG

Comdr Selfridge mentioned at 0445

Comdr Selfridge left the ship in 2d Cutter for Cupica Bay. Lt Sullivan left the ship to make a reconoisance over the Chiri-chiri Trail

29th of March, anchored in Chirichiri Bay, spent several months anchored here supporting the Selfridge expedition (save for a brief trip back to Panama)

Even today this looks like a very remote area

James Turner (Sea Ex) was reported missing a while and numerous search parties were sent to look for him over several days and were unsuccessful at finding any trace of him.


https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorag ... 25-128.JPG

1000 James Turner (Sea Ex) was brought to the ship by the natives in a canoe from Capico having been absent 35 days. 21 days were passed in the woods attempting to reach the beach when he was picked up by the natives of Capico. The remainder of the time was passed at the house of the native recuperating. Upon his return to the ship a reward of $20 was paid for his finding and bringing him on board

Arrived in Panama at the end of the expedition and on the 7th May

https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorag ... 25-167.JPG

1230 Firing commenced at the fort ashore

1200-1600 Irregular firing with musket continuing ashore at end of watch. Made preparations for sending party of men and marines ashore

At 1642 Flag ship made signal army code. "Have your boats with men ready to go ashore when ~ come". At 1700 Flag ship made signal, army code, "Force will not land until further orders". At 1715 We made signal, army code " Ala~ flag is up ashore" At 1720 Flag ship made signal, army code "Stand by to go ashore at once". 1745 Sent a party of ashore consisting of ten (10) men, twelve (12) marines one (1) Orderly Sergeant, in charge of Lt. Comdr Jewell and Mister Southerland. Two boats with armed men were sent from the Flagship. 1845 Flag Ship made signal, army code, "Prepare to send howitzers and twenty (20) men ashore at 10 oclock" Detached twenty (20) men and made preparations to send howitzers and armed crew ashore in Launch. Constant fire of musketry and cannon on shore during entire watch

At 2200 sent one Launch ashore, in tow of Pensacola's steam Launch, with howitzers and twenty (20) men. Sent Lt. Hubbard (in charge) and Mister Galt. Constant fire of musketry on shore during entire watch

Stay safe!!!

https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorag ... 28-083.JPG

They are leaving San Francisco and are starting to take water temperature measurements

They have added extra columns so they have water temperature at surface and under the surface and number of casts

Under surface temperatures have multiple values presumably take at different depths?

What do I do with this?

Just enter the surface water temperatures. When I send the data to the science team, I'll advise them about the other values. Mind you, without knowing the depth, they're probably not worth much.

They do appear to quote some depths on the events page

It looks like they are using something called Thomson's apparatus (possibly this https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelvite_s ... prov=sfla1) with sand cup attachment to measure the depth at certain points and they give the values for each measurement (737 fathoms at 9am for example)

If they have depths, you could put it in as an Event/Other/Ocean. That's probably the best solution.

Spending the latter part of the year sailing around the North Pacific stopping for a couple of hours every few hours to take depth soundings, not always clear when they are stopping and when they are starting again

I had that with Tuscarora 1861 and 62. It's good to see that the tradition carries on.

Finished, good luck

Thanks, I'll get to it when I finish processing Yantic 1870. It has problems, too.

The voyage for 1873 has been expertly completed by Joke_Slayer. The log-keepers were very negligent, luckily our transcribers have much higher standards. You can see a plot of the voyage here and, for more detail, you can download the KML file and view it with Google Earth. There were many mentions of people, you can read about them here.


These are the weather statistics for this voyage:

Weather Element	Records
DirT	8,744
Kts	8,679
Baro	8,731
Attd	8,733
Dry	8,731
Wet	8,718
Water	2,194
Weather	8,720
Clouds	8,725
Clear	8,685
Total	80,660

Tuscarora travelled a total of 12,612 miles.

One other statistic: this transcription put our total number of transcribed pages for this part of the OW project over the 75,000 mark!!!