Old Weather Forum

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On the weather page, please enter: date, locations, distances (nautical miles and tenths), courses, and all the weather data in the columns outlined in red in the spreadsheet.
It is not necessary to record State of the Sea.
However, ice mentioned in the weather grid should be transcribed using the magenta Sea column.

On the events page please enter: ice, location information, and sailing information.
Aurorae, volcanic, and seismic activity should be reported in the forum.
The names of US Navy and Coast Guard ships met should be noted. This gives the science team a chance to compare weather readings. You can include all ships mentioned in a single entry without a time or any additional data.
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.

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See Lackawanna: general for some general background and discussion.
See Lackawanna: 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.

Tracker
Spreadsheet
File Upload
Transcription Status

Please reserve Jan and February 1873 for me.

DOne.

I was thinking along the lines of transcribing March of 1873, but I'm having a rough time reading the handwriting and I'm not confident that I'll get every thing. Is this to be expected or should I just stick with the typed entries for the time being?

It is to be expected. Handwriting can be difficult but, after a while with the same log-keeper it will get easier to read. We're always glad to help decipher things but, if you're more comfortable working on typed logs, just let Randi find you a good batch.

The transition to older, handwritten logs is a bit of a shock, but I think they are a lot more interesting once you get used to them.

Feel free to do another month or so of Sacramento.

Or, since March 1 is a bit confusing due to the inserts, start with March 2: https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorag ... 13-136.JPG
At the top At Sea, Making passage to "Hongkong" is an example of the long S (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_s).
I have transcribed the first watch to help you get familiar with the writing, but there is nothing there that actually needs to be transcribed.
Commences + until 4 A.M.
At 3.00 hauled up Foresail + down Main Topmast staysail, at 3.40
took in fore + aft sail. Weather clear + mild. Sea smooth, swell from NE'd.
Breeze at first from NE'd. Calm at end of watch. Steam 19 lbs, Revolutions
41. Temp of Bunkers 90°.

Also, I will be happy to work with you via PMs or email (moderatorcaro@gmail.com)

Okay, I'll give Lackawanna March, 1873 a try and see how it goes. Could you reserve it for me, or is that something the transcribers normally do?

Just put your name in the Tracker for March.
You fill in the ✓ column when you have uploaded the page.

February 1873 is complete.

Please reserve June part 2 - beginning with June 10, 1873 for me.

Thanks.

Just put your name in the Tracker

June (part 2) is part of the spreadsheet volume 14, not volume 15 as shown in the tracker. Images go well beyond the 11 provided in the tracker. Can you look at this?

I was pretty confused myself when I first looked at the tracker!

It is because we have both Rough and Smooth logs for part of this year.
The smooth log is a copy of the original, rough, log.
The rough logs stay with the ship until it is decommissioned.
The smooth logs are sent to Naval headquarters when possible (like when they get to a US base).

Randi wrote: ↑Tue Jun 21, 2022 6:29 pm

NARA URL	JPG Link	General area(s)
https://catalog.archives.gov/id/169755016	January February March April May June (1-5)	India Malaysia Singapore Thailand Chochin China (Vietnam) Philippines Hong Kong China Hong Kong Japan
https://catalog.archives.gov/id/169755285	June (6-9)	Japan
https://catalog.archives.gov/id/183328442 †	June (10-30) July August September October November December (1-14)	Japan China Japan Russia Japan
https://catalog.archives.gov/id/169755285	December (15-22)	Japan
https://catalog.archives.gov/id/167186460	December (23-31)	Japan

^†NARA lists this as the Smooth Log. However the log itself says Rough Log and watches are signed by
the log keepers. To avoid possible copy errors, we are using this one. If you have trouble reading
it, refer to the corresponding day in https://catalog.archives.gov/id/169755285

Please use the structure given in the Tracker.
It looks like Michael's spreadsheet matches the Tracker.
If you have any problems or questions, don't hesitate to ask!

I'm still confused. The Tracker for June (part 2) gives this file name.

https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorag ... 15-011.JPG

But the LibreOffice spreadsheet says that I've transcribed from Index 14 and I'm currently up to image 16.This info has been uploaded already.

If I'm understanding the tracker link properly, then it seems like I should be using Index 15 not data from Index 14. And I already have more images than what Michael has in the tracker.

You're confused. I'm confused! I'm trying to sort out what's going on here. I'll let you know when I get it sorted.

HI Ellen. I suggest you take a break and Randi and I will try and sort it out. It just keeps getting more complicated.


OK. I entered the type of page in the trackers for June Part 2 and Part 3. That made things a little more clear. It looks like the entries in the tracker for June Part 2 were not quite right.


The end of June part 1 Index 13 Image 266 for June 5^th on this image:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorag ... 13-266.JPG

Part 2: Index 14 image numbers as in the list.

1. Cover
2. Title page
3. Directions for keeping log
4. Directions for keeping log
5. List of crew and officers
6. Armament
7. Compass deviations
8. June 6
9. June 7
10. June 8
11. June 9

June 6: https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorag ... 15-008.JPG
June 9: https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorag ... 15-011.JPG

Part 3: Index 15 image numbers as in the list

1. Cover
2. Title page
3. Armament
4. Compass deviations and June 9 Events.
5. June 10 Weather and Event pages

June 10: https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorag ... 16-005.JPG

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I looked a few pages on for Part 3, and I saw the mix-up of the dates. I also looked at the logs for Part 2, and I see they go from June 6 to Dec 22. My feeling is that we should stay with those logs.

There are two pages for June 8: one in Part 2 and one in Part 3. They both appear to have the same weather. I just looked at 0100 for Baro, TA and TT.
There are three pages for June 12: one in Part 2 and two in Part 3. The page in Part 2 corresponds to Page 7 in Part 3. The data on Page 9, which says June 12, is different. That corresponds to the weather in Part 2 on Page 11 for June 9.


I am going to take a break, and download the images so I can look at them more easily. Back in a while, or it may be tomorrow. I have an appointment later today.

Normally I prefer to use the original logs rather than the copies since there are no added errors, but in this case that seems to be making things too complicated.

I will update the tracker.

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The tracker has been updated

Now Michael has to update his spreadsheet

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HI Randi,

Sorry, I have just got back, and although it is late, I had time to download the images.

For Part 3, images 5 and 6 for the 10^th and 11^th are OK. Page 7 which says the 12^th is OK. Page 8, which says June 8^th is OK. Page 9, which says June 12^th is really June 9^th. After that, the dates on the pages seem OK. (Although, I only looked a few days ahead.)

Checking the uploaded files, the ones for the 8^th, 10^th and 11^th are OK. You have uploaded two for the 12^th. The first one is OK, and the second one is for the 9^th. I will edit it to correct the date tomorrow morning, so there is nothing you have to do.

Your files through to the 18^th are OK.

So, I suggest you just carry on from here. Poor Randi will have to put the trackers back, but it will be less work than changing the spreadsheet, and it will have the benefit of having the rough logs.

Michael

I completed and uploaded Lackawanna 1873 March. Also updated the tracking sheet.

Sorry for all the confusion, EShane!

In the table above I had indicated that the smooth log should be used for June 8 and 9 to avoid the mess at the beginning of the rough log, but I failed to explain that in the tracker. Also, I failed to realize how far the problems with the rough log went.

It's all good now. I see you uploaded the file for June 18. You're over the bad patch. I updated the entries in the Tracker for you, and I changed the date in the XML file for the "other" June 12, as it was really for June 9^th. It happens every now and then.

I just finished a log that had the pages for the 16^th and then 15^th. These dates were crossed out to show the 15^th then 16^th, and then crossed out again showing the 16^th and 15^th. You can often, but not always, sort out the order by carefully looking at the sequence of the data. I try to see which page makes more sense to follow the 14^th and which one makes more sense before the 17^th. If you run into something like that again, just TWYS and I'll try to sort it out later on.