Whistles
- Thread starter knightprowl
- Start date
I see this part of the Hudson from my office window in Jersey City. Some comments.
The ESB and Chrysler are in Midtown. They're not visible in this video.
It's actually closer to a mile wide, about 5,000 feet or so.
That's about right, although depending on the angle the camera was pointed, it could be a bit north of there, in the Paulus Hook/Exchange Place area shown on the map. The Woolworth Building is a directly across from Exchange Place and a bit north of the World Trade Center, which isn't in the photos you posted. The CRR terminal is south of there.
Sorry Mark, but according to the rastar marine chart, at my first location the Hudson is 0.46nm or 2,796.8 ft and at the good one, the Hudson is 0.69nm or 4,195.2 ft.
Remember that the Hudson shown in the video is wider than the Hudson as it is now Everything west of West Street, which is shown on the map Aaron posted, is landfill added to lower Manhattan beginning in the 1960's-70's as part of the construction of the World Trade Center.
Good point Mark! I agree that the channel was close to 5,000 feet wide. The Olympic would have then been filmed from a distance of 5 to 6 cables off. Hoping not to be wrong again ! 
No problem, Georges. We're all wrong sometimes.
;-)
Much of the land on both sides of the Hudson in that area is fill, to the point that FEMA's map of the Hurricane Sandy flooding in downtown Jersey City almost exactly matched maps from the 1700's. What was dry land then did not flood; what was under water then (either always or sometimes, depending on the tide) flooded.
;-)
Much of the land on both sides of the Hudson in that area is fill, to the point that FEMA's map of the Hurricane Sandy flooding in downtown Jersey City almost exactly matched maps from the 1700's. What was dry land then did not flood; what was under water then (either always or sometimes, depending on the tide) flooded.
Idk, the video, but at the time of Olympic the fairway opposite the Chelsea piers was 2,750ft across before the proposed extension of the piers in order to accommodate the Olympic class vessels (which was never really done, just 100ft floating docks tagged onto the piers), and the Aquitania, which limited the width to 2,650ft.
That's the distance between the pierhead lines, not the shorelines, and a fair distance north of downtown. The river's wider downtown.
That must have been quite a whistle symphony to berth such a vessel to one on these constricted docks with the assistance of 5 or more tugs!!!
Whistle signals to be used between tug and tow
a) Signals to or from a towing vessel ahead:
Tow ahead – one prolonged blast followed by three short blasts.
Tow to port bow – one prolonged blast followed by two short blasts
Tow to starboard bow – one prolonged blast followed by one short blast.
Cease tow – one prolonged blast followed by six short blasts in succession.
b) Signals to or from towing vessel astern:
Tow astern – three short blasts.
Tow to port quarter – two short blasts.
Tow to starboard quarter – one short blast.
Cease tow – six short blasts in succession.
c) Signals to all towing vessels:
Hold in position – one prolonged blast followed by one short blast followed by one prolonged blast followed by one short blast.
Let go – one prolonged blast followed by two short blasts followed by one prolonged blast.
Whistle signals to be used between tug and tow
a) Signals to or from a towing vessel ahead:
Tow ahead – one prolonged blast followed by three short blasts.
Tow to port bow – one prolonged blast followed by two short blasts
Tow to starboard bow – one prolonged blast followed by one short blast.
Cease tow – one prolonged blast followed by six short blasts in succession.
b) Signals to or from towing vessel astern:
Tow astern – three short blasts.
Tow to port quarter – two short blasts.
Tow to starboard quarter – one short blast.
Cease tow – six short blasts in succession.
c) Signals to all towing vessels:
Hold in position – one prolonged blast followed by one short blast followed by one prolonged blast followed by one short blast.
Let go – one prolonged blast followed by two short blasts followed by one prolonged blast.
After some digging, the Engineering and Contracting Vol. 43 (1915) places the smallest width at 2,725ft and the largest at 5,400ft.
The Report of the Chief of Engineers US Army prt.1 (1912) reads:
The width of the river in this section, measured to the Manhattan shore, 3,900 feet, gradually decreasing to 2,750 feet at West Fifty-ninth Street; then widening to 5,400 feet at Spuyten Dnyvil Creek, whence it maintains a uniform width to the northern boundary of New York City.
Of course these are well before the video, and I cannot find any figures closer to the video, but its a ball park, right along with what was mentioned.
The Report of the Chief of Engineers US Army prt.1 (1912) reads:
The width of the river in this section, measured to the Manhattan shore, 3,900 feet, gradually decreasing to 2,750 feet at West Fifty-ninth Street; then widening to 5,400 feet at Spuyten Dnyvil Creek, whence it maintains a uniform width to the northern boundary of New York City.
Of course these are well before the video, and I cannot find any figures closer to the video, but its a ball park, right along with what was mentioned.
Is it known what note/pitch (I apologize, I'm not too well educated on audio terms ><) each whistle dome approximately played?
I was wondering how they blew the whistles? Are there a switch on the bridge or something?[/QUOTE]
The three domes are 9in., 15in., and 12in. in diameter. The total height from the base of the branch piece to the top of the centre dome is 4ft. 2½in., and the extreme width over the outer dome is 3ft. 6in. The total weight of the three domes and branch pieces is about 6¾cwt. [675 pounds]. One set has been fitted on each of the two foremost funnels. The whistles are electrically operated, the officer on the bridge having merely to close a switch to give the blast, and there is also an electric time-control arrangement, fitted on the Willett-Bruce system, whereby the whistles are automatically blown for 8 to 10 seconds every minute during thick weather.
Titanic steam-whistle
The three domes are 9in., 15in., and 12in. in diameter. The total height from the base of the branch piece to the top of the centre dome is 4ft. 2½in., and the extreme width over the outer dome is 3ft. 6in. The total weight of the three domes and branch pieces is about 6¾cwt. [675 pounds]. One set has been fitted on each of the two foremost funnels. The whistles are electrically operated, the officer on the bridge having merely to close a switch to give the blast, and there is also an electric time-control arrangement, fitted on the Willett-Bruce system, whereby the whistles are automatically blown for 8 to 10 seconds every minute during thick weather.
Titanic steam-whistle
Believe it or not i just saw one of them on the weekend in person. It was one of the aft dummy sets from Funnel num 3 & 4. Believe it or not they are not as big as i always thought, granted this was one of the outer ones of the trio so its a bit smaller but certainly not as vast as i thought