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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | How were ancient "soundings" performed? | Acts 27:28 | SpreadWord | 82846 | ||
How did these ancient sailors take "soundings?" I was reading this chapter to my family last night, and my children asked me what "soundings" were. I told them that in modern times, it is sonar that calculates how deep the ocean is where you are. But, I could not explain how they would have done this in Bible times besides maybe letting down an anchor. But if this is true, then why does it say "soundings?" | ||||||
2 | How were ancient "soundings" performed? | Acts 27:28 | dsliger | 241245 | ||
Sounding lines aboard a frigate of the 19th century. Sounding was originally done by hand with sounding poles or a weighted sounding line when measuring greater depths. A sounding line or lead line is a length of thin rope with a plummet, generally of lead, at its end. Regardless of the actual composition of the plummet, it is still called a "lead." Leads were swung, or cast, by a leadsman, usually standing in the chains of a ship, up against the shrouds.[3] It is easy to measure a length of line or rope as a rough number of fathoms by repeatedly stretching the rope between the two outstretched arms. Water depths have traditionally been measured this way using a weighted sounding line. The word fathom can be used as a verb to describe this process. At sea, in order to avoid repeatedly hauling in and measuring the wet line by stretching it out with one's arms, it became traditional to tie marks at intervals along the line. These marks were made of leather, calico, serge and other materials, and so shaped and attached that it was possible to "read" them by eye during the day or by feel at night. The marks were at every second or third fathom, in a traditional order: at 2, 3, 5, 7, 10, 13, 15, 17, and 20 fathoms. The "leadsman" called out the depth as he read it off the line. If the depth was at a mark he would call "by the mark" followed by the number, if the depth was between two marks, he would call "by the deep" followed by the estimated number. Soundings were also taken to establish position, a navigation function then, rather than for safety alone. Soundings of this type were usually taken using tallow coated leads with a wad of tallow in a concavity at the bottom of the plummet. The tallow would bring up part of the bottom sediment (sand, pebbles, clay, shells, etc.) and allow the ship's officers to better estimate their position by providing information useful for pilotage and anchoring. If the plummet came up clean, it meant the bottom was rock. Nautical charts now provide information about the seabed materials at particular locations. Sounding lines were widely used in navigation until the development of echo sounding. Ultrasonic depth sounders provide an accurate graphical profile of the depth of the seabed |
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Questions and/or Subjects for Acts 27:28 | Author | ||
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SpreadWord | ||
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Searcher56 | ||
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Radioman2 | ||
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dsliger | ||
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dsliger |