This restored binnacle stand and compass is approximately the same age and style as the one recovered from the Aleutian . The compass is viewable through the glass portal, which shields the compass from glare during the day, and allows it to be illuminated with an electric or kerosene light after dark.
The iron spheres mounted on either side of a ship's compass allowed the instrument to be calibrated for a true reading. Without them, the compass needle would tend to align with the centerline of the iron ship instead of aligning to magnetic north.
