Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-11-10

!
10 an efficient method Of range and position
finding Is thus tangiby indicated. WINE
not wishing 10 behitle the Ingenuity OF the
feat accomplished by Major Watkins, Cap
tain ZaIinskl Il OF the opinion that some
American electrician could produce appara-
tus quite as efficient. lie regards 1t as pro-
blem not 70 DC lightly approached.
Lieutenant Bradley Fiske, OF The united
States navy, has recently devised on elcct'lci,
rtngc.Gnder. which has much that IL novel
IN that line and promises excellent results.
Judged by preliminary experiments II VIII
be Of particular value for naval purposes
filing place entirely unique and heretofore
unattainable.
The principal application Of electric light
ing for military purposes has been ior t1o
search light. In some conditions OF the az
mosphere the search hight does not reveal inc
positlon Of the euemy, while II shows to the
/ latter yerv dedn;te point at which 10 dlrect
guns. To ayoidthis the Germans have tried
! experiments OF projecting the light upon
mirrors some distance 10 ono side OF the
search llcbt itself. Instances are cited where
/ a vessel representing the attacking iorce was
| so illuminated by the search light that news
papevs could he read when 1000 or 6,OOD
wards from the light, while the operators NJ
The search lights could not detect their pres.
ence. Tho essential distinctive feature OF
/ the protector commonly IN use Is the chfrac'
/ ter Of the reflector. The projectors are 20
/ mounted rs 10 be easily directed by one man,
| which is preferable to automatic reguistion'
/ n has been proposed by Major u. :.
| Clarke. ROYAL Engineers, 10 work dynamo
| for electric lighting OF trenches by horse
mower. The dynamo and horsepower ap-
/ rorptns would be easy OF transportation.
/ Tho ordinary horse tread-mill might be
utilized as the mOtivc-p0wer for the dy-
| namos. ~.
The experiment about TO be tried IN New
! York barbor OF buovs lighted by electricity
NAV have an important bearing IN hghtIng
M the auproaches Of harbor, and even IN
| the uroicction OF a ship from the attack OF
/ torpodo boats. This idea is due to Com
mander Mackenzie, United states navy: \
| htrov OF th. character was successfully
/ tested las. winter IN the vicinity OF K0Dln >
| Reef ,.-..
There "a but little question that the electric
motor will Dc largely used In manipulating
! guns and ammunition in lieu Of power iu7-
! ut>hcd bv hydraulic machinery, steam, or
/ co-,nrossed mir In the ease where either
hydraulic power steam, or compressed ar
are Used niury TO one 81 the lead pipes re-
0uires more time 10 repair the damage than
/ when electrical power Is used. I'm the last
| case the splicing o. a wire or replacing the
| broken cable by q spare one can be done
with very little DELAY. II j. proposed TO
manipulate m eight-inch gun on the Chi
cleo bv electric motors. This experiment
will bc an important one and WINE some
/ difficulties may be developed at hr-t, mere
can 30 little question as 20 its feaslbillty or
ultimate success The vital element In the
submarine torTcio and 10 firing guns elec-
! fri TYfm These
have been evolved through many expert
mertal stages, until finally one type appears
| 10 be generally accepted a. the best FOR
/ thls credit IL due General Abbot, United
| States srmy; Captain Xalinski, il. julius
| Smith. BRINE 4. Batcheller, graduate Of
Tie Massachusetts, Institute OF Technology,
and others.
II Is popularity supposed that defence OF
| submarine mines T. one that may be easily
| improyieed without specially trained per-
/ S0pncL and l.. IN itself. sufficient to render
barbOr practically iuyuInerablc. But this
is far from the fact. It's complex in charac-
Ter, requires the greatest care m the pre-
paration Of the material and IN the training
~ the personnel 10 manipulate IT, fNery
detail must be carefully prepared. There
must not Doe o single weak lax ~ the chlin
or the system {, likely 10 fall. II IS not de-
]
hors as 10 prevent passage OF our own
ships either way. The system must,
therefore, be such as TO operative at viii.
| I'm trusting only to judgment uIlng
the enemy NAV at night attempt 70 lun
the blockade through the fields protected
| lw toruedoes. 10 is, therefore, neces-
| sary 10 be able TO set them so as to act au-
tomat icaily, and in--<-Iton give warning TO
tho guardilns OF the harbor that attempts
arc being made 10 enter. As an adjunct 10
thi, defence gnns OF shore batteries may be
directed so rs 10 strike different portions OF
! the harbOr These are u he fred when the
c1emys ships arrive at The predetermined
/ noints. The firing circuits OF the gun are
| closed when the ships strike the buoys con-
| timing suitable device for this purpose.
II is only bv the aid oi electricity that all this
can be accomplished. \ trained personnel
/, therefore necessity. The Engineer
battalion is the 0oly force that the
Government has for this work. In adj
dtion TO the officers Of the Engineer
Corps Of the army, n few officers OF
artillery have received instructions In sub
marine mining. TO plsce mines required
m all II the important harhors OF the country
as quickly rs may be necessary would re-
quirc "a very much larger force than that
available from the regular army. falr pro-
portion Oi this force must have technical
KNOWLEDGE with reference 10 electrical APP
plancc. In England an auxiliary volunteer
torpedo corps has been formed to assist tue
regular forces. They are practiced annually
under the direction OF the regular engineer
officers who are charged with the TORPEDO
dcfcnccs. There Is no good reason why thls
should not he done here.
There sre floating or buoyant mines ana
ground mines. These may be entirely an-
tomato in character, or may be made SUD-
seryient 10 the will OF the operator on shore.
The buovant mine cases are light, but suili-
cieptiy strong TO Withstand the explosions
In the immediate vicinity. as also 10 resist
the cOuuterminlng Of the enemy Ihe
shane il such as 10 have the maximum
volume for a given weight, and at the same
time offer as little resistance n possible 10
the action OF the tidal currents. IL Is also
imncrylous TO water. For ordinary con-
ditions the spherical forms appears to
be best adapted for the purpose. Mines
are now being manufactured in BrooA-
lyn by welding together TWO hemi-
snheres of low steel. The mines are placed
| hv securely anchoring them from ten to fit-
teen feet below the water surface, the rise
and fall Of the tide determining the distance.
| Gronnd mines are made OF cast IRON In
hemisphercal shape. When they are set for
automatic action there Is an auxiliary buoy
carving clrcuit-ciospg attachment. This
| is also used in the buoYant mine. The CIR
cult closer Is OF such character rs to either
| signal the presence Of the enemy when In
| contact with the buoy or mine containing 1t or
10 explode the mine automatically should
( tnat be the wish Of the operator. IL is
| furthermore OF such character that the mine
| can be fred at the will Of the opera
/ tor independent OF auY contact OF the
enemy. The interior arrangement OF
| the torpedo is such that the operator
can inform himself at any time OF
/ the condition OF the fuses, and indeed Of any
/ leakage. The operating torpedo chamber Is
30 placed as 10 preclude the possibility OF
/ injury TO the controlling apparatus OF the
/ system. Thus apparatus conveys Information
/ 10 the operator when the enemy has struck
| torpedo, and, il set for automatic action,
whether It has been fired. IL enables him to
render the torpedoes inOcuOus 10 our own
vessels at one instant and cause them to act
effectively at the next against the enemy.
| Information Is transmitted frsm range and
position finding stations as 10 the position OF
the euemy. 80 that he may select the instant
when ship IL over q mine, or group oil
mines, 10 ire them by Judgment"
COuntermining by the enemy is done in
various ways, A launch directed aut0mau-