The morning news., 1894-05-06

the air. | do myself, but / have never
studied the subject. There are many
great minds at work on the problem, as
they ought TO accomplish something.
Hiram Maxim, who invented the Maxim
gun is now devoting most of his time 70
experiments with aeroplanes. under the
patronage of the British government, I
am told, and Mr.. Maxim has by his past
SHOWN himself to be an eminent
practical man. II isn't likely
that he would spend his time on expert
ments that he did not feel pretty sure
would yield good results. Prof. Lang
ley, whom / know very well is also at
work on the problem. But even il they
90 invent an airship that works success
Iully, 1t IS not supposed that they will at
the beginning find anything so perfect
that 1t will take the place of ocean steam
ships Any airship invented during our
ntetlme will but be the beginning, and no
infant product will be capable of making
the voyage over seas That may come.
but It's coming is long way of.
GREATER COMFORT AND SAFETY.
Instead of striving for increased speed
from now on, designers of ocean steam
snlps will, think, work for greater COM
forS and greater safety By increasing
comfort do not mean that many luxuries
can be added to those now provided on
| ocean steamships. About the only thing
our ships lack is a billiard room. and
billiard playing will probably always be
impossible on the tossing North Atlantic.
| But the ships of the future will probably
give each passenger more room, and to
that extent make him more comfortable
tnan he is to-day. In other words, they
Will carry fewer passengers and charge
each man more for his passage.
SaIeCy IN ocean travel has also nearly
redcheC It's maximum, but it will be DOS
slole Tor builders when materials and
laoor cheapen to leave a larger margin of
strength over probable requirements in
every part of the vessel As it is now
the only danger to ocean navigation is
caused by fog. There is no danger from
pad weather The rules adopted at the
International Marine conference in
loo9-'9O laid out routes which made col
| llSlons between ocean steamships prac-
| tlcally impossible, and to that extent
lessened the fog danger, but it is still pos
slole Tor steamship to encounter a sail
! governed by these rules of the
| road. Whether or not any device
| will ever be perfected which will
/ Go away with this peril do not know.
II there is, it will probably be along Edi-
| sons idea of inductiye electrical commu-
nlcatlon between vessels at sea. His
| plan Is to place sympathetic electrical
! AHSS4 NlACAI Ou al SulpS Ol character
| that when the vessels approach each
| other current shall be established with
the water instead of a wire between them.
If this were accomplished, of course a
ship would know, fog or no fog, whether
| any other vessel were near or not, and
could at least take extra precautions
AS 1t is now, it would be the wan
derer, and not the greater ocean steam
| ship, that would suffer, for the great
| ocean StG9 hin is rrsaatipo oil l.
able. 1t is so divided and subdivided bv
watertight compartments that it would
hoat, no matter how badly it was dam
aged in collision. 1t would be physically
impossible to so batter the great ships of
to-day that enough of their water tight
compartments would fill to sink them.
! But IN the future all ocean steamships,
instead of few of the greatest, will be
made unsuitable, and thus passengers by
all boats will be made as safe as are those
| who sail on the vessels of the great lines
now"
TELEPHONE TO YOUR FRIENDS AT SEA.
Edison's notion of electric communica-
tion between ships at sea in a fog men
! TONED by MIR. GriScom, also suggests the
| greatest addition to the comfort and lux
| ury of steamships which could be named
| Could he make it possible for vessels to
! communicate with each other without
Iu6 use OF wires, IL is reasonable TO be-
| lleve that he could also devise means by
which they could communicate with the
shore, no matter in what part of the
ocean they were sailing. Should this
| come true. the voyaging stock broker
| could carry on his business without inter
ruption while at sea, and the fond mother
! co lld learn from the nurse at home the
exact condition of that sick baby every
morning before breakfast.
"a IG hot F,N,, -
lean shipping and the possibilities of
ocean navigation are as grand and broad
as are those of American literature,
limited at by Mr.. Howells; of American
medicine and surgery, prophesied by DR..
| Shrady; of American law, outlined by
| Mr.. COudert. EDWARD MARSHALL.
rrr rs o-1-