The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-08-08
SEARCH LIGHTS AND ToRPEDos.
Modern Inventions to Aid Naval
wnrfarc-Best CoIors for Warships.


In the series OF trials OF the big
shuckert electric light at Sandy Hook,
perhaps no experiment has been more
I striking or suggestive than that which
sought 10 determine whether a torpedo
/ boat could maneuver undecided in the
/ bay within the radius Of its rays.
The trial has been looked forward 20
I with the more interest since IN similar
! experiments at the Newport torpedo
stauon the boat had repeatedly baflied
the lights mounted there. In one case
| the Gushing and Stisetto stole into the
! harbor together undetected. although the
station masters had been warned 10 look
| out for ZEN between and $3.50 o'clock
| that night A few minutes after taey
| entered the range OF the search light.
made for Conancut Island. moved along
| the shore 10 Rose Island. and there
| crossed the harbor 10 their anchorage.
while the light was still sweeping the en-
| trance of the bay. In that case they mad
| been for ten minutes in the open channel,
| admirable maneuVering and the color of
their paint helping them TO escape detec-
| ton. About six weeks later. IN the same
harbor. the Cushing made a feigned az
| tack upon the Atlanta n he presence
| or umpires appointed 10 determine
whether II was successful or not SON
after the time set the cruiser fired a CUR,
denoting her claim TO nave discovered the
Cushing beyond torpeio range. her
search lights being direc-sd upon a CO.
tain spot. Thereupon TIE torpedo boat,
which had not even left the inner harbor,
darted out from a differ 1. direction ana
reached. Il Is said. within 100 yards cf
the Atlanta, or very short torpedo range.
before discovery. She could have blown
up the cruiser.
1t was hoped, however, that. with the
extraordinary search light at Sandy
Hook. the fortunes of the contest would
change, and the boat would be defeated.
| This seemed especially probable from
the fine results of the two previous trials
of the power Of light. But further 70 in
sure success, a dispensing lens was fitted
To the light so as TO cover a spacious
section OF. a circle instead of contracting
the light in a single ray. When all was
ready and the boat had been picked out
by the light the latter kept it under sur
VIGILANCE for a considerable time, but al
length was obliged to signal that it was
lost. Thereupon an answer, signaled by
a lantern on the boat, which by the way,
was only naptha launch with an army
officer aboard told the searchers 10 look
FOR il at a certain hour inside. At the
time fixed the search light swept over
the bay but could not find the little
craft until once more, after a signal Of
acknowledged failure, the boats lantern
made known its whereabouts. Then the
Launch ran seward and again entered
Undecided. 1t should be said that
heavy fog rolled in before the time limit
in the latter test had expired. Still. the
general result was considered TO be the
defeat of the light
1t is to be understood, then, that
search lights are a failure, and that the
hopes entertained Of their ability TO pick
up torpedo craft must be wholly aban-
doned? That does not follow. As far
as the Sandy Hook light is concerned,
ii is thought that it was a mistake to
use the dispensing lens, and that the
other would have been more successful.
Hence, in the next test, concentrated rays
will be tried, and important results may
be obtained as to the best way of using
these lights.
But for the moment. one of the most
interesting lessons of the experiment at
Newport and Sandy Hook is as to the
proper color Of torpedo boats and other
harbOr defenders. When, some years
ago an order directed that our new steel
vessels should be painted white above the
water line, with the yards, tunnels, venti-
lators and on a straw yellow, the
change greatly pleased the public The
question Of looks, however, had not been
the only one involved, as white made the
vessels much cooler. and hence healthier
in tropical regions. But soon objections
were made 10 the new raiment namely,
that it was difficult to keep clean, and
also that il was too conspicuous at night.
and, therefore, not adapted to war serv-
ice. At all events il seemed clear that
torpedo boats ought not to be white, and
accordingly experiments were made with
other colors on the Gushing. Then came
| the Newport experiments already spoken
of, followed by those at Sandy Hook
Samples of the paints used In foreign
countries for rendering torpedo boats as
nearly invisible possible under search
lights were collected, with formula for
mixing color for that purpose. The Cush-
ing was then painted like the torpedo
boats of the Argentine Republic, and was
directed in returning to Newport harbor
from service elsewhere, TO come back
when practicable, at night and endeavor
to escape the notice Of the station search
lights.
AS the colors used, one much praised
is that of the French coast guard ships,
namely. lead color, with a slight tinge
Of green. That was employed also on
the Gillian torpedo boats Lynch and
COndell. which surprised and destroyed
the armor-clad Blanco Encolada, and on
two occasions, at Iquique and Coquimbo,
entered these ports at night, and were
barely visible few hundred feet away.
The Cushing was at one time painted
about that color, though, perhaps, lit
tie darker. The dull lead color OF the
Jean Bart will be remembered, and not
unlike it was that which some blockade
runners used during the civil war. Still
another color commended for torpedo
boats is peculiar tint of brown. Ger
many, however, has, after many expert
ments, finally fixed upon blush gray as
least distinguishable under electric light,
and has directed that all its coast de-
tenders and torpedo boats shall be paint
ed that color This choice is the more
worthy of consideration since yellowish
brown had previously been in favor in
Germany. Coming again 10 our expert
ments. the Stietto when she tricked the
searchlight at Newport, was dark green.
and the Cushing's color had been pur-
posely deepened till it was nearly a
black In the experiments at Sandy
Hook the launch was not reprinted, but
when she signaled to the search light to
find her inside, her commander put tar
paulins painted a dark green over the
sides of the craft.
What the final solution Of color will
be for our own torpedo boats remains
to be seen, although dark green has
thus far gained some noteworthy victO-
ries The facts here given will show
how much Importance is attached to the
subject by other countries, and, with the
early increase expected in our own tor
pedo fleet, it will also doubtless attract
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