The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1895-08-08
THE RANGE FINDER.
NEW INVENTION OF MUCH IMPORT.
ANCE TO THE NAVY.
by Means of 1t the Distance of nm
Enemy'h Ship May BE Easily and
Accurately Determined Either ut
Sea W From the Shore.

One Of the most valuable and inter-
esting military devices produced by
Americans in the last ten years is the
Fiske range-fnding apparatus, invent
ed by an officer Of the United States
navy in 1887, while he was on duty on
the Atlanta in South American waters.
Since then the apparatus has been pat
ented here and abroad, and has been
modified and improved until it has
reached a state Of efficiency warrant
ing general use by the navy. In brief
the apparatus is used to find the dis
lance from moving or stationary OBJ
ject, such as man-of-war, or any
other object within the field of tele
scopes mounted on the apparatus at
the points Of observation. The science
OF war is advanced by it's use in that
an armed vessels crew, having found
the exact range of an enemy's ship,
may with accuracy aim heavy guns at
it without preliminary trial Of firing.
Tests of the apparatus have demon
strated, however, that although it was
designed chiefly for use in action, 1t
has a far wider and more important
value in peace, as the captain or navi-
gator Of a vessel having the apparatus
may employ it constantly in navigat-
ing along a coast and in going in and
out of port, both at night and by day,
by finding the exact distance from the
ship of lighthouses and landmarks.
On it's first appearance the range
finder was seen to be valuable addi-
ton to marine apparatus 1t has been
subjected to rigid tests on United
States warships for five years, and the
results Of the tests have been so salts
factory that last year orders were
given by the United States naval au-
thorities that ships Of war should be
equipped with the apparatus. The ap-
paratus is now in use on the Chicago,
Baltimore, San Francisco, New York,
Minneapolis, Columbia and Cincinnati.
The Maine, Texas, Indiana Massachu-
sets and all the new vessels Of the
navy are also to have the range-fnder
mounted for use.
Description of the Apparatus.
| The apparatus may be described as
consisting Of three parts-tWO range
finders and an Indicator electrically
connected with them. The range find
er proper consists simply of an arc of
conducting material, which in reality
is merely a length Of wire supported
on the circumference of 4 circular
platform resting on a tripod. Centrally
pivoted on the platform is an ordinary
telescope, as shown in the illustration.
The telescope is provided with an arm
| or wiper" which sweeps over the
wire OF arc, always making contact
with it. The extremities Of the arc
of one range finder, placed near the
bow of the ship, are connected by
wires which are properly insulated
and disposed between decks, so that
they will be protected from injury
= with the other range finder near the
stern. Connected to these wires is the
indicating instrument, on the face OF
which there is a dial marked to indi
cate yards of range on a pivoted needle
or pointer. With the pivots Of the tel
Escapes is connected a galvanic bat
terry of any convenient form.
One Of the range finders is placed or
a platform built on the military mast
in the forward part of the ship, ant
the other range finder is similarly
placed on a military mast near thu
stern. The indicator is usually in tht
coming tower, or in some other pro
tected place, though the range finder,
can hardly be said to be protected.
The method of operation is as fol
lows: A man at the forward range
finder keeps the telescope bearing or
the target and signals the man at the
indicator that he is doing so. The
man at the range finder in the ster1
does the same. The man at the indi
Gator then observes the range indica
ted by the pointer ON the dial of his
instrument and Immediately conveys
the information to the gunners. Tht
principle involved is a siR1ple one o,
triangulation, combined with that O.
electrical resistance. Although tn,
principle is simple, however, the ap
paratus is complex and is delicatel!
constructed. When the fines of sigh