The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-01-21
r. for the head of each is filed With

her. for the head of each is filed With
/ dynamite.
Or perhaps a column of black smoke
(which seems 10 rise out of the water
ITSELF close 10 the land suddenly disap-
pears, and the sea is scarcely troubled
! by the swift progress beneath il of the
Holland submarine boat. so feet in
length. a warship in herself, driven b.
electric motors. and rushing unseen 20
the attack. delivering torpedo after tor
pedo, or finally crashing her ram into
| the enemys unguarded ribs, far below
the water line.
Meanwhile the position finders on the
harbOr forts are showing simultaneous
| " 70 the whole Gordon of Notifications
the exact location of the ships upon
which the fire of all the batteries Is nov
! concentrated. II smoke cuts of the
view from one battery. another may
have clear sight, and the telegraph con-
veys knowledge of the exact position OF
| the ships from those who can see to
those who cannot
As the vessels penetrate the outer har~
| Dor new difficulties confront them.
! The whole roadstead is planted with
submarine mines, placed az exactly
/ designated places. 4 system of cleo
/ trio wires connects these with the gov
| erning switchboard and electric bat
/ teries in the forts. They are so placed
/ that ships going through the channels
must pass over them.
| When the position finder shows that
a vessel is finally in the tolls, the OBJ
server in some far-distant bomb-proof
| touches key, and the hidden volcano
r. set loose. Nor does the blachness OF
| night serve as a shield. The powerful
| beams of dozen electric searchlights
may be converged upon the vessel. 50
that every mast and every rope stands
out like silver.
| Such is the picture OF what electric1-
| ". through its military applications.
could do to help us. IL involves no
wonder" but il is none the less APP
palling-this array OF electrically con-
troIled guns and torpedoes. IL Is a
brave commander who will dare the
shells which come in a straight line,
end the shells which run around under
the water, and the shells which ex-
Ilode from the bottom 70 blow him into
the air. and the shells which fall down
from the sky TO blow hum 90 the bot
tom aCain-an Of them at once per
baps. If, In fact. we do possess all u
these defenses, we may perhaps hear
with equanimity of the coming Of the
great sea monsters. But il W. DO not
their majesties' admirals need not be
! -. nj a. f1v
not be philosophical calmness which
we will need, but Spartan fortftude.
AS matters now stand. the sooner We
cultivate the latter quality the better.
The fact is, we have not got them.
True. We have had the intention ~
working all these terrible and formid-
able engines some day with the aid Of
electricity. But intentions Will not
stop iron-clads. nor win ever such In
adequate progress as we have made to-
ward realizing them be Of much Use.
even II it's results were al Immediately
available. The point II not whetheL
we can prepare IN some period Of time.
but whether We are ready now.
We may assume that our harbors
nave been surveyed. that the places for
suuken torpcdoes and position finders
and switch boxes have been determined,
that We have EeIected the kinds Of tor
pedoes 20 be used. and have Eystsms-
tized the handling OF them down ~
the last tactical detail; 10 also We may
know that We have Factories y bsch can
build EearcAlights-none better-aIld
workshops where dynamite gums, and
electric motors, and aSh torpedoSs, and
submarine boats. and position hnderu,
aud dynaDos can Be couEt<uctcd- Like
wi1e. IL II true that we have men skilled
IN using every type Of elsetris appli-
EDcos eager and ready % handle these
things. But 81 this does not alter The
fact that we have made neither the
things Themselves 70 any adequate en-
tent. nor have driiled ard sc.sestsd The
large number Of men required - Use
them IN the places ard for The purposes
for which tAey are intcnded
Tie mines are rot planted "a our
ha-bOrs, nor are The torpedo<z in any
sufficient unE beTs yet corsstr71ctsd- To
put them 10 po<itioD. ~ lay and ad hass
their complicated network OF cables Il
= long and dlzsrzslt proeesdsnz. We
have no co1en Of hsh toTy.does 20 Ist
slip al ~ o5ocs tia sgbzr-artns boat "a
s1u unfinished: tke eieesras nSs..sar.
Ia b1f very fec of CIR var ahips: he
tuning 81 tETrwts BY siectrsr rao.yrx 1.
Ftiii r=ztt~T ef rsolases ezp<riuxn.t
nd OF ti>e petition finders ftAos@ most
ISeukuS tHSe1tioz.s ef I1su. F.ske.
u The nzTy. = 10 Gl.S csvissd Tie rang.
soder. and - Le1E Ls11is. II he
-Ezay)-vitary n&esSAz.ry "a th<y are.
% neeesazzJ th@t ths practical ell
,lsneJ ef al our runs aebs8as gooa
tnssia. AID vhsch really constitute
re only nsT Application Of electricity
"a 'hs Nhose e-tegrgy-we have 5U
,ilres- al ~ The bzrbor Of Esss York
% not osiy "a sie>tr1osty DO %
~onosrs fog "a. bzt 80 cznrSf 81 a.e
present. tisus All 0arselvsA - th~
plain ard Obvious sppllca,ion % &C.
military pgrPo~es NaieA ps knoss
a part q flss u10uey sshirb corfrrs-
propose - ezpend sn fori D
tear0ast shoud he drsofet -
Inr - thrze eiretrlrsf
.ffef ffse =