The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-01-12

VIII control the nerves which render the
helm. engine. and ruddcr instantly re-
sponslve 10 the cool and skillful brains in
their coming towers. Electric motors VIII
MOIST their ammunition and turn their tur-
rcts. Electricity will operate their range
finders and kindle their searchlighfs and
their signal lanterns, whereby they talk
10 one another ar night.
Such is the picture OF what electricity
through its military applications. could
do TO help us. II involves no wonder
but ID is none the less appallng-this ar
ray Of electricity controlled guns and tor
podOes. 10 Is "A brave commander who will
dare the shells which come in a straight
line, and the shells which run around UNI
DER water, ana the shells which explode
from the bottom TO blow MIN into the air
and the shells which fall down from the
SKY 10 blow him TO the bottom again-all
Of them at once perhaps. IT, in fact. we do
possess all Of these defenses. We may per
haps hear with equanimity. Of the coming
OF the great sea monsters. But II We do
not-thelr malestieS' admlraiS need not be
Farraguts. and as for ourselves. il will
not be philosophical calmness which We
VIII need, but spartan fertitCde. As mat
ters 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 of
working all these terrible and forrnida bIe
engines some day with the aid of cleo
trlcity But intentions viii not stop IRON
rlads, nor viii even such INADEQUATE
progress as we have made toward real
lzlng them be OF much use, even if its
results We're all Immediately available
The point is not whether we can DreDare
IN some period Of time, but whether. we
We may assume that our harbors have
been surveyed. that the places for sunken
torpedoes and position finders and switch
boxes have been determined. that we
have selected the kinds Of torpedoes to
pc used, and have systemati4ed the han
ding or them down TO the last tactical
detall; so also we may know that we have
factories which can build searchlights-
none better-and workshops where dyna-
mite guns, and electric motors, and fish
torpedoes, and submarine boats. and posi-
ton finders, and dynamOs can be con-
structed. Likewise 1t is true that we
have men skilled in using every type of
electric appliances eager and READY to
handle these things. But all this does
not alter the fact that we have made
neither the things themselves to a4y ade-
quate extent, nor have we drilled and
educated the large number of men re-
quird TO use them i'm the places and for
the purposes for which they are intend
ed
The mines are not planted in our har-
bors, nor are the torpedoes in any sufi-
clent numbers yet constructed 70 nut
them in position, to lay and adjust their
complicated network OF cables 5 a long
and difficult proceeding. We have no
dozen of FISH torpedoes to let slip all at
oncei the submarine boat is s;ill unfn-
lShed' the electric nerves are in but very
few OF our warships; the turning of tur-
rets by electric motors is stIll a matter
Of isolated experiment; and Of the posi-
T.
tiOns of Lieut.. Fiske of the navy who
also devised the range finder, and Of Lieut.
Lewis OF the arIny)-Vitally necessary as
they are, so necessary that the practical
efficiency of all our guns depends upon
them, and which really constitute the
only new application Of electricity in the
whole category-we have but three, all in
the harbor of New York.
So not only can electricity do no Won
ders for us, but we cannot at the present
time avail ourselves of the plain and OBJ
Vious applications of IL to military pur-
poses which we know.
A part Of the money which congress
proposes to expend in fortifying the sea-
coast should be devoted to the placing of
these electrical devices in practical con
ditiOn for use at once. A reserve bat
TALON OF electricians should be ORGANIZED
and drilled in the handling of them and
arrangements should be made with the
great electrical workshops Of the coun-
try which will insure not only a present.
but q continuing. supply of every needful
appliance. Finally. the red-taTe tangles
at Washington should be ruthbessly cut
as a step to inducing inventors to work
vigorously for the betterment OF the ex-
listing instrumentalities, if not toward
finding new ones.
per and harass the man who comes to
the government with new idea in mill
tary and naval deVices-esp ecially If it
be electrical-to the point of despair and
disgust. He is treated as n claim ant in
stead Of as a benefactor Tlere is prob
ably no better remedy than the placing
of civilian members-men conversant
with the world and it's affairs-on every
board charged with the trial and accept
ance of new inventions. 1t is not so
much zeal that we want, but more COM
mon sense. Park Benjamin.