Evening star., 1896-07-16
MIRRORS FOR USE IN WARFARE.
Will Show Reflection of HarbOr to
Occupants Of Bomb Proof.

Will show Reelection Of q HarbOr to
Occupants of a Bomb Proof.
From the Galveston News
The latest adjunct to coast defenses is a
modernized form of the old camera OBJ
scura. Army officers are now considering
Its feasibility and an effort is being male
to secure the adoption of the system by
the War Department at Washington.
The particular use and value of this sys-
tenn. as explained by f. Stiles Vinten, is
that It shows the defenders of fort the
movements of the ships of the enemy and
at the same time does away with the ne
cessity Of any one exposing himself to a
hostile fire.
By an arrangement Of lenses and small
mirrors an image of the harbor is thrown
upon whitened table in a dark chamber
we'll protected by bomb-proOf shields. Seat
ed about the table. secure from any chance
shots. those who are directing operations
from the fort can distinctly see each move
ment Of the ships Of the enemy as they
move about the harbor.
1t Is a fact recognized by all military au-
thortties that in the event of war the
United States would be obliged to depend
largely upon torpedoes for its coast de-
Tense. but 1t is also acknowledged that l,n-
less the movements of the hostile ships can
be watched and the torpedoes exploded at
the proper time. there Is a large element
OF chance In their effectiveness
1t Is to overcome this difficulty that the
system OF mirrors and lenses and a dark
chamber has been devised Wires connect
the torpedo in the harbor with a battery
and keyboard within the fort. and the posi-
ton of all torpedoes being known to the de-
table 1t only remains to watch the inst ant
that the image of a vessel comes over the
marked spot. and then the pressure of a
key transmits the current which expIodes
the submarine mine.
Another advantage claimed by army Off
GERS for this plan is that 1t allows the use
of the port by friendly ships. without dan
ger to themselves, as is not the case where
torpedoes which are exploded by contact
are placed in the harbor channels. With
hundreds of torpedoes lying about just be-
low the surface of the water. a friendly
ship was in much danger of being blown to
pieces.
With a system which shows the move
ment of every ship in the harbor. and with
torpedoes which can be set off at will. this
danger is practically done away with
Friendly ships can pass directly over the
mines or torpedoes with no danger to them
selves, and the mines or torpedoes cannot
explode until some one within the fort
sends the current through the wires.
1t is also claimed that, the exact Fange of
a given point in the harbor being known,
guns can be trained on ships lying within
that range and fired without the gunners
in any way exposing themselves to oppos-
ing fire, the aim being taken by the same
system Of mirrors. which show the position
of the ship. 1t is also proposed to send
torpedoes from the shore, direct them un-
der ships and then explode them. the op-
orators all the time remaining safe and Sc
cure from danger within the bomb-proof
dark chambers.
A few years ago any such scheme would
have been impossible because Of the fact
that it is only recently that torpedoes
whose movements could be directed from
the shore or the ship which sent them out
have been invented.