The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-12-27

footsteps of a fly until it is almost as
loud as the noise made by a horses
noofS. In its proposed modification. il
VIII attune itself to the vibrations
made by the feet of distant soldiers on
the march and thus betray their pres
ence and their probable number to the
pursued or pursuing army possessing
such valuable instrument.
A very great change has taken place
IN the sapping and mining department
of the army since electricity was intro
duced on practical basis Mines are
now laid by the engineer corps and ex-
ploded with a far greater degree of
nicely than when slow burning fuses
were used. Rivers can now be guard
ed almost by one man, stationed where
he can operate a circuit in which a
number of submarine torpedoes are in
Guided. The torpedoes used in the army
d1ffer from those used in the navy
The latter include propelling apparat-
us which carries them through the
water; those used in the army are gen
orally anchored at the bottom of a
stream Given a number of torpedoes,
Judicially placed, a single officer could
make the passage across a river by an
army decidedly hazardous undertake
ing.
The value of electric firing as far as
the guns themselves are concerned is
admitted, particularly on shipboard or
for coast defense. There is no lost
interval of time between the command
OF the gun captain and the actual ex-
ploding of the piece. The instant the
gun is to be fired the officer connects
the circuit and the all is on it's wav
to its destination. If the object aimed
at be a distant vessel, rising and falling
with the waves. or a moving BODY of
cavalry on land, the value of an in
slant discharge can be easily recog-
nized. Another electrical invention
connected with gun firing is the range
finder. The Journal of the Military
Service institution which is published
on Governors island, describes several
OF these instruments, both for army
and navy use. They are ALL however.
built on one principle. That of Lieu
tenant Fiske is very simple in con-
struction. Although generally used on
shipboard, it can be used just as we'll
on land. Two telescopes mounted on
standards are placed at a given num-
Der of feet apart. They are connected
TO each other by an electric circuit,
Which also includes a differentiating
apparatus on which are recorded the
various angles at which the telescopes
are placed. The mechanism of the ap-
paratuS is so perfect that the moment
both telescopes are pointed at a dis
eaHS ObJCOlf lnC nQlllDtI Oh miles or
feet from the vessel or fort at which
the object is stationed, is at once auto
matically pointed out on a scale This
fact being known. the proper elevation
for the gun can be easily ascertained.
Electric kite signalling is being ex-
perimented with on Governors island
Attached to one of the kites recently
sent up, was a lamp on which a shutter
or blind was placed. The shutter was
operated from the ground so that
flashes long or short were obtained and
a system of signals introduced. One
of the objects sought for is a means
of controlling and directing the flight
of kite. Another is the intelligent
manipulation of a camera attached to
the kite string. Electrical apparatus
will effect the latter object. The shut
ter of the camera. attached to the string
has heretofore been drawn by means
of an extra cord running. parallel to the
kite string. 1t would not be possible to
operate this in military practice Kites
are now flown at the extreme altitude
of one mile. The mechanical stress in
operating shutter with a cord at this
height would be very great, even sup
posing the effort to operate it did not
pull the kite out of the desired plane.
A magnetic continuance operated
through these wires attached to or laid
inside the kite string, is to be tried and
it is expected will work satisfactorily.
THEODORE WATERS.