The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-02-21
cIlMc \ THE WATER.
III DYNAMITE AND
CBAh"h ELECTRICITY.

Il ENnRTlmGhL
Hesuiu in EnEIand-Rangel
merg k;O With the Gun-One
Fin"1 % a Button and AnIsi-
EhoIe Navy.
mn" limited States cannot excel
since ountry in the strength of her
every h at short notice-she is get
navy do the next best thing, de-
ting IT. without the use of a navy.
fena fbeen planned and is actually
i on now by active experiment.
pensI engaged upon it are of I'M
me INTEGRITY and ability, and when
CUES HAT the coast can now be held
theyk 70 Florida, from Washington
frouI without a warship, we must be-
Hey for doing this is a submarine
H. coast is to be held by guns
qn7 III ne placed under the water.
VII will be placed under the water,
f special agent which will be
doTed later.
Lent experiment off the coast of
touth England, showed what could
L. with big guns under water. An
,frong gun carrying 10 pounds was
Il unon a. platform and aimed at a
H. The target was of solid oak two
Jthick The experiment was con-
H. during low tide, and the gun stood
IL the water while aim was taken.
II the tide arose and covered the gum
las then fired at the target.
L. before the volley was to be touched
Same one suggested that the expert
H. would not be complete without
Iher target behind the first, or some
Ebinery to locate the exact carrying
ltance of the gun. Accordingly the old
Tser Griper was brought up and located
Ianty-fve feet behind the target Upon
MAJ l. huU of the Criper there was nailed
e. of armor plate three inches thick.
Hhen the Armstrong gun was fired the
Iople upon shore watching 1t were amazed
kvond words. A distant rumbling was
M HI that could be heard. But the target
S Eas seen to fall before their eyes, and
Eenty-feet further away the old Griper
lave a convulsiVe heaVing and began to
loWy sink
h. Armstrong gun had crashed through
Ee oaken target, and had struck the
Erper with terrific force. IT had pene-
Eated the steel plate upon the hull of the
uiser and gene on tb ITS b way agd 1LPp ping
Two awful gaping holes into which the
T Xii this being done under water showed
Is nothing before ever did how mighty is
he force of a big gun under water under
IrOper conditions.
Through this experiment was an English
Inc it was of considerable profit on this
lie of thewater as confirming the theories
M ldvanced by various naval officers that
he coast can be held with submarine
The plants to locate them out at sea at
distances Of about three hundred feet from
hOre. They would be connected with
brts upon the coast by means of electric
In case d an attack by an enemy the
enemys ship could advance no nearer
than two huidred feet of the big concealed
guns. As SION as they were within reach
the wire would touch them off and the
hns 81 a nc ha
GriTer was, under the water line in it's
weakest PLACID
The only pesons knowing of the exist
ence of these guns would do the work Sc
cretly at hight and maintain the
location of tle guns in the greatest Sc
harbor" teliiig where the guns were
placed. The way of firing is not less in
genious thar the arrangement of the
guns. The Gedit for the discharge is due
Lieut.. Herbrt Fiske, of the navy who
~ has inventeGa finder" by which the guns
"a San be invfbly aimed and fired so that it
will not By necessary to aim them before
"A or at low tide, as in the Portsmouth ex-
pertinent
The finder" invented by Lieut. Fiske is
now being constantly used eXperimentally
and may be called complete.
1t consists of a telescope mounted high
enoughto sweep the sea. In front of it is
the high stone wall of the fort. Or the
hinder" is Ilaced along shore behind rocks
or trees TO screen it from the enemy's OBJ
servaton.
When theenemys ship comes within
sight the Telescope is slowly turned until
aimed full at the ship. At the same time
the hand 4 Lieut. Fiske moves along.
pressing luton after a certain mechani-
cal method, by which the telescopS and the
button correspond AS soon as thew come
Wltnm the same focus another button is
4 quickly touched and the submarine gun is
fired. nv Sun 10
In case o. a long line of guns there is a
ssHdII Diagram upon the platform under
lHe telescope which corresponds to the
Rosluoh OF the guns under the water
any gun can be aimed by the little but
tOr ana nred with mechanical precision
me navy officers are now busy adjusting
sort OF oamera-obscura to the "fnder1
80 tlat the entire harbor can be swept
mo me picture thrown upon table
angs tne enemy s ships could be spied the
nHuer turned upon the nearest gun in d-
dSCl ann OF the hull of the vessel and the
eG1H HTed OH by pressing another button
aIue rapldity with which this can be
ooue IS Illustrated by the fact that within
Journey OF 300 feet the submarine gun is
flIiiled SIX times, allowing il to Journey
Xssly nttY feet between the firing
- lne shots With expert work this
nnaplaity OF aim would be greatly improved
Inc expense attending this manning of
We coast with sub-ma rine guns is trifiing
~ would hardly figure as one item in the
g4uipplng of a warship with its big guns
Miliie as an effective means of defense II
Saa!IE taxes precedence over any other
iiethod ever advanced.
Albert Cameron