The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-12-12

retaliation if it should come to the sur
face to search for its lost adversary.
The French government has acted on
the well known and undeniable fact
that. from the car Of a balloon it is pos
sble to see objects under water even
at considerable depth, and within
large area. The explanation is that
though the refraction OF the rays of
light prevents d person near the surface
from seeing objects at even Slight
depths, yet the higher one goes the
easier ii becomes TO detect a sub
merged object, as long as the distance
does not prevent vision altogether. AS
an example, if a straight iron bar be
suspended half in and half out of the
water, it will seem to a person standing
near to be bent at the surface like the
legs of a pair of cOmpasSes. but if the
observer happens to be sta ling in the
car of a balloon and the latter begins
to rise, he viii remark that the bar
seems to be gradually Strengthening it
self out, and the higher the balloon
rises, the larger the area becomes with
in which submerged objects can be dis
tinguished, and the palmer they APP
pear to the eye. Now imagine the bal
loon in telephone communication with
warship, and the whole thing is read
lily understood.
FATE OF SUBMARINE VESSEL.
And now let us contemplate the fate
of the submarine vessel. Advised from
above of the enemys stealthy APP
proach, the irOnclad viii instantly
change its course, a movement which,
as we have seen, the submarine boat
cannot perceive, for, being completely
submerged at the moment, nothing is
visible for more than a few feet ahead,
while TO display d Searchlight would
/ be incompatible with concealment. Pur-
suing its blind Journey, it will pass in
! close proximity to the battleShip and
( become an easy prey for the latter's
/ tOrpedOes, accurately aimed and fired
from information furnished by the OBJ
served station in the balloon. Further
more, it is claimed that it will be prac
/ ticable TO shell the submarine vessel,
/ with vertical plunging fire, from the
/ ship and though the plan sounds ri
diculOuS, yet some measures of success
might, no doubt. result, as the boat
/ cannot be at any great depth, since it
/ is aiming for the body OF the ironclad,
and the plunging fire Will not be great
I ~ DETECTED through striking the water
vertically.
/ The effect of one lucky hit at sub
marine boat can easily be appreciated
/ the slightest leak and the unfortunate
4 boat goes plunging down. down to the
( utterm0st depths. while the imprisoned
] crew, like so many rats caught in
/ trap, knowing that escape is impossi-
BILE, see themselves doomed to a hor-
rible death, slowly asphyxiated, the
very thought of which drives a shudder
/ through the frame.
/ Remarkable indeed has this contest
/ been between the ironclad and the tor
pedo boat-remarkabl from many
/ points Of view, bur more especially
from that of the contrasts afforded by
the two methods of fighting adopted
by the two adversaries. AT night the
torpedo boat puts out it's fires and
seeks to become invisible The iron
clad Immediately sweeps the ocean far
/ and near with its powerful search
lights, turning night into day The
! torpedo boat seeks to approach in 81
lence, and is equipped with noiseless
engines. The irOnclad, on the other
hand bristles from the waters level
to the crows nest with light guns,
which in a conflict viii bark most in
formally. The torpedo boat again
strains every nut and bolt to increase
its speed: the irOnclad, on the contrary.
is surrounded with huge, ponderous
steel torpedo nets, which effectually
bar progress, speedy or otherwise. AS
a last resort the torpedo boat has de-
to sink out of sight, but in vain, for
the ironclad, pressing the balloon into
its services as a detective, laughs eon-
temptuously at the endeavors of it's
puny opponent to effect beneath the
surface what it had found impossible
to do honestly and above board.
What Will be the ultimate outcome
of this duel of ingenuity between pigmy
and giant?