The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-03-27

| to the ship and the current wouiu DC suv
(. circuited harmlessly. But II either OF the
wires should rest upon some non metallic
portion OF the ship, or object or structure
on deck then all persons who come In
contact with that wire would be instantly
| killed. as their bodies would complete the
circuit.
! THE BATTERY OF MAGNETS.
'Jf 1t were desired to stop and hold I'm
| movable hostile ship over mine or in
| a certain position peculiarly exposed 10
| fire from shore, that result could be read
| lily accomplished A magnet exerts a pes
sure OF $50 pounds for every square In b
| of the surface Of its poles. An enormous
| magnet could be made very quickly by
winding two big guns with wire and join
\ ing their larger ends, in horseshoe shape,
| by boiling on plates. A sufficient num-
| Der OF these magnets to grip steel snip
and hold her remorselessiy motionless at
| a most dangerous point could either b.
floated out to her like torpedoes. or could
be anchored at the place desired, water
PROCEED of course and connected by wirts
with a shore battery, The pressure OF a
button in the battery would be all that
would be necessary 10 arouse the force
of the magnets, whether they We're float-
ed out or were anchored by chains TO the
bottom Nor could all the ships crew
and officers and machinery release her.
"A novel mine. which should have no
need OF any human operator. and could
be depended upon 10 explode Immediately
upon contact with floating shr or any
exploring launch or torpedo boat, might
be made to hold an enormous quantity of
explosive and placed at the desired point.
A steel netting made OF Wire rope, the
strands of which should be insulated wher-
hoy =ad ra.slt an eli
round the mine. one set of strands being
connected with one pole of a shore bat
terry and the other set with the other pole.
That construction is precisely similar to
that of the burglar alarm doormat. a
ship bowling against the net would her
self close the circuit, which would nstan
taneousy blow her out of the water.
Such net placed around a warship
lying at anchor in an exposed situation
would be much more effective than the tor
pedo nets now in use. lnasmuch as the
crossed strands could he connected with
the ships electric battery and would, on
contact being completed by a torpedo nos
ing up against them, ring an alarm bell on
shipboard.
A SHIP PHoToGRAPH1NG HER DOOM.
THE most effective way to use a mine
for coast or harbor defense that | can
conceive of involves the use of a fixed
camera, G., which should he set into the
wall OF an observation station or dark
room on shore, its lens covering the entire
panorama of the bay, but especially the
surfaces under which the mines would be
placed. There might be score OF these
mines, each connected with key in the
operators Keyboard and numbered The
operator would have his own dynamo right
by him in the station and protected ca
ends OF the wires resting in the powder in
the heart OF the mine cases. The points
at which the wires entered the mine cases
could of course be insuiSted with bush
ngs.
In his absolutely dark room. w, save
for the light that would be admitted by
the lens c and be reflected down on his
table by mirror, G., properly adjusted to
the lens. the officer would sit with his
chart outspread before him. Every mo9-
ing object on the surface of the water
would be caught instantly by the lens and
rejected by the mirror onto the chart. On
this chart the exact position Of each mine |
In the bay would be marked by a num- |
Der. We will suppose battleship slowly |
steaniing toward the spot wnere the mine |
~
through hostile waters. AS soon as she |
gets anywhere near the mine her photo. |
graph is thrown down on the chart AS |
she moves toward the hidden peril. so |
oer photograph moves fatefully over the |
mart toward the point where the mines |
number appears. At last the moving pho
'osraph on the chart covers up the mine
lumber and, presto! the operator presses
ne button and the ship is blown up
m qnd ff,,l
hunication at night between the ships o.
squadron could be arranged by electric
lshts OF different colors at the masthead. |
Sertaln combinations could spell certain
words, and the alternating play Of the |
,urrent from red to green, from blue 10
'eiiow, would be as confusing to an enemy
IS easily Ineligible by friend
While know OF no automobile torpedo
mat is propelled by electricity. small
forage cell would probably be as effectIve
IS, the compressed air engine by which the
Whitehead torpedo is now driven tbrough
he water There would be nothing IN pair
" installing an electric plant on torpedo
'oat 10 furnish its motive power, as the
rocess OF converting steam into electricity
'ouIu De SO wasteful, but torpedo boats
llght readily be operated by storage calls
ne application OF electricity to the firing
great guns by heating the fuse by. d.
aet cuftsht -afi~S shifting the turrets in
ihich the great 3hns are mounted, ae-
ording as it is desired to vary their line
fire, seems the height of simplicity nnd
thity. The simple pressure OF button
oses circuit and turns the current gen
rated by the ships plant into the little
otor, which is so adjusted that the great
lass OF tons IF steel the turret. ;tl;ps ex-
city In harmony with the moYctlsnt ~
le motor, and can be as easily .eysrsed
plant, by the way. which can generata
u the power warshp needs to turn her
irrets: lire her guns and supply her
,archlight does not need to be biz ono
hen fitted up the United States mont,
" Miantonomoh with plant of 200 horss
over only. found that sufficient for her
100 lights and for all other purposes.
cry small motor attached to captive bal
on sent up from shipboard would enable
'e operator TO steer it In any desired d.
ction and to detect at a great distance
lth powerful glasses the approach OF an
'emy's squadron, which information he {
uid telephone down to the commanding :
ficer. He could even watch battle IN
hieh his own shin was engaged with com.
ratiye safety high up above the range Of
e machine guns"
In q. -. /