The Portland daily press., 1898-08-31
DEWEY'S ABLE HELPER.
Innocent Looking Little Instrument
Which Keeps Its Own Secrets and Puz-
zles Out Those of the Enemy.
{st. Louis Globe-Democrat.)

{St. LOUIS GlODe-OemOcIaC.)
Since the welcome news of Admiral Dew
ey's remarkable victory at Manila on the
1st of May was published throughout the
civilized world, it has been a matter for
wonder everywhere, not less in the United
States than in Europe, that the American
gunners were able to destroy Spanish
squadron in a Spanish harbor without
the loss of a single American life. When his
tory repeated itself at Santiago two months
later the wonder was intensified.
In the Government Building at the Trans
Mississippi Exposition is an exhibit which
in measure explains the mystery. This Is
navy range finder, the invention of a
United States naval officer. Up to date, no
one outside of Uncle Sans service has been
able to discover how it is operated. The
instrument is shown in glass case with va
rious other nautical paraphernalia, and, in
course, the attendants refuse to answer
| questions as to the method of working.
In showing the enormous advantages de-
| rived from the use of this instrument one
| of the naval officers in charge of the exhibit
says:
1tIt is fact that no other Lazy has an
means of finding the range that does not in
yolye mathematical calculation. This
implies a good deal of lost time, and of
many cases they find it quicker to get the
range by actual experiment. The Span
iards, for instance, have to fire several shots
before they can get the range Of one Of I'm
Gle Sans ships. If their first shot falls
short they try again, and then they are apt
to overshoot, and by that time the position
of the vessel may have been altered, and
|they are still at sea. Meanwhile the officer
in the coming tower of the American ship
has located them aim ost exactly with this
instrument and reported the range by tele-
phone to the various gun captains. This
has only consumed few seconds, and while
the Spaniards are still trying to get their
range the shells from the American guns
are sweeping their decks.
"The peculiar thing about this instru-
ment,'' continued the officer, sis that while
it is one of the simplest things in the world
to anyone who knows its secret, the most
expert mechanic or inventor might examine
it as lone as he wanted to and still be un-
able to discover how it works. This is why
of other navies have been
completely baffled in their efforts to find it
out They have range finders of their own,
but none that give the same instantaneous
and accurate results. As long as they can
be kept in the dark we will be able to out
shoot any nation on earth, even if there was
no difference in the skill of the gunners''
There is another advantage in the use of
the instrument which amounts to consider
able in the course Of half dozen naval en-
gaeements 1t costs $1,000 to fire pair of
13-inch guns once. If the Spaniards go
to a fight they must fire at least two shots
to sec1re the range. Frequently these do
not answer, and they go on shooting ;s6oss
charges in the air, while every pound OF
powder that goes into a United States gun is
Utilized. The ability ofNthe American gun
ners to obtain the exact position of the enc
my before a gun is fired saves thousands of
dollars in ammunition i'll every engage
ment.