Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1898-08-19
The Many Mathematical Problems Involv.
cd and the Great Rapidly with Which
They Must BE Solved In Locating the
Moving Target.

necessary to keep it from tumbling and
which will in our service carry tho pro-
jeotilo to the right. Then tho direction
and force Of the wind, tho direction and
speed of target, tho temperature and bur-
pmetrio pressure Of the air, which Affect
The resistance of the air to passage of the
projectilo, the kind Of powder and weight
Of projectile. All these things have to DO
taken into account, and they each vary
under all sorts of conditions, so that they
can only be figured out for each particular
shot at the time tho gun is fired.
"Most of this information must DO
worked out from data obtained from fir
ing tests and must DO thoroughly assimi-
lated by tho export artillorist. Then by
taking observations ut tho time of firing
data arc obtained from which results can
be computed.
".Tho most important part of tho opera
ton is of course to locate tho target. The
invention which has enabled us to do this
is something wholly Americana develop
ment Of our regular army. This invention
is tho range finder. 1t looks a simple af-
fair-a tall modern tower, with u sub
stantial foundation, built on q command
ing height and connected with tho guns,
perhaps half a mile distant, by telephone.
4 tAAo w Ao &c u ~ VN4SS'SolNS III OA
II polished steel circular table. A dial on
tho telescope frame is co;,gcl with tho
edge of tho circular table anu gives at any
instant tie direct reading III aailnuth.
Another d!al is SO nrra,i Tca that elevation
sc depression ~ t." telescope gives its
tnG,"a:ora corrcaroniiirg movement. This
iS li..c tho urdiaa!y ~;rillSit fitted 10 read
:,r;.c!l angie. bat II! this c!,Sa i1Scc,N:
Of :sH:..rs, %in:.!"> ri drrtrs.icn distances
arc ii..;ca:ct in yards To tho point where
TIC ...o OF siy!:" J:ryvti u" water: An
:~Aj-:tu:elt co-icc:s for height u tide.
"it IS only ncc~ss..r!y, tEvl, to poil!u Our
telescope III the wafer l.nr OF the ship
nnd r2:;l directly uxi:iu,h and distance.
Encsc ar. rapidly transmitted BY telephone
III tho GUNS ,i,d llot:&Ls -, u piece of draw
ing pap2r. TREE Of these observations,
20 seconds rC"rt, ;rc Plotted, and the gun
has to Eo fired go seconds after the last
observation il; taken or at tho crd of two
minutes total ti:ao. We have the location
of tho target at three different times. 1t
is now necessary TO compute where it will
be at tho end of tho so seconds.
ga vessel running 10 knots an hour
will pass over 200 feet in ono minute or
1000 feet in so seconds, SO that If we fired
at tho point where she was at the last OBJ
%servation WI might miss her 1900 feet or
some fraction of that, depending on her
direction Of sailing with reference to us
If We fired point blank. O., aiming right
at her, we would miss as much as she
would pass over in the time of flight of
tho projectile. This for q 5000 yard
range might be 20 seconds.
"We have now tho position Of the target
at o given future instant, but it Is referred
to tho position Of the range tower. We
must now correct u data to refer to the
guns position. Then we are ready to
make corrections for drift due to rif1ing,
effect of wind, condition of atmosphere
and abnormal powder and projectile. The
gun Is laid with the resulting data by
means Of degrees and minutes marked ON
the traverse circle of the gun platform and
elevation arc on the side of the carriage,
and we arc ready to fire. 1t is necessary to
allow time-called time of fight'-for
tho projectile to reach the target at the
end of the so seconds, so the guns must be
fired that long ahead Of time.
"When yoh consider that all of this work
must DO done in 80 seconds, you see that
ono has to count his time by fractions of
seconds to work like an nutomaton. No
longer time can be allowed for computa-
tions, etc., as uncertainties increase as
about tho fifth power of tho time.
"Tho aiming of tho gun is all science
now and needs experts. The firing and
loading arc tho only work which tho un-
trained mind can find work ut, and even
In these things, you understand, there is
need CT GOODNESS and experience, for these
big fellows arc delicate machines, after
all, and aro worked by levers, have cleo
trical appliances and are in other ways too
-r,,S1,,~ %~ %~,,, %> kroS al 1a,,1,
"This may not sound SO dreadful here
In the calm of a peaceful afternoon. But
imagine looking up sines and c~osines,
plotting accurat curve from mathemat-
ical data under q hail Of projectile, with
shells and bombs bursting around you!
Fancy placidly sighting your telescope in
the range tower, which a we'll directed
shot may cut away from beneath you, and
your hand must not tremble, your mind
must not be distracted!'
The civilian seemed rather impressed.
He could only venture timidly that it did
seem as if there were great odds against
the ships.
$50 there arc. But they have advan.
tages too. In the Japanese-Chines wal
the Japs, being clever, got ahead of the
Chinese predictions of their position by
running ahead full speed and then sudden
ly slacking up, SO that the Chinese gun.
ners began to grasp that rusc. Then they
changed their tactics and would advance
slowly at first, then suddenly crowd on all
steam and speed away, leaving the gun
ners far behind"
"Oh! Then you can get around tho
absolute scientific accuracy?'
The artillery officer laughed. "Yes, but
you must remember tho Japs were dealing
with the Chinese. We know how to over
come that. How2 Oh, but that's telling!"
Unapprsciative.
"Do yon know that an ordinary piano
contains about a mile Of wtrep"
"No. / should rather believe that an
~r1inarv c!anO contains about q wagon