Evening journal., 1898-05-07
VitaIIzed Air and Gas administered
TEIJBPHONING BETWEEN WAR
SHIPS

SHIPS.
Communication from warship to war
Ship will soon be as easy as carrying
on a conversation between two mill
tary posts on land and by the same
electrical means-the telephone. The
English naval authorities have just
tested, with great success, a suggested
novelty in the way OF communication
alt sea. which promises to render OBJ
so!ete the present methods OF signal
ing.
Commander R. G. o. TupDer, Of the
ROYAL Navy, experimental with
kite telephone" The kite used was
Of the regulation sort, except that 1t
was minus tail 1t was six feet long
and three feet wide at the broadest
point. In place Of the tail the kite
carried two lines, one of which was
retained on board the Daring, the in
structional torpedo boat destroyer,
from which the experiments were con-
Quoted. With the wind between the
bwo lines referred to-, it was found that
10 was no trick at all to drop letters
or even a hawser into another shlp,
and in this way establish communica-
ton.
Following this experiment came one
with a wire. The end OF the wire
which the kite bore away from the ship
was dropped upon the deck OF II. NJ. >.
Dauntless, where it was secured by the
electrician of the ship and attached to
a telephone apparatus in waiting. The
other end which had remained aboard
the Daring was also attached to tele-
phOne. nd as soon as this task was
completed. the two ships were in per-
feet communication. The kite remained
suspended, secured by two lines, for
more than four hours, during which
time communication between the Dar-
ing and the Dauntless was uninter-
lupted
The achievement is only evidence Of
what electricians Of the navy, Of bclJh
England and the United States, have
long held to be possible. They have de-
Clared that there was no reason why
communication of this sort should net
be established between ships a few
hundred feet apart, if the weather were
at all pleasant OF course, in gale 1t
would be impracticable.
The experiment that was made by the
officers OF the Daring and Dauntless
had another valuable result. 1t showed
that it is possible to arrange for a new
system of signals from one ship to an
other that would be greatly superior to
any flag system which could be con-
ceived. If the telephone wire can be
arranged in this manner there is no
reason why telegraphic communication
cannot be made in a similar fashion.
In this case an operator aboard the
! flagship could carry on a conversation
with his fellow operator aboard one of
the feet without difficulty. The adj
miral's orders could be easily transmit
! ted from time to time, and often avoid
what is now considered necessary boat
service. It might be thought that the
Hying Of a kie under these circum-
stances would be a matter of extreme
| difficulty, but kite dying under the
! latest methods has become a science.
| What used to be a schoolboy's sport
has now become a subject of study by
professional men, and it seems quite
likely that before very long even
| greater results Will be obtained than
! has been the case at Portsmouth.
AS a means of signalling the kite is
firmly believed not only by naval Off
GERS, but those of the army, to be
| fraught with great Importance when
| the future is considered. 1T is. oil
! course. very much easier for a sigma
70 be seen that is elevated to q con
| siderable height than one which may
I float at the top of the mainmast, Ol
he waved from the summit of a hill
Add to these facts this latest de-
| velopment, the kite as a telephone wir'
carrier, and the indications Of limit
less future are plain. Experiments
with kites at Governors Island in New
York harbor have conclusively proved
that it is possible to send up a Gamers
from inside the lines Of one army
he camera being attached to kite
arid take an accurate photograph of thl
inrenchments or position OF the en-
envy thereby, and to learn in fairly ac
curate fashion their number. On sew
eral occasions this year in New YOrl
| photographs have been taken Of pa
rades in this fashion, and with the yer.
best possible results. To suggest tha
this could be done fifteen months ag
would have provoked derision. Their
Is Just as much reason for not regard
! ing the telephonic kite-hying evperi
ment with credulity as there w0ul
have been for decrying the other. TIL
results Of the English experiment, eve
though they have just become known
have already created no little talk in tn
n United States naval circles.-Washing
ton Post.
UUpT4 pOvEc OTrT on Opnrp