Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-07-21
BOOM OF THE MEcAPHoNE.
fifteen-fnch Ronrs the Thing in
The NAVY Now

"o war its use In the navy began
only within year, and already a mega
phone Is regarded as almost a necessity
ON every ship. The megaphones used in
the navy are made OF deep red colored
composition riveted together. and have
ight handle and an aluminium mouth
piece. The standard size is about 2f-a
rect long and about Is inches across the
end. smaller craft and auxiliaries carry
oiiy one, which is kept on the bridge.
Du' the larger ships carry more. On the
hagsnlp New York three are In Amos,
constant use, one on the bridge, one or
tne signal bridge, and one on the quarter
deck
The officer OF the deck uses the one on
the bridge. IL takes the place of the
small, heavy speaking trumpet. which
used TO be the sign OF that officers rank
az sea. as long lass was in port
Speaking trumpets were generally the
personal property of the officers who car
ried them, and were often very hand
some. sometimes they were made OF sill
Ner' Ihey possessed two advantages over
megaphones OF the present day, the chief
one Deing that they were not so easily
Oiown away IN heavy wind. On sailing
Nessel IN a storm the unaided voice will
NN''s AAOid tuf uuIIlSTNeCk 10 sIe
Ioremasthead, nor can II be heard TO
windward OF a large SAIL A speaking
trumpet, easily slung across the shoulder.
Is always at hand. and concentrates the
voice sufficiently for it TO be heard all
over small ship. while megaphonc
would not be so handy and might be
blown away easily.
The second advantage OF the old speak
ing trumpet also grows out OF its sizo
ana convenience. The speaking trumpet
mas always been used az sort OF gavel.
ana, IN consequence. was generally pretty
well battered and dented. So also we're.
the various parts of the ships adjacent
70 the standing place of the officer of the
deck An experienced man with sharp
eyes might Judge Of how pleasant a ship's
voyage mad been by inspecting the speak
ing trumpets on board OF her as she
came into port. Obviously, a megaphone
VIII not stand such treatment. though
some OF them become mysterlously JAM
med and twisted. as though an absent
minded officer had tried the same trick
with them.
The utility of the speaking trumpet IN
communication between vessels was AL
ways very limited, and il Is because The
megaphone so far surpasses fl in thls
respect that it has achieved its sudden
popularity. About the first necessity ic-
cosnlzed on each Of the newspaper dis
Yatch-Doats was megaphone. and the
eXlgencies of the Key West market sug-
Sested tin megaphone as the best SUBJ
sutute for the regular article. Some CT
'hem were made with old-fashioned oval
inouthpieces, and some with none at all.
THESE tin megaphones have, most os
them' received excellent care. and most
II them bid fair to last the war out.
TO use megaphone artistically and ef-
fectiYely Is not nearly so easy as it looks.
ohe VINO mas heard trainload OF college
rooters at boat race roar their college
yells through megaphones at the strug-
Cling crew OF an eight-oared she'll knows
pretty well how the power OF the voice is
magnified by the use OF a megaphone: but
the best illustration of it's use in
the navy has occurred 10 the reporters
and crews Of the newspaper boats I'm the
vicinity or Habana when the blockade
was first established there. a boat would
be lying TO, presumably about five miles
from the fleet. The night would be calm
and dark and still. when suddenly one
would feel as though enveloped by
voice. Ii would be a voice not to be recog-
n zed-a harsh. vibrating voice, something
like tho below oe an angry animal, yet
speaking the English language with re-
and startling distinctness.
What ship is that?" would be the hail,
given in a manner to command instant
and profound respect
It would seem to take an unreasonably
long time to tear the Tin megaphone from
It's lashings to point it vaguely I'm the di-
rection from which the greatest volume
or the sound that still pulsated in the
ears seemed 10 come. and to scream into
It the boats name and occupation. Then.
how weak and attenuated sounded the
reply though the speaker may have
strained his vocal chords to put ali the
power possible into IT. Surely, the speak
'r thinks, such peevish sound cannot be
,eard 10 feet away, and. with the thought
that he may not know how 10 use the
negaphone, ne essays a repetition OF his
answer.
"All right. all right" comes tho fretful
'esponse right from under his feet, II
teens. II very sharp-sighted. he may
make out the shape of a torpedo-boat not
ar away, and he realizes that he has
made a fool OF himself yelling so at an
biect so near. and after that he conducts
ONE private experiments with the mega
hone.
"Why. It's Just like talking" he says
fter few trials. but IL is not Every in |
lection and every component part OF
very sound Is magnifed, and the result |
lives fhe impression Of a sound OF def |
lite size and extent literally striking |
he ear. and great is the impact thereof. |
Half tho orders TO the vessels OF the
Gets doing blockade duty off the Cuban
cast have been issued through mega
homes. Torpedo-boats and the converted
achts and tugs. assigned so frequently
o special duties, receive a large proper
ion OF their orders from the flagship by
legaphone, and turn in their first brief
eports in the same way. The customary
all adds There" 10 the name OF the
hip hailed, and nearly every answer Is
Aye, aye, sir" Rigid etiquette Is OBJ
erved in the transmission OF orders.
lough sometimes dropped Immediately
l private conversation. a talk was
card, not long ago, beginning, The Ad-
liral directs sir, that you proceed" &c.
ontinuing, "Aye. aye, sir" and ending.
| say. old man, will YOU" &c, with the
esponse, "Sure!'
II n person talking through mega
hone removes 1t from his mouth for a
mark 10 some one right beside him. the
mark seems much louder than what
as being said through the megaphone
mother peculiar effect is produced when
yo persons speak 10 Zach other through |
egaphones at the same time, for the
vo sounds seem actually to strike each
her and bound back, and each speaker
3ars his own words more distinctly than
le others.
Bystanders frequently observe a good
al OF humor in negaphone conyersa-
ons, but il is generally lost in repeu
on without the peculiar effect OF the
egaphone itself. The captain OF DOR
,do-boat which arrived off Santiago
it'll the transports. when ordered into
e night yatrol in front OF the MORO
ID told what other vessels would be near
m caused a laugh by saying:
ID all those ships know l am 70 lie