The Winslow mail., 1898-07-16
USE OF SEARCHLIGHT
Valuable for Signaling as Well as
Exposing an Enemy.
A Large Number of Great Lights to
BE Employed by the Govern
ment in the Principal
HarbOrs,

The United States government has
ordered for use in its coast defenses d
large number Of the most powerful
searchlights to be built in the earliest
possible time and delivered for mount
ing in the principal harbors along the
coast. The lights are of vital impor-
tance in harbor defenses, and viii be a
valuable addition to our harbor equip
ments. Already a considerable num-
ber are in operation, but not sufficient
to do the work which might be done in
this way.
Operated on scientific system the
importance of the light can scarcely be
.overestimated. By its use the whole
area of the harbor protected by our
Notifications and by fixed or stationary
torpedoes is in the dead of the night
made as bright as day. In detecting
the approach or any movement of an at
tacking fleet, and especially where an
attempt is made to pass fortifcation
after partial or total destruction of its
torpedoes, these are most important
Under such circumstances the search
light would expose the enemy's ships
TO the deadly fire from the heavy ar
tillery guns of our coast defense and
insure total destruction.
Another and most important of the
many factors of the searchlight system
as adopted by the army is its adaptable
ity for signaling from one fortiication
to another by means of long and short
flashes, messages being sent several
miles by cipher code.
An idea of the wonderful power and
efficiency of these searchlights for sig
mailing may be had from the following:
A short time ago a great searchligh:
was purchased by the government and
turned over to the army for expert
menting purposes in coast signaling.
This light was purchased from firm
in Germany, and upon its receipt it was
Immediately forwarded to the Sandy
Hook proving ground, where it under
went thorough test. One object was
TO determine the facility with which
a message could be transmitted by long
and short flashes. The light was
mounted on tower at Sandy Hook and
arrangements made with Mr.. Dunn, of
the weather bureau in New York, to be
ready to receive the message az
a stated hour. Late in the night, as
agreed upon, one of the army officers,
especially expert in signaling, mounted
the top of the tower. When the exact
moment arrived there were thrown
against the dark sky long and short
flashes of bright light from the tower at
Sandy Hook. At the same moment, in
New York city, another man was at
the top of one of the high office build
ings steadily looking toward Sandy
Hook. He read the message and re-
peated it by wire to Sandy Hook, where
1t was found correct. This message was
flashed a distance of 20 miles, AMI could
undoubtedly have been passed much
greater distance. With these lights
mounted at the Notifications around
New York harbor messages could be
smmediateIy sent from the defenses
III DlDul DSSl q {iihSi I fn tCitn "%SS II %SS
worth OF Fort Ha milton when the
movements of hostile fleet could be
seen and it was desired to transmit
instructions to the inner defenses.
The searchlight in coast defenses in
terferes with the sight of a man at the
helm of an approaching vessel. In ex-
periments tried in France a powerful
electric searchlight was turned upon
q moving vessel, the captain of which
stated that his eyes were so dazzled
by this light that it prevented him from
properly steering his boat, which re-
suited in a collision with another
Philadelphia Times.