The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1898-08-11
DEWEY,S VICTORY.
Naval Exhibit at Omaha Which in a
measure EXPLAINS the Feat.


Since the welcome news OF Admiral
Dewey's remarkable victory at Man.
liza on the 1st of May was published
throught the civilized world, it has
been matter for wonder everywhere,
not less in the United States than in
Europe, that the American gunners
were able to destroy a Spanish squad
ron in a Spanish harbor without the
loss of a single American life. When
history repeated itself at Santiago
two months later the wonder was in
tensified.
In the government building at the
Trans Mississippi Exposition is an
exhibit which in measure explains
the mystery. This is a naval
range finder, the invention ola United
States naval officer. Up to date no
one outside of Uncle Sans service
has been able to discover how it IL
operated. The instrument is shown
in glass case with various other
nautical paraphernalia, and OF course
the attendants refuse to answer
gueetions rs to its method OF work
ing.
In showing the enormous advan-
tages derived from the use OF this in
strument one of the naval officers in
charge OF the exhibit says:
1T is fact that no other navy has
any means OF finding the range that
does not involve a mathematical
calculation. This implies good
deal of time lost, and in most cases
they lind it quicker to get the range
by actual experiment. The Span
iards, for instance, have to fire sew
eral shots before they can get the
range OF one Uncle Sans ships. Ii
their first shot falls short they try
again and then they are a. to over
shoot, and by that time the position
of the vessels may have been altered
and they are still at sea Meanwhile
the officer in the coming tower OF
the American ship has located them
almost exactly with this instrument
and reported the range by telephone
to the various gun captains. This
has only consumed q few seconds,
and while the Spaniards are still try
ing to get their range the shells fror
the American guns are sweeping
their decks.
"Hhe peculiar thing about the in
strument," 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 long as he wanted and still be
unable to discover how it works.
This is why representatives OF other
navies have been completely baffied
in their efforts to find it out. They
have range finders of their own, but
none that give the same instantan-
eous and accurate results. And as
long as they can be kept in the dark
we will be able to outshoot any ma
ton 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 considerable in the course of half
a dozen naval engagements. 1t
costs 81 1850 to fire pair of 13-inch
guns once. If the Spaniards 90 into
a fight they must fire at least two
shots to secure therange. Frequent
ly these do not answer, and they 90
on shooting $3.50 charges in the air,
while every pound of powder that
goes into a United States gun is
utilized. The ability of the Ameri-
can gunners to obtain the exact po-
sition OF the enemy before gun is
fired saves thousands of dollars in
ammunition in every engagement.
Wfsannsiu Gfafo Mat