Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1898-09-09
FOR THE WAR SHIPS
ELECTRICITY PERFORMS An I'M
PORTANT PART.

Mysterious Current-Thc Range
Finder Il Novel Device.
1t is in the electrical apparatus that
the modern battleship is especially
complex. For vessel like the Massa-
chusetts there are three generating
units" with multipolar dynamos, each
having capacity OF 300 ampheres at
so volts. These dynamos are run by
engines which make 400 revolutions
minute. This electric plant is used
for the operation of nearly 500 incan-
descent lights, four search lights, one
set OF signaling apparatus, two sta
tionary and four portable ventilating
| fans, four motors for the 8-inch am
munition hoists, and other apparatus
peculiar to warships, such as range
finders, engine telegraphs, telephones
and the like.
The introduction of electricity on
warships has been a constant fight
and struggle against steam. Inch by
inch the ground has been fought over,
and inch by inch electricity has been
winning its way, and the end is not
yet.
Very few of our warships are steered
by electricity. The cruiser Brooklyn,
however, has such an apparatus and
it is said to work satisfactorily. On
most of the large ships the guns are
fired by electricity. On nearly all OF
them an elaborate telephone system is
in place and use. Another electrical
device is what is called the helm indi-
Gator, which shows the navigator of
the ship the exact condition of the
| helm at any time. One of the COM
monest uses of electricity on ship
board is the steering telegraph, where
by the navigator communicates with
the engine room and is enabled in re-
turn to see whether the orders he has
transmitted have been carried out.
Another electrical instrument, which
is coming into use on warships, is the
speed and d irection indicator, which
reveals to the navigator of the ship
not only the number but the direction
of the revolutions of the shaft of each
engine.
Then there is the range finder
and the range indicator whereby, with
dials, the captain of Il ship can regu-
late the direction and all the details
of firing guns in any part of the ship
from his station in the coming tower.
Another electrical apparatus is the
electrical telescope sight. This works
in cooperation with the range indi-
Gator. 1t has been found that when n
ship is rolling, the man who is sight
ing the gun has to get the target, the
front sight and the rear sight into
line and that he has only about one
fifth of II second in which to do this
work. Through the operation of this
telescope sight the man who is ele-
waiting the gun merely watches the
range indicator and keeps the gun at
a certain vertical plane. The man at
the telescope sight waits until the
vertical and horizontal cross.hairs rest
upon the target as he looks through
his telescope, and the projectilc goes
straight toward the mark when he
presses the button to fire q gun.
A scientific paper recently called
attention to the fact that it was i'm
possible to provide any more search
lights for our larger ships owing to
the scarcity of the mirrors used in
them. They are of peculiar make,
and cannot be produced quickly.
This emphasizes the fact that the war
ship of the present time is something
that cannot be put together in he'll
ter-skelter, slam-bang fashion, like in
the war OF 1862, when even battleship
was made i'll something like six
months. The modern searchlight,
such as is used on the Massachusetts,
or Indiana, has 100000 candle power,
and there is no manifestation of cleo
tricity on O warship that so appeals to
the average man as shaft of light
from one of these instruments in a
dark night. The average ship, also.
is full of various indicators which are
operated by electricity and which, al
though apparently OF trifling import
ance, are of serious moment. One of
these is thermOstat, which is placed
on the walls of the magazine which
automatically rings fire alarm in
case the temperature of the magazine
rises to a dangerous point. Another
indicator is called the water alarm.
This tells exactly when any compart-
ment of the double bottom is perfor-
ated in any way, and also exactly
where the injury is. Ii it is serious
injury the captain Oh the vessel again
employs electricity and by the mere
pressure of a button blows that ear
splitting instrument OF torture known
as the siren whistle. This is n signal
to close all water-tight compartments
throughout the ship, so that, if posi-
BILE, tragedy may be averted if the
vessel is in danger of sinking.