The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-06-21
VALUE OF sEARcaI13Hrs.
Useful for Signaling US Well ss for Expos
Ing an Enemy. TatUT.

ing an Enemy.
Philadelphia Times: The United
States government has ordered for use
in Its coast defenses a large number OF
the most powerful searchlghts to be
built In the earliest possible time and
delivered for mounting In the principal
harbors nlong the coast. The lights are
Of vital Importance in harbor defenscs
and will be valuable addition to our
harbor equipments. Already q consld-
cradle number are In operation. but not
sufficient 10 do the work which might
be done In this way. ~,
Operated on scientific system the
Importance OF the light can scarcely be
oYerestimated. by its use the whole
area Of the harbor protected by our for
tiiications and by fixed or stationary
torpedoes Is in the dead OF the night
made rs bright as day. In detecting the
approach or any movement OF an at
lacking fleet. and especially where an
attempt Is made to pass a fertilization
after partial or total destruction of
Its torpedocs, these are most important.
Under such circumstances the search
light would expose the enemy's ships to
the deadly fire from the heavy artillery
guns OF our coast defense and insure to-
tai destruction.
Another and most important OF the
factors Of the searchlight system as
adopted by the army Is It's adaptability
to signaling from one fertilization 10
another BY means OF long and short
flashes, messages being sent several
miles by cipher code. -7-,. 49,
An !den OF the wonderful power nd
efficiency Of these searchlights for Sig
mailing may be had from the following:
A short time ago a great. sea-chlight
was purchased by the government and
turned over to the army, for expert
menting purposes In coast signaling.
This light was purchased from q firm
in Germany, and upon Its receipt It was
Immediately forwarded to the Sandy
Hook proving ground, where It under
went a thorough test. One object was
to determine the facility with which a
message could be transmitted by long
and short flashes. The light was mount
ed on tower at Sandy Hook and ar
engagements made with Mr.. Dunn, OF
the weather bureau In New York, TO
DO ready to receive the message OF n
stated hour. Late in the night,as agreed
upon. one of the army officers, especial
ly 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 buildings
steadily looking toward Sandy Hook.
lie read the message and repeated It by
wire to Sandy Hook, where It was
found correct. This message was flash
ed distance OF twenty miles, and could
undoubtedly have been passed much
greater distance. With these lights
mounted at the Qualifications around
New York harbor messages could be
Immediately sent from the defenses ut
Sandy Hook to either Fort Wadsworth
OF Fort Hamilton, when the movements
OF q hostile fleet could be seen and 1t
was desired to transmit Instructions to
the inner defenses
The searchlight In coast defense In
terferes with the sight OF the man at
the helm of an approaching vessel. In
experiments tried In France, a power
full electric searchllght was turned upon
a moving vessel, the captain Of which
stated that his eyes were so dazzled by
this light that 1t prevented him from
properly steering his boat which re-
suited In collision with another.