Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1898-05-13
VALUE OF SEARCH LIGHTS.
IN. oovernment Has Ordered . Man.
beg for Immcdiats Use.

her for lmmc0aato Ooe
The Quilted States Government has
ordered for use In its coast defenses
q large number Of the most powerful
search lights 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-
lance in harbor .defenses and will be
q valuable addition to u harbor
equipments. Already a considerable
number IRE in operation, but not suf-
ficlent to do the work which might be
done in this way.
Operated ON u scientific system the
Importance of the light can scarcely
be overestimated. BY it's use the whole
area of the harbor protected by our
Notifications and by fixed or station
airy tOrpedoes Is in the dead Of the
night made as bright US day. In de-
tecting the approach or any movement
Of III attacking fleet, and especially
where an attempt Is made to pass q
fertilization after q partial or total
destruction Of It's torpedoes, these nre
most important. Under such circum-
stances the search light would expose
the enemy's ships to the deadly fire
from the heavy artillery guns Of
coast defense and insure total destruc-
ton.
Another and most important Of the
many factors of the search light sys-
tenn as adopted by the army is Its adap-
liability to signaling from one fortifica-
tfOu fN urO&hnr vv ,nnonS nf 0nnO 0na1
short flashes. messages being sen sew
eral miles by cipher code.
An idea Of the wonderful power and
efficiency of these search lights for
signaling may be had from the follow
ing: A short time 2 n great light
was purchased by the Government and
turned over to the army for expert
menting purposes in coast signaling.
This light was purchased from a firm
in Germany. and upon its receipt 1t
was Immediately forwarded to the
Sandy Hook proving ground. where it
underwent a thorough test. One OBJ
ject was to determine the facility with
which a message could he transmitted
by long and short flashes. The light
was mounted on a tower mt Sandy
Hook and arrangements made with
Mr.. Dunn of the weather bureau in
New York city o.be ready to receive
the message at a stated hour. Late
In the night, as agreed upon. n Of
the army officers. especially expert in
signaling. mounted the top of the tow
er. When the exact moment arrived
there We're thrown against the dark
sky long ard 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
n Of the high Office buildings ste1d-
lily looking toward Sandy Hook. He
read the message and repeated 1t by
wire to Sandy Hook, where 1t was
foand correct. This message was
flashed a distance Of twenty Mills.
and could undoubtedly have been r.sssSs
ed a much greater distance. With
these lights mounted at the fort.ica-
tiers aron"d New York larbor r.~s
sages could be Immediately sent from
the defenses at Sandy Hook to either
Fort Wadsworth or Fort Hamilton.
when the movements of Il hostile fleet
could he seen. and 1t was desired to
transmit Instructions to the INFER de
lenses.
The search light in coast defense in.
t~erfsres with the sight of the man ut
the helm of an approaching vessel. In
experiments tried in France a powerful
electric search light WAS turned upon
n moving vessel. the captain of which
stated that his eyes were so dazzlcd by
this light that it prevented him from
properly steering his boat, which re-
suited in IL collision with another.-
Philadelphia Times.
Spanish Knights Looted by the Irish
The Century has an article on 1.-The
Spanish Armada," written by William
Frederic Tilton. Mi. Tilton says:
The huge Venetian, Trinidad Valenc-
era, having sprung a desperate leak,
ran for the Irish coast, and soon found
herself of O'Dogherty's country, per.
haps in Tough swiftly. Part Of the
crew swan ashore: others huddled into
an old leaky ships boat. A native
rowed out toward them, and, being
promised a bagful Of ducats and Jew
els. helped Land those in the leaky boat.
while another freshman. bent on rich
er spoil. and needless Of the cries for
help, rowed straight for the wreck.
which went down while he was loot
ing in the hold. No sooner had the
Spaniards got ashore than wild peo-
pie" and wen the queens soldiers, fell
upon them. robbing them Of their
"money. gold buttons. rapiers and ap.
parel," and slaughtering numbers OF
them in cold blood. But one Of the
O'Donnells came to the rescue. had a
great fire built for some of the officers.
and seemed to pity their case. espe-
cially O'Dnnnel's wife," One Of these
officers tells how he was lodged in the
cabin of a fellow who sold ale and
aqua vitae, and was rufIiing it i'm "A sto-
len red cloak with buttons Of gold"
In the night he robbed his guest Of
two 1,,,v,3po5 j,,oOt, c,l %1.o an