The Van Buren press., 1898-09-17
HOW HE WAS ABLE TO DO IT
Naval Exhibit at the Omaha Erposi.
tion Which in n Measure ~
plains Dewey's Peat

Since the welcome news OF Admiral
Dewey's remarkable victory at Manila
On the 1st Of Nav was published
throughout the civilized world. il has
been a matter for wonder eYerywhere
not less in the United States than in
Europe, that the American gunners
were able to destroy q Spanish squad
ron in a Spanish harbor without the
loss Of single American life. When
history repeated itself at Santiago two
months later the wonder vas intensi.
fed.
In the Government building at the
Trans-Mississippi exposition is an ex-
hibit which in a measure explains the
mystery. This IS a naval range finder,
the invention Of a United States naval
officer. Up to date no one outside of
Uncle Sans service has been able to
discover how it Is operated. The in
strument is shown in a glass case with
various other nautical paraphernalia,
and of course the attendants refuse to
answer questions as 70 its method Of
working.
In showing the enormous advantages
derived from the use OF this instrument
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 cal
culation. This implies good deal q
l. -. l.. al
it quicker TO get the range by actual
experiment. The Spaniards, for in
stance, have TO fire several shots be-
fore they can get the range of one Of
Uncle Sans ships. If their first shot
falls short they try again and then
they are apt to overshoot, and by that
time the position of the vessels may
have been altered and they are still at
sea. Meanwhile the officer in the con-
ming 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 few seconds,
and while the Spaniards are still try
ing to get their range the shells from
the American guns are sweeping their
decks.
"The peculiar thing about the instru-
ment,' continued the officer, lis that
while il is one of the simplest thingsin
the world TO anyone who knows its Sc
cret, the most expert machanic or IN
ventor might examine it as long as he
r,s saI 20 Nd s+f1I I.N ,la IN dis
cover how it works. This is why rep
resentatives Of other navies have been
completely baffled in their efforts to
find il out. They have range finders OF
their own, but none that give the same
instantaneous and accurate results
Andas long as they can be kept in the
dark we will be able TO outshoot any
nation on earth, even IL 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
dozen naval engagements. 1t costs
S1.36O TO fire a pair of 13-inch guns
once. If the Spaniards go into fight
they must fire at least two shots to Sc
cure the range. Frequently these 90
not answer, and they go on shooting
$3.50 charges in the air, while every
pound of powder that goes into
United States gun is utilized. The abll-
ity of the American gunners to Obtain
the exact position of the enemy before
gun is fired saves thousands OF DOL
lars in ammunition in every engage
ment.