The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-06-04
RANGE FINDERS ron THE NAVY.
Old style Useless in Real War-FauIts
Remedied by New Inventions.
From the New York Post.

ny +NSN
From the New York Post.
One of the first unwelcome discoveries
made by the officers on the American war
ships at the outbreak of the war with
Spain was that the mechanical range-fnd-
ers with which the American ships were
equipped were practically useless in an
actual engagement. There were several
causes which contributed 10 bring this
about the insurmountable ones being the
Impenetrableuess Of the fog raised by the
smoky powder then in use, and the ina
bilny OF the delicate mechanism of the
range-inders TO Withstand the conclusion
following the discharge of the heavy guns.
Ever since the close of hostilities various
officers IN the navy have been experiment
ing with instruments which, 1t is hoped,
will overcome the limitations of the pres
ent apparatus. The majority of the ships
in the American navy are now equipped
with smokelcss powder. This practically
obviates one Of the difficulties.
The majority Of the war-ships In the
American navy at the outbreak of the
Spanish war were equipped with a range
Under invented and manufactured by an
officer in the navy. A short time before the
beginning Of the war the firm of which
this officer was said to be the head failed,
and the manufacture OF the range-inders
was discontinued.
This did not cause the slightest appre-
hension in the navy, as the officers IN
command of the guns had, a long time
previously, given up placing any reliance
on the accuracy of the results obtained
by their use. The range-fnder which
during the war was found to be the most
accurate and satisfactory was 1-pounder,
rife. placed in the upper fighting top of
the ship equipped with military masts,
and with a few experimental shots, good
marksman in short time, by careful
adjustment of his sights, could give the
range accurately to every gun on ship
board IL has been said that one reason
the Spanish sailors made such miserable
showing at the guns was because they had
been taught to depend absolutely for
range and elevation upon the mechahcel
finders.
The range-finders now in use in our navy
consist Of two instruments much the same
in general appearance as surveyors tran
sit They are loca ted one in each of the
fighting tops on the vessels so equipped,
or In default of the fighting tops, are
placed at any two points of equal hight on
| base line, the angle Of range and eleva-
| ton of the point of attack is taken between
| tho twd instruments and registered in feet
or Yards on a galvanometer. This system
| Is very simple and works well enough I'M
| der favorable conditions and for shore dis
tnnces. When, however the point of at
tack is over eco yards off, the angles, ow-
ing to the shortness of the base line, be-
come SO small as to destroy all accuracy
| in the result obtained. On shore, where
| the distance between che two intruments
| can be heightened out to q mile If neces-
| sarv. the result are different. The base
| line on shipboard. however, is, of course
restricted 10 the distance between the two
ends of the ship. This is not sufficient TO
| make II possible to register with accuracy
| the ranges at which most Of the naval
fighting during the Spanish war occurred
None of the range-finders produced by
inventors attempting to overcome the evils
of the present system have as yet been
adopted end 1t Is not likely that the gov
eminent will be in any hurry to adopt any.
1t is known, however that many Of the
officers who have witnessed the prelimin-
ary tests OF an instrument just devised
by a young engineer in the navy have
been very favorably Impressed with the
simplicity, strength and accuracy of the
appliance.
In its general principle this new range
finder is quite like one now in use in the
French army except for variations neces-
sary to meet the different conditions OF
marine warfare. In the present device a
cube of glass about two feet long Is paint
ed on one side with slhouettes OF objects
of various sizes and shapes. from ships
to forts. This glass cube is mounted on
a sliding-scale marked Off ia yards and
feet. In order to get the range Of an OBJ
ject il is only necessary for the person
using the instrument to move the glass
cube up or down the scale as the case
may be, until the object TO be attacked
is the same size as the corresponding fig
ure on the glass. The number on the slid
ing scale opposite when the glass cube
stopped is the distance Of the object from
the point OF observation. The elevation
Of the point of attack Is then figured by
| a comparison Of the distance with the
dimeus ons Of the figure on the cube 10
which The point Of attack was brought to
agree This method Of determining range
is stil crude, but Il is certainly original
and many naval officers say that itcan in
time, unquestonably, be developd into a
very Ingenious and expeditions method OF
arriving at the distance ana hight Of the
object TO be fred upon.