The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-10-03
COL. QUINN HOME
FROM INSPECTION
OF NEW YORK HARBoR FORTS.
INFORMATION CONCERNING NEW
RANGE FINDING SYSTEM.

Plans and Specifications for INSTALL
ing System at Fort Screven win
BE Drawn sOon-yaIue of Electro
cal Apparatus-POwerfu Search
Lights VIII BE Used-TeIautOgraph
and It's Value in Time OF War.
increases Accuracy of Fire.
Col. James B. Quinn. division chief
of United States Engineers, returned
yesterday morning from New York
city, where he has been examining the
electrical apparatus of the range find
ing systems in use there. These sys-
TENS are similar to the one which will
be installed at Fort Screven.
All of the forts in New York harbor
were carefully inspected and notes
taken of the system, and the manner
in which it is made ready for service.
The object is to gather all the informa-
ton necessary before the specifications
are drawn for the work at Tybee, thus
avoiding all unnecessary delays. BY
this plan, too, there will be no hold
ups on account of the War Department
having any lack of details.
When completed the equipment Of
Fort Screven in this line will be most
elaborate and the fort one of the best
prepared in the country in case Of war.
Some of the elaborate apparatus in use
at New York, such as the electrical
apparatus for training and moving the
guns, will not be used here, but the
finding mill he oh
perfect. In speaking of his trip and
the plans for Fort Screven, Col Quinn
said:
Il visited every fort in New York
harbor and made minute observations
of all the details. Many of the forts
are no nearer completion, as far as the
range finding system is concerned, than
we are at Fort Screven. Others have
made considerable headwtay and some
are complete in every detail. The fact
that the work was thus in different
stages of completion made the observa-
tons all the more valuable. Details
were gathered that could not have been
seen in the completed systems.
The Electrical Apparatus.
THE electrical apparatus is of much
Importance. 1t is used for lighting
all points, including the signal tow
ers at each end of the base line. The
big search-lights, for use in detecting
the approach of an enemy at night
will also be electric lights of high
candle power.
The electrical apparatus used at the
New York forts in connection with
the guns will probably not be INSTALL
ed here, at least not in connection with
all the guns. Perhaps three or four
may be thus fitted out. Apparatus for
raising the powder and balls to the
firing platform will be installed, how
ever, probably in connection with each
gun.
Our lighting system will also be
elaborate. The powerful search-lights
will, OF course. be electric and the en-
tire fort will probably be lighted by
electricity. Our own power plant will
be erected on the island, so that the
fort authorities will be entirely indie
pendent of any private corporation, or
of the city, county or state. Every
thing will be ours.
The TeIautOgraph System.
THE telautograph system enables
an operator at one end of the line to
instantaneously reproduce at the other
end of the line any writing or draw
ing which he chooses. This saves both
time and labor For instance, the OPP
orator at one Of the observatories will
make his plot of the location of the
attacking vessel and it will be in
stantly reproduced at the firing plat
forms.
THE gunners will then sight their
guns at once and, with the proper al
lowance for the movement of the YES
sci, which is calculated to a nicely,
are almost certain to hit the object
they desire. The effectiveness of this
has been proven by experiment, and it
is valuable not only because of it's ac-
curacy, but because the gunners are
never exposed to the fire of the enemy,
THE plans and specifications for the
installing of this range-finding system
will be completed as rapidly as posi-
BILE and forwarded to Washington.
Within a short time thereafter bids
will probably be asked for certain por-
tions of the work, and the installing
of the apparatus will begin"
Col. Quinn had nothing to say Of the
political conditions existing through
out the country. His trip to New
York was purely of an official nature
and little attention was paid to any