Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1905-06-24
THE ART OF WAR.
Use of Star Rockets and Aerial
Torches mt Port Arthur.

Use Of star Rockets ana Aerfa1
Torches nj Port Arthur.
In "a vivid description of night at
tack at Port Arthur an eye witness.
George KEENAN,, the Outlook's repre-
sentative In the far east. thus tells of
some novel war appliances:
AS a means OF Illuminating a field of
battle at night the searchlight had one
serious defect, and that was its tend
ency TO cast black shadows into ra-
vines and depressions of the ground.
In order to illuminate such places the
Russians made use OF star rockets and
aerial torches. which shed light direct
ly downward into natural or artificial
depressions of the ground which the
horizontal rays Of the searchlight could
not reach. The star rockets consisted
Of tube OF quarter inch iron eighteen
inches long and three and half inches
in diameter. with an explosive head at
the upper end and u long and rather
heavy stick ut the lower. Around the
stick ut the base of the tube were eight
or ten half inch holes. through which.
presume. the propulsive powder fore
itS way dS tnC dotChoC0.
When IL reached its height the burning
composition inside the tube set fire to
the head. The latter then exploded.
setting free sixty or eighty brilliantly
white stars or spangles. which fell
slowly I'm silvery shower. lighting up
an area OF at least a square mile I'M
derneath very much as II would be
1tUl fn1 Inv.
the burning magnesium used in fash
light photography. The stars kept
bright for period Of from five to eight
seconds. and the illumination OF the
ground underneath seemed tn me to he
quite as great as that caused by the
rays OF full moon.
In combination with these rockets the
rial torches" I never had an oppor-
tunity to examine them. and do not
know how they were made. but from
their appearance and behavior l con-
cluded that they were combination Of
bomb. a parachute and large wad
of fax or hemp saturated with some
liquid which burned with bright
fame When the bomb was exploded
In midair by means of time fuse It
liberated a mass of flaming material
attached by wires to a small para
chute This parachute descended very
slowly. and the torch hanging from it
burned for at least minute. some
times minute and half 1t made a
light which was greatly inferior to that
of the star rocket in brilliancy. but 1t
had the compensating advantage OF
lasting longer and carrying the illu-
mination closer to the ground. II the
time fuse were cut short the flaming
wad would burn until 1t actually reach
ed the ground, and when there were
three or four OF these torches In the
air at once they made quite light
enough to reveal the movements of
troops In the trenches or ravines over
which they We're thrown.
1t can readily be imagined that when
searchlights. star rockets and para
chute torches were all In simultaneous
operation. when bursting shrapnel
cases were making freely flashes In
midair. when the Illuminated slopes of
the Russian hills were blazing with
the red fire OF artillery and when the
Significance Of the illumination was
emphasized by the booming Of cannon.
the pom. pom. pom OF quick firers and
the steady rattle OF perhaps thousand
rifles the spectacle was one Of thrilling
and absorbing interest.