Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-06-13

used alternately with others. The search.
light stations are not confined TO the actual
Notifications. They have been established
where they will do the most good on both
sides Of Hampton Roads. The refectors
vary in size from the comparatively snall
sixteen-inch lamp to the powerful sixty
inch beam which throws a shaft OF light
so straight and true that small boats can
readily be picked up at distance or SIX
miles. So far can be learned there Is
only one light of the sixty-inch callber IN
use and that is here at Fort Monroe The
largest lamps al the other ports, 1t Is said,
are fifty-four inches in diameter. Several OF
these are In use, one of them being at Fort
Washington Fort Monroe has one or two
fifty-four-nch lights also, IN addition to
others of smaller caliber but of great power.
The Hampton Roads and the channel
leading thereto from the bay proper and
from between the capes is the largest BODY
of water in the country that searchlghtS
are expected to be used in guarding. and 1t
was observed both last night and on Sun
day night that continued shifting of the
beams was necessary to cover all the Yul-
nerable points
Approaches Divided Into Sections.
The system in vogue here seems to be to
divide the approaches to the roads into as
many sections as there are searchlights,
and to keep their beams continually shift
ing over the territory assigned to it. There
are some lights which have apparently
been permitted to throw a continuous beam
in one direction. AS the location of the
stations of different size kept as
secret as everything else about the FORTH
cations, it is difficult to determine when
are the fixed lights, but from the lllumlna-
lions during two nights the stationary
beams appear to come from the most pow
erful lights. 1t seems ridiculous to state
that light stations are kept secret, put
every one who has seen series or llgnts
play up and down stream of water with
the most impenetrable blackness between
them and absolutely nothing but clear, sill
very beams by which to take bearings can
realize that this Is true. The location or the
lights when they are flashing is one of the
most difficult Things to obtain, and that IS
why they are given outlying positions. 10
And the range of such lights and put them
ont of commission by gun fire is almost i'm
nossible 1t Is said. Any one who has at
temnted to snuff a candle with target
rife in a room where there IS no other
light can readily understand why inns Is 50
Tba searchIight then plays very import
ant mart in the scheme of the joint exer-
cises and in the war of the future
Navigators Bafaed.
n, tba Hampton Roads side of Fort Mon
roo there has appeared to be two powerful
Iamns In operation during the two nights
that have followed the opening of the
naneuvers There are two others on the
onposite of the roads and one on the oiu
"riff-rafs'' now known as Fort Wool. THESE
lights were played on the roa olso, eom MUM
daybreak and last night from twilight 10
daybreak AS stated, the territory seemed
to be divided among the stations and the
particular five lights referred to were SO
operated that their beams dovetailed In
the incest fashion, each alternate beam pc
ing from opposite sides When this series
of shafts was moving, shifting, jumping
from place to place. perfect network OF
columns of white fire was the result, ana
In this one direction at least most pleas
ing spectacular effect was lent to the war
games.
One of the many uses to which the
searchlight is being put, and one OF the
reasons for the continual shifting. is to use
every means to battle the nayigators or
the "enemy's" ship; and that this par
ticular phase of the work is successful to
some degree is evidenced by the grounding
of the revenue cutter Window with Secre-
tary Shaw and party of newspaper men
on board, off Fort Washington two weeks
ago On that occasion the beams of light
from the lamps at the Fort Hunt and Fort
Washington stations were thrown full on
the wheel house of the steamer a few min
utes and then removed and after wait
of a few minutes thrown on again. The
effect of this alternate brilliant light and
pitchy darkness was to so dazzle the pilot
that he could see neither the channel buoys
nor the compass and chart, and conse-
quently he ran aground.
Navigation is Difficult.
At the Baltimore and Washington fortifi-
cations the channel Is so narrow that 1t Is
comparatively easy to work the lights Ii
this way. Even at Fort Monroe the value
of this phase of the work Is great, for de-
spite the fact that the body of water to be
watched Is large there are many shoal
places even SO far out as between the
capes. There are but two passages be-
tween the capes through which large ships
might pass, and the passage of ships of
the battleship class. is precluded at one of
these except In especially favorable times