Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-02-28
Prediction is Offered That Flu
ture Battles Will Be Fought
in the Night Time
OUR ARMY TO BE UP TO DATE

ted to rest at night and obtain much
needed sleep before the morrow, will
be called upon for duty during dark
ness as in daylight. But the nights
will not be dark. They will be IL
lumined by great shafts of white light
crossing and recrosslng the sky, telling
the army on the offensive where that
on the defensive Is planting Its artil-
lery; where the engineers are directing
the construction of earthworks. The
soldier at work digging his shallow
trench by the aid of his trowel bayonet
will be exposed to an infantry fire as
direct as though the sun were shining
upon him In fact, there will be no
rest for the weary soldier unless tacti-
clans or commanders direct that In
such battles those men who have been
on the fighting line all day be permit
ted to retire far enough to the rear for
sleep to be, beyond the rays of Inn
mense searchlights, and that the re-
serves who have done nothing during
the day battle be brought on the firing
line for the night battle.
The United States army, not to be
behind the other powers when such a
time does come, is now experimenting
with the searchlight, not only for target
practice of the enlisted men at night.
but also for night signalling taking the
place Of rockets, colord lights sent up
by balloons, wigwagging with lanterns
and the like, says a Leavenworth
OKan) dispatch to the New York Her
aid.
A searchlight was sent to the Third
battalion Of engineers, stationed at
Fort Leavenworth, during the last year
as an experiment, but it proved such
success in many ways that it is now
looked upon as Indispensable to the
service. and the time is not far distant
when one will be attached to every
brigade in the service.
The first test given the light was on
the target range, where it was taken
one dark night and soldiers were called
upon for target practice At ranges
from 100 to 1000 yards excellent scores
were made, some Of the marksmen
making "possibles." or perfect score,
by the rays. The light was tested to
five miles, and its rays have been rec
ognized at distance Of twenty-five
miles. This latter feature will be a
great factor in military signaling In
time Of war, SO that great bodies Of
men within twenty-five miles Of each
other may send and receive orders,
tell Of attacks, flank movements and
the like i'll time to surprise the enemy.
Such luxury as an electrically light
ed maneuyer camp was never known
until the battalion Of engineers went
to Fort Riley, Kan, last summer for
maneuvers. There ! the searchlight,
when not in use, was run under its
canvas cover and the dynamo and
boiler were used for lighting the tents
of the engineers and brigade headquar-
tiers. Army officers in the field made
out their reports at>night by the light
of an incandescent lamp, a thing that
had never been heard Of or dreamed Of
In the past.
The candlepower of the searchlight
is 10000; the dynamo capacity is 11O
volts 80 amperes. The boiler has a ca
pacity of twenty five horsepower, and
at Fort Riley 100 tents had incandes-
cent lamps in them. To every twenty
amperes 200 incandescent lamps may
be used.
The light was used at Fort Riley
from July 10 to Dec Is, 1906, in all
kinds of weather and for all imagina-
BILE purposes, and during the five
months not cent was expended in
making repairs to it.
The outft-boiler, dynamo and light
lis transported on trucks or fat cars
and drawn by sixteen mules. The en-
gineers are not at all handicapped by
taking it on the march with them,
easily keeping up with marching
army. The light Is manipulated by an
electric controller.
e The searchlight of the engineers at
Fort Leavenworth is at the present
time the only one in the army, but as
report on its worth to the service
has been made to the war department
1t is thought that within short time
other organizations will be equipped
with it.
Army officers say that it is possible
to place the light at such an angle as
to throw its rays several miles into the
camp Of an enemy. so that the gunners
of the artillery could shell an opposing
force and at the same tune be practi-
cally safe from danger. It will have to
be moved from time to time to keep
out Of range Of the enemy's guns, but
it is so powerful that its range is
greater than many of the heavier guns
are capable of throwing projectiles 1t
will be most difficult matter for an
enemy to erect breastworks at night or
to place large bodies Of men In position
for surprise at daylight. In fact, the
light bids fair to revolutionize warfare
Of modern times.
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