Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1908-02-02

ROCKETS IN WARFARE
They Were In Use Centuries Es-s
fore csa;7sn Were Known. 4
FIRE TUES OF THE GREE, !
AZ the Siege Of constantinopIe, In e'2.,
the Arab Fleet Was Destroyed ~
| Them-Modern Rockets Have USE
full Side and Solve Many Problems.
Rockets were known and used in
warfare centuries before the first can
non was made and fired. At the siege
of Constantinople, A. D. 673, the
4 Greeks discharged fire through tubes
and SO destroyed the hostile Arab feet.
In a weird old manuscript now in
Paris called the "Liber Ignium," or
"Book of Fire." which was penned long
| previous to the Norman conquest, is a
description of how to compound pound
ed sulphur, saltpeter and charcoal of
| willow, pack the mixture in a long
narrow case and discharge 1t upon the
enemy-nothing more or less than a
i war rocket, SO 1t is curious, indeed,
| that 1t was not until October, 1905. that
war rockets were first used by British
forces
| This was in the attack on Boulogne by
| Commodore Owen. Terrific missiles
were Commodore Owens rockets. They
were made Of sheet iron, each weighed
thirty-two pounds, and their range was
mile and a half. s8 ssss
The success Of q rocket troop at the
battle Of Leipsic led to the formation
Of a rocket corps in our army In the
year 1914. These men carried twelve
4 pound rockets, which could be laid on
the ground and fired. They would then
run along the ground, rising and fall
Ing, for at least 1,20O yards, and even
| at that distance pierce six foot wall
Of turf, exploding on the far side and
scattering shower of bullets in every
/ direction
The Congreve rocket was wonder
full invention. In this so called flight
bali" detached itself from the rocket at
Its highest point of flight and, by
means of small parachute, remained
suspended in the air.
Fired at night over besieged town
or an enemy's camp, it gave light
/ enough to observe all their movements
4 and dispositions. A modification of the
Congreve rocket carried floating
carcass" mass sof chemicals which
took fire on touching anything and
burned with fame almost impossible
to extinguish.
The modern light rocket is largely
used both in peace and war. Its head
Is filed with magnesium fire. which is
automatically ignited at the highest
/ point Of flight and throws fierce
glare over wide tract of country.
Then there is the alarm or detonat-
fog signal just like those used by light
houses in time Of fog Coast guards
| men are always supplied with both
alarm and light rockets, which are
kept carefully wrapped in tarpaulin SO
as to be ready in all weathers.
| Signal rockets are also kept in all
coast guard stations and in seagoing
ships. The signal rocket carries cou-
pie of dozen col0red stars-red, green,
J h11o yu1,ito H1,n
| the color which the rockets will show
in burning.
1t is extraordinary the distance at
which light rockets can be seen. In
/ recent experiment rocket was seen
| at two places nearly eighty miles
| apart.
| The most useful of all fireworks Is,
| Of course, the life saving rocket. All
our coast guards are regularly drilled
In the use of these inventions. The
life saving rocket is twelve FOUNDER,
and its case is of steel. It's stick is
nine feet in length. It's power is very
| great. Without its line its range is
| over thousand yards. Attached to
each rocket is line 800 feet long.
| The inventor Of the life saving rock
ct was Colonel Boxer Of the Royal ar
tillery, and the rocket is made in two
parts SO arranged that when one is
burnt out the other takes fire and car
ries the line onward. Once the line is
| across ship it is, of course, a simple
matter for the crew to haul aboard the
hawser with the breaches buoy and
! board which contains in three Ian
/ guages directions for use.
Buoyant rockets are to be found in
all lighthouses which stand on danger
Gus rocks.
These are large, clumsy looking ar
rangements coated with cork. vet
powerful enough to carry one and a
quarter inch rope to distance OF 100
yards. Many lives have been saved by
means OF these queer rockets.
A form of rocket has been devised
for dropping oil on rough water. These
are used more in America than In the
United Kingdom. A few years ago a
wrecked vessel was saved OF Long
Island BY dropping oil rockets around