Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1908-06-04

oiDi' iOt Nia'il tlt"o " hclidIC dnCllol >
or cables that would enable them to
lie in positions further off shore Be
sides this, lightship not infrequently
goes adrift In the buffetings of win
ter's gales, and so long as the ship is
or until a relief vessel can
take its place the dangerous spot must
remain unguarded.
The modern lightship built by the
costs about $4,000,
while they are expensive vessels to
maintain. 1t is the contention of the
inventor of this new type of floating
structure that all of the points OF
weakness in the present type of light
ship would be done away with through
the Introduction of his model. A cir
cular structure with a flange around
its base could be anchored anywhere
along the coast and not directly over
the reef or shoal to be guarded, but
out beyond it, since once anchored
there would be no fear of its going
adrift in a storm. Heavier anchors
and chains than an old-type lightship
could carry or handle would make this
certain, for one thing and the prin-
ciple on which it is constructed would
do the rest. Then these floating lights
could be built with S0-foot lanterns, in
stead of the present standard, and
crews would be unnecessary, since
some of the water ballast compart-
sinking the structures, could be filled
with Illuminating oil and the lamp fed
automatically Filled in the summer
time these tanks and lights would
need no attention until the next year
came around. With such a structure
in use the problem of guarding with a
warning light a spot like the Diamond
shoals, off Hatteras, would be speedily
solved. There would be none of the
commonly experienced in
building lighthouse on an almost in
accessible point, as the lightships
could be built in harbor and then
towed to the point where needed. 1t
is computed that one of these steady
floating" lightships could be built com
plete for about $4,000.
Its Advantage Commercially.
While it is declared the Murray idea
can be used to enormous advantage
commercially, ii is its protective fea-
lures, as applied to coast defense, that
have aroused most interest in other
quarters. War and navy department
officials have been interested especial
ly in the steady floating fortresses and
torpedo stations designed by Mr.. Muir
ray. On the great steel caisson sub
merged in the quiet depths of the
ocean is built a special annular revolv-
ing deck, fully equipped with guns.
Now the turret of a battleship is
necessarily limited by the size of the
ships deck and it's arc of fire is re-
stricted but on the Murray fortress
there need be no restriction as to size
or the number of guns. Again battle
ship gunners are more or less ham
pered by the rolling and tossing of the
vessel, which makes good aim an I'M
certain proposition, but on a steady
floating structure guns could be point
ed with mathematical accuracy. No
enemy's attacking fleet would have
chance against an array of these i'm
mobile fortresses. While their gun
ners were waiting for their vessels to
roll so as to bring their guns to bear,
they would be withered by a fire of
deadly aim from deck as solid as if
mounted upon a rock. A fleet running
up against these floating fortresses
placed several miles outside a city
would be destroyed before it got even
within striking distance of the city it
self.
In addition, a fleet of battleships
before a line of these steady floating
fortresses would be like so many eggs
pitted against a solid cannon ball The
armor plating on the fortresses can be
made of indefinite thickness, and it's
domed surface would defect a strik-
ing shell off into the harmless air.