The Spanish Fork press. [volume] (Spanish Fork, Utah) 1902-current, 1908-05-28

9ioie Ior tnelr crews TO handle anchors
OF cables that would enable them 10
lie In positions further OF shore. Re
sizes this, lightship not infreouently
goes adrift in the buffetings of win.
yer gales, and so long as the ship is
missing or until a relief vessel can
'aNe It's place the dangerous spot must
remain unguarded.
Inc modern lightship built by the
government costs about s115 OO0
while they are expensive vessels TO
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.
snip would be done away with through
'he introduction of his model, A cir.
GUAR structure with n flange around
lts oase could be anchored anywhere
aiohg the coast and not directly over
'he reet or shoal TO be guarded. hut
out beyond 1t, since once anchored
there would be no fear of its going
adrift In storm. Heavier anchors
and chains than an old-type lightsbip
could carry or handle would make this
certain for one thing, and the prin.
ciple on which 1t is constructed would
40 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-
ments, which are used to helm In
sinking the structures, could be filed
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
caine around. With such structure
in use the problem of guarding with
warning light spot like the Diamond
shoals, off Hatteras, would be speedily
solved. There would be none of the
difficulty commonly experienced in
building a 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
PiS'O wi dbouJ pIU,VUU.
Its Advantage Commercially.
While 1t is declared the Murray idea
can be used to enormous advantage
commercially, it is it's protective fea-
lures, as applied to coast defense, that
nave 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 battleship is
necessarily limited by the size of the
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,
rered 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 feet 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 rock A fleet running
up against these floating fortresses
placed several miles outside city
would be destroyed before 1t got even
within striking distance of the city it.
self.
In addition, feet of battleships
before a line of these steady floating
fortresses would be like so many eggs
pitted against solid cannon ball. The
armor plating on the fortresses can be
made of indefinite thickness, and its
domed surface would defect a strik-
ing shell off into the harmless air.
IyonrennabIe Defence