The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1910-07-14
Airships and
Torpedo Boats
viii Make Things Warm for Battle
ships Over and Under the
Water From Now On.

ships Over and Under the
Water From Now On.
The grand achievements ofmodern
times stand out particularly in aerial
locomotion. In equal measure have
steerable airships and flying machines
advanced and of such improvements
that the control of the air which was
in the beginning of the last century
an undissolved problem n un-
satisfied longing for by many thou
sands of people, may be considered as
solved. Certainly, airships in the
coming years will surpass construc-
tions in every respect. But the be-
ginning of the rational navigation of
the air is dated from 1908 and al
ready the capitalists proceed to util-
ize this modern invention and estab-
lish the first aeronautical lines and
stations. Whether the first money.
will pay a good interest is, of course,
an open question. 1t includes, no
doubt, an intrepidity to invest mil
lions of dollars in such an undertak-
ing.
Modern war-technic has through
out essential reason to reckon with
the now improving airships as a Sc
rious factor. Already the great steel
works in the United States, Germany,
England and France construct bal
loon cannon for defence, on water
and land. and in the navy depart
ments of the different nations they
rack their brains thereoyer as to how
a battleship of the near future must
appear to protect itself against the
combat remedies which in coming
war will undoubtedly attack feet
from out of the air.
The technologist stands here for
very entangled problem and it may
occur in our construction of battle.
ships that s i mil ar revolutionary
changes will take place and compare
with the installation of the steam en-
gine and the application of the armor
plating to battleshlps during the past
generations.
Then, likewise, the b m r i
boat has mighty improvements to
register. Although the separate ma
tions conceal their constructions most
carefully, yet it is an open secret that
llpossess we'll constructed types and
that the submarine fleet will be one
of the principal enemies in coming
battles.
In general the war-technic has es-
pecially gained numerous improve
ments. Maybe til e circumstances
have SO matured that in all war tech
mic inventions the economy cuts no
figure and that every means which
combat requires will be provided and
introduced no matter what the cost
price of the same is.
For an example, let us consider
the steering of a torpedo through b
wireless waves. In a small chamber
pressed together such machine con-.
tains terrible charge of exploding
powder which is sufficient to annihi-
late battleship worth fifteen million
dollars. 1t follows a reservoir with
compressed air, which is of several
hundred time compressed A n d
then come compendious air motors
which are set into operation by the
compressed air and in their part are
the propellers set in motion which
drive the whole torpedolike the veloc-
ity of wind through the water. FL
nally, the torpedo has clever, deep
steering apparatus which will keep
during its wholescourse at previous
ly assigned depth. In addition to
the deep-steering, however, during
the last few years the side-steering
has been added, which makes it pos
sible to steer and manage the torpedo
during its whole course with the help
of electric waves. Through these
excellent inventions tn e prices of
torpedo boats have increased, o f
course,to double their original cost.
G.. Il.