The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1913-04-11
MARTIN |NvENTS AN
INGENIOUS DEVICE
Enables Members of Com
mand to Receive KnoWl
edge of Maneuvers.
(National News Association)

NEW YORK. April 11.-Through an
ingenious device, invented by Com
mander Kingsley L. Martin, of the
second battalion, naval militia, of New
York, and put into operation three
weeks ago, the members of the colE-
mand are enabled to receive a general
working knowledge of navigation and
maneuvers of battleships, as well as of
battleship equipment, within the arm
DRY. On the floor of the armory OF
the battalion, at the foot of 42d street,
Brooklyn, has been Launched" a d1-
vision of four miniature dreadnaughts,
"a feet in length, with a beam of five
feet six inches. The models are out
wardly complete in every detail and
are operated over the floor after the
manner of vessels at sea.
The crew of each of these miniature
war crafts consists of three men, two
"engineers" and a navigator. The
sensations of operating a vessel at sea
are experienced by these men. The
orders of the navigator are conveyed
to the engineers by way of the engine
room telegraph and, with the armory
in complete darkness, the miniature
division "steams" over the floor and
performs various evolutions, even as
greater vessels afioat, by the light of
their own searchlights and the regu
1ation side lights.
Idea Is Not New.
The idea, although original with
Commander Martin, of having vessels
"afloat" on the armory floor, is not
new. A year ago four steam launches
similar in model to those in use in the
navy, were constructed under the di-
rection of the chief gunner's mate,
William H. Free, and the armory staff,
from plans prepared by Commander
Martin. These were placed in opera
ton to give to the $50 members of
the command proper instruction and
training in the rules of the road" in
the winter months, when drill was
only possible for the naval militia
within the armory.
The launches proved to be great
success and the men were taught the
proper mode of action in the event
of vessels meeting at sea, and the di-
rection to be taken with the particular
craft of which they had control. The
whole thing worked so well that the
commander conceived the idea that a
wider field of instructions was posi-
BILE along similar lines, and orders
were given to the ship building crew.
which is composed of the Chief Gun
ner's Mate Free and those members
of the battalion attached to the ar
mory staff, to build four 'battleships"
with engine room and wheel house &C
ecommodations similar to that aboard
the launches.
Complete External Models.
Instead of constructing entirely new
models, however, the superstructures
of the launches, which were movable,
were taken OH and hoods, in the form
of complete external models of battle
ships were constructed to fit over the
hulls and mechanism of the launches.
The result is remarkable in the eX-
IRENE to spectators not acquainted
with the method of propulsion and
navigation of the miniature war craft,
To all appearance the four vessels
son the floor of the armory are battle
ships complete in every detail, with
decks cleared for action and guns
bristling from the fore and aft turrets
sand port and starboard gun ports. All
that is necessary to lend spectacular
completeness to the scene are the
waves on the armory floor and the
smoke from the smoke stacks.
When at night every light is put
out in the armory the place is plunged
into darkness, except from the flicker
ing lights from the miniature fighting
craft. With the red lights at the
masthead signifying that the "en-
gines" are motionless, the yard sig
mails begin to flicker and the red mast
head light f1ickers out and is supplant-
ed by white light on the various