Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-09-19

mounted, 1TIng prolectlles weighing
leo h., which can penetrate 25 IN
ches of wrought iron at the muzzle
improvements tn regard to the nouns
ing of guns are illustrated by the in
PRODUCTION Of turrets with no less than
three guns Of the heaviest caliber in
each of them Should the war be pro
onged, we may even see ships en-.
gagged which have four guns In a tur
ret, the French having vessels build.
ing which are so equipped. The lat
est edition to the ornaments of com
p,eted vessels takes the shape of anti.
aircraft guns, which are mounted for
defense against dangers from aloft.
Since Tsushinfa was fought. the
methods for the scientific laying OF
guns and controlling their fire have
undergone radical changes. The
range Of present day fghting and the
speed at which movements are made
necess.tate that the gun should be
aimed, not at the object It is desired
to hit, but at the place where the OBJ.
ject may be expected to be when the
shot has competed It's Hight. To do
this, scientific appliances are essen
tial, and their use Is popularity known
as "fire-control' The mechanical de-
vices include sights, operated from q
position outside the gsln.tiirret; range
finders, both aloft and In the turrets;
transmitting instruments between the
control positions anu the guns to deal
with messages connected with range,
DETECTION, the rate of change Of range.
bearings, and general orders; and
similar equipment. Improvements in
loading appliances and other matters
connected with the handling Of guns
have greatly increased the speed at
which the weapons can be fred. Two
aimed rounds per, minute from each
gun of the largest. ealihsr can be fred
nowadays, or ct the rate on one round
every fifteen second s. :.
As to the shiI j 4fself, her Internal
construction has Been materially az
fected BY the incfeased power Of the
torpedo and the advent OF the submar-
Inc and the submarine mine. Three
battleships were bunk by mines dur
ing the Russo-j pahese War To meet
the danger from this quarter hat Is,
from mines laid ijy ships or from tor
pedoes fred either BY big ships or by
vessels specially quilt to carry them.
whether above or below water-inter-
nal subdivision o1 the hnll by means
of water-tight bulkheads Is resorted
TO- The advances IN regard to propul-
SIGN represented by the substitution
of the turbine for the reciprocating
engine is also very marked. Less
space is required for machinery OF
higher power. Moreover. oil has been
introduced and has resulted in M
creased speed and efficiency of propul-
sion. Not only is it employed in con-
junction with coal as fuel, but in many
new ships. and specifically all the
small craft, it is burned exclusively
The oil-engine or other type OF inter
nal-combustion motor is not at pres
ent employed as the motive power OF
warships except submarines.
1t may truly be said that the de.
partments of thelnayal progress Of the
last ten years cannot even all be In
dictated In one article, much less can
their influence on each other be traced.
The great advance In the torpedo, Tor
instance. has brought about develop
ments In the vessels Of which 1t forms
the armament The submarine mine
has brought into use two new classes
of ships in mine-layers and mine
sweepers. Wireless. telegraphy mas
reyolutionized methods of communicat,
ing intelligence, and Is now applied
to every type, submarines and air
craft included. Another novel feature
in a modern feet is the group of aux,
iliary vessels such as repair-shtps'
enabling vessels to keep the sea Tor
prolonged periods without the neces'
sity Of returning to the dockyards
The latter, however, have also been
SO modernized In plant and organiza
ton that they are now capable o.
building the much larger battlesnips
of today in about half the time occu
pied by those of ten years ago.
Only in q great war between two
nations possessing nayies Of the first
class could these many novel appli
ances and improved methods of organi
zation be tried, and apart altogetheI
from the personal and public anxiety
in regard to the result of the clash q
arms by sea, 30 tremendous as i
must be, there is the secondary inter
est which attaches to the crucial tes'
to which all these inventions Of naya
science. the fruit of years Of study AMI
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