The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1914-08-11
signal
By Means Of A Tuning Fork
In Ships Bottom
New York times)

Collisions between ocean liners in
the fog could be prevented by a sub
marine sounder such as has never yet
been installed in any vessel, William
G.. Spiegel, of 276 Cooper street,
Brooklyn, contends. Mr.. Spiegel's
idea is to construct a large metallic
tuning fork to be imbedded in the
framework of the bottom of the ship
in such a way that the entire hull
could be made a sounding board, like
the body of violn, and he says that
such fork, If struck at regular inter
walls by a hammer operated by electri-
city, could be heard at distances of
from 10 to 10 miles
Mr.. Spiegel was much interested in
the statements of j. b. Millett, of Cam
bridge, Mass, which were published
in recent issue of the New York
times. "Mr. Millett," he said yester-
day, els an authority in this matter, for
he was for several years Vice Presi-
dent and General Manager of the Bos-
ton company which manufactures all
the submarine sounding apparatus
now used in ships. AS he says, the
use of submarine receiving apparatus
is very wide, but there is practically
no sounder that know of which Is at
present installed in any ships is a
mechanical hammer which strikes the
skin of the ship and has so little effect
that it can be heard only a mile or
so-not far enough to be of any value
in pr-eventing collisions"
Mr.. Spiegel says he invented the
first submarine bell He took out a
patent in 1888 for such an invention,
but was unable to push the manufac-
ture on account of the lack of capital.
Meanwhile the Boston firm began the
manufacture of submarine signaling
apparatus, and Mr.. Spiegel at length
brought suit against them for in
fringement. The matter was settled
by the purchase of his patent by the
Boston firm In June, 1905, about six
months before it expired. No bells
of his model were ever manufactured
| by them, and as the patent has now ex-
pired Mr.. Spiegel says that his idea
| Is free to the public.
"My original submarine bell" he
continued, would hardly be the most
practical sending apparatus at pres.
ent, as it was designed a quarter of a
century ago, when the speed of ocean
liners was very much less than it f.
now. But / believe that the sound
waves from tuning fork, the details
of which have not worked out full as
yet, but which | believe Is thoroughly
practical, would be strong enough to
give any liner sufficient warning oil
the approach of another. AS II is al
present most liners have submarine
receiving apparatus. AS Mr. Millett
points out, the Monroe and the Nan
tucket both had it. But of what use is
a receiver when there is nothing to re
ceive from another vessel but the
sound of it's screws? The sound of the
vessels own propellers Is so loud that
IL Is impossible to hear those Of anoth
er steamer. The tuning fork woulC
have to be struck at intervals, as a fol
horn is sounded, otherwise the vibra
tions of the fork In one vessel would
make an approaching ships vlbra
tions inaudble,'
Mr.. Spiegel does not think highly o
the bell saunders advocated Mr.
Millett 1T is true" he said, that the
vibrations caused by submarine bells
ON lighthouses and lghtships can be
heard at a distance of from IL to II
miles. But those bells are mucl
larger than any that could convent
emily be used on liners
ship owners are conservative Mr.
Spegel asserted. 1T is pretty hard tC
get one of them to try thing unless
he Is convinced that all the others arC
going to test it. But | want to pu
the general idea of my device before
the public in the hopes that car
arouse enough interest in 1t to get 1
perfected and installed in some ship,