The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1917-03-14
Don Marquis
Column

The Jasper ". Prepares to open f1re
without Warning.
The Jasper B." said Cieggett. stir
ring his grog thoughtfully with the
point OF a sailors clasp knife, "will
carry the usual offensive armament
against submarines. But she will
have a'method of defense that no
other ship in the world has. Cap'n
Abernethy and are working out the
details now"
The Jasper B. is. roughly speaking.
of the schooner-scow type. The sea
architect who designed her had evil
IDENTIFY been studying the monuments
left in so many parts of America by
that little known people, the Mound
Builders. II one of the mounds in
the Mississippi Valley should break
loose from its moorings and float
down the Father OF Waters at spring
flood time it would look much like the
Jasper b. She is the only vessel In
the world that ever had a secret tun-
mel leading from her hold and COM
municating with the mainland, as
readers OF history entitled The
Cruise Of the Jasper B. ID. Appleton
& Co., $1.30 nett, are already aware.
She is now in the Erie Basin, being
fitted with both gasolene engines and
steam engines. Hitherto she has
been sailing vessel. But owing to
some popularity in her construction
she will at times only sail stern fore
most. This is particularly CALLING to
man of CIeggett's disposition. He
feels that in time OF war II would be
4 n luz Il. -
he was continually retreating. The
other day Cleggett attempted to sail
her bow foremost from the foot of
Montague street, Brooklyn, around
into the East river and up through
Long Island Sound. II he had been
willing to sail her backward, and II
other craft had kept out of the
river, he would undoubtedly have sue
eeeded in getting into the Sound. But
the wind was blowing the wrong way
or something-and after struggling
all afternoon the gallant and indie
pendent craft slipped backward into
the Erie Basin. Clegett had tried
to get her there last year and had
failed. Now that she had come to
rest there of her own accord he de-
termined to take advantage of the
chance to make certain alterations in
the noble vessel.
Il am going to keep the sails on
her." said ClegRett. There NAV be
times when II will be of positive STRAIT
egic advantage to sail her backward.
She goes sidewise much better than
she does forward, and the steam en-
glnes are for the purpose of sailing
her sidewise. The gasoIene motors
will he 10
! equipped, she will be able TO start to-
ward any point of the compass at a
moments notice"
"She will carry a couple Of tbra.
fnch guns" said CIeggett, land will
pop away at any submarine without
warning. BY skilfully using the gas
olene motors, the steam engine and
the sails, all at the same time, III
Will be able to give her a rotary
motion. She will go round and
round, like turret, swinging her ar
tillery toward any quarter.
am also working on a device for
lassoing periscopes. You are. OF
course; familiar with the sort of gun
carried by whaling vessels, which
shoots harpoon with a strong line
attached into a whale? Well, / have
adapted that principle. have a gun
that Will shoot a lasso over the peri
scope OF submarine. The subma-
rine will be pulled up alongside the |
Jasper Il. with the lasso, and held 10 |
the surface OF the water, and 1 and
my trusty crew will board her with
cutlasses and pistols and capture
her."
But what about the strange defen-
sive device?" we asked him.
Cleggett looked around the cafe in
which We were sitting. scrutinizing
every person in IL with his hawks
eye. He can detect a spy a block |
away.
II am working on a device" he
murmured, when he had treasured |
himself with regard to spies, (which
Will make the Jasper Il. practically |
invisible to her enemies"
"lnvisible?" We Gasped.
our astonishment.
Cleggett, II he had not gone in for
life OF adventure. might have been
a second NiIxoIa Tesla.
at sounds like magic" we said.
Its the simplest thing in the
world said ClegEett. 81 don't mean
that the ship can't be seen at all. I
mean that my device will make the
ship appear 70 be a thousand yards
distant from where she really Is, The
enemy will shoot at the appearance
OF ship, at the Illusion OF a ship, at
mirage, IL you please. instead of
at the real ship. But the Jasper r
will know where the enemy vessel
is"
He proceeded to illustrate.
ut is the principle OF mirage" he
said. Look" He took a lead pencil
from his pocket and thrust 1t into his
highball glass.
THE pencil appears to break" he
said, lat the surface OF the water.
The butt end OF the pencil appears to
be n quarter OF an inch from where
II really Is. The same phenomenon
occGrs when you look at a fish under
water. IT Is prOduced-Just how, any
elementary text book on physics will
tell you in detail-by the light pass-
ing through the two mediums OF vary
ing density and varying degrees Of
transparency. the air and water, lying
in juxtsposition to each other.
"a mirage on the desert. or a mir
age at sea, is produced in much the
same way A light, dry layer OF air
is in juXtaposition to one which is
heavier and denser. and some object /
such as a ship or an oasis appears to
Il