The labor standard., 1918-09-01
AIR RAIDERS FEAR
 THE SEARCHLIGHT
Allies Find Powerful and Far Reaching Illumination an lrrl-
 portant Factor.
USEFUL IN sPOTTING TANKS
Pick Up Hun Bombing Planes at . Distance and Keep Them Con- stantIy in view-Equipped
 With Sound Detectors.

New York.-Last fall, when the Aus trians were driving the Italian sol- diers from their hard-won mountain fortresses, the defeated army had one weapon which it constantly used to harass and impede the foe. This was the electric searchlight, a newcomer on the field of battle.
 Powerful lights were trained every night upon the advancing Austrians whenever they came to river cross ing or whenever they were obliged to halt for another reason. This ham, pered and irritated the enemy ex- ceedingly It was not only that se- rious danger attended any disclosure of their operations. They suffered also from nerves when the long feel CTS of light brushed over their faces and hands and revealed every detail of the work upon which they were engaged.
 The use of searchlights by our own expeditionary forces is becoming an important branch of the engineer ing service. Not long ago congress voted an appropriation of $1,000.O0O for searchlights of both the field type and the anti-aircraft type. The lights commonly used are 36-inch lights, hav- ing candlepower of 1000, 100000, and maximum range of approximately 10000 yards, or nearly six miles. First Use In Warfare. When searchlights were first intro dueed in warfare it was expected that they would be primarily service able in battlefield illumination. The scheme was to throw light upon the opposing battle line and show ad- | yancing companies of infantry the kind of ground over which they had to go. Another plan was to have rows of searchlights parallel with the trenches and sweep the terrain De- fore them, lighting up the barbed- wire entanglements laid by the foe and exposing parties of enemy sol- diers at work repairing them. How ever, neither of these uses turned out to be especially significant. The dif- l ficulty was that, as soon as the ugnls were in operation. they were easily picked off by the enemy's guns. In the same manner. they could not be placed along the line of trenches
 More recent experiments have dem- onstated that there Is a real useful- ness for field searchlights. They are now being employed to spot the en- emy's tank advances. Instead of be- | ing hauled by horses, like the first field T searchlights, the newer ones are mounted on motor trucks. They are flashed for only a minute or two at time. and are instantly shifted to a1- I other vantage point. This affords them a greater measure of sef-pro- tection.
 The antiaircraft searchlight is the most valuable type of light now used by our soldiers. 1t is our most ef- fective defense against the low-fying night-bombing plane of the Germans Antiaircraft guns have proved almost hopelessly. inadequate in coping with night air raids, and if it were not for the long pointing fingers of the search light the foe would be able to enect some very deadly work in night af- tacks upon supply depots and ammuni- ton dumps.
 The method is to pick up hostile bombing plane when it is about i've miles away from its objective. For this purpose the searchlights are To- cated at points likely to be attacked. They are sunk in holes in the ground and are heavily sandbagged. Both the light and the men working it are given considerable protection.
 Fitted With Sound Receivers.
 To detect the approach of airplanes the searchlight apparatus is furnished with sound receivers. Without these receivers the outfit is practically use less. The receiver can be swung around to catch the sound vibrations and they are remarkably accurate ID discovering the position of the plane Usually it can be located within few degrees. The light is not turned on al all until the airplane is practically 10 cated. Then it is suddenly flashed or the craft. Once a bombing plane is found it is hard for 1t to get away from the inexorable pencil of light. Bomb ing planes are not like battle planes they must fly in comparativel. straight lines and are not free II twist and turn so as to Wr1ggle ou of range of the light.
 The first thing an aviator does WheI he finds himself in the spotlight IS ts rise. That is just what the operator o the searchlight wants him to do. Tn higher he goes the less accurate hiI aim becomes and the smaller grow the chance that he can hurl his bomb at a desired point. Furthermore, he | dazzled by the light and his sense Q security is completely destroyed Some times he can be found out by one Q the antiaircraft guns, or pursued b. one of our own airplanes. Even if tn searchlight crew does nothing nor than to frighten an airman and driv him away it has performed defensiv act which may save quantities Q stores and ammunition, to say nothin of lives. --s--
 A Moving Tale.
 A Yarmouth pork butcher notifie
 tic c,1SfounarS fhat he had sold out