The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-04-27
By ALBERT WHITING FOX.


- ONE Of the most important in
ventions born from the emer-
~ gency fleet needs Of war now
are being turned to peace uses with
promise OF great benefit. The cam
outage department Of the navy.
which designed and painted more
than 1900 vessels to deceive the en-
envy as to the course they were fol-
lowing at sea, now is turning its
energy and talent to apply paint in
such manner as to make clearer the
ships true course and to increase its
visibility in order to minimize the
danger of collision at sea. This Blu
reau of Mines, which assisted in the
war work of perfecting the micro
phone and the geophone to ascertain
the exact location of enemy guns, now
Is using these delicate instruments to
locate entombed miners when neces-
sary.
The lessons in aeronautics brought
about through war emergency are
now being applied to general use and
the increased safety and effectiveness
Of the modern airplane is the result.
The radiophone, designed to flash or
ders from airplanes to men on the
ground and vice versa, is to be used
more and more generally. and expert
ments recently completed indicate that
before very long We shall have So
called radiophones in the front
yards of country homes with the
instrument attached TO the occu-
cupant's favorite oak tree. Such in
cumbrances as telephone wires may
be unnecessary, for scientific work due
to the war has shown that tree
is a natural and excellent medium for
transmitting wireless messages or re-
ceiving them.
Even to Use Gases.
So many and varied are the appli-
cations now being made Of inventions
due to the war that It will be some
time before the full fruits OF this sci
entific progress are appreciated. In
the navy they speak of making col
lisions at sea next to impossible. and
say that even in cases of fog the mi
crophone will warn the vessel of any
approaching craft in time. In the army
they point to airplane progress ant
the extraordinary developments il
wireless. Even the poison gases arr
scheduled to serve some useful pur
pose later on, it is said. Experiment:
have already been conducted with ;
view to applying these gases agains
insect pests, and though so far thu
danger has been too great for practica
purposes Of solution this problem 1,
now promised. Each department o
the Government boasts of havinl
brought forth something during tn
war emergency which will be usefu
in the coming days OF peace.
The application of lessons learne
by the navy's camoufiage department
IS an excellent example. Because o
the war secrecy 1t was not general
known that a portion OF the floor spac
above Secretary Daniels's office in tn
new Navy Building had been give
over to the exclusive study Of camou
fiage. At the rear OF the office is
door leading into n back room whic
presents a very unusual appearance,
Against the wall appears a collectio
OF miniature ships carefully modelle
anu pdinleu III CURIOUS ana DlZdiT
colors. An odd looking instrument
noted which. 1t later develops, is tn
periscope Of a submarine.
spotting a ships Course.
There are many surprises in stor
when the naval officer shows yo
through the works" The little 81
opens for the line of vision OF the per
scope and you see what looks like a
expanse OF ocean with a miniatui
ship following her course. At the lie
Is an indicator which you are askt
to set in the direction you think II
ship is going. After careful study yo
set the indicator to point northeas
erly course. Then, opening n door flu
Their to the left. you are conducted I'M
the room with the model ocean ar
shiR - 4 h hound ths4 o. vessel