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Show Vessels Fitted With Ears That Will Warn of Danger g Here ly? fJ ' - i - VvfTfcrLy Tho terror In which submarine 'boats have hitherto been hold by ocean vowels in time of wnr promises to bo entirely dissipated by tho appearance ap-pearance of a simple apparatus, which tho inventor, J. H. Millet, calls "ship's ears." With this new device secret submarine sub-marine attack Is, tho Inventor claims, mado impossible, und all the former disadvantages of tho bell buoy and tho lighthouse, particularly caused by a heavy fog, are dono uway with, for tho new "cars" catch sounds under tho water and locate exactly the point of tho compass from which they come. In making use of the Idea of transmitting trans-mitting sound signals under water tho originators of tho scheme, A. J. Mun-dy Mun-dy nnd Prof. Kllsha Gray of Boston, were pioneers. When they started their work In tho summer of tho Spanish Span-ish war they had no Idea of making "ears" for vesbels, but when tho results re-sults wero finally turned over to Mr. Millet last yenr he soon had his work running on the lines on which It wns finally completed. The prlnclplo of tho invention has been established largely by experiments, experi-ments, but tho method hntl not been mado practical. Mr. Millet undertook to mnko it so and has apparently succeeded. suc-ceeded. The Invention tins been Inhtnllcd on steamers of tho Metropolitan Steamship Steam-ship company, nnd for four or livo weeks theso vessels hnvo been using tho apparatus constantly for the pur- poso of testing Its accuracy under nil conditions. The captains of the steamers have reported to tho officers of their company com-pany that they have been able, Invariably, In-variably, to locato at three miles distance dis-tance thu Boston lightship, upon which a submerged bell wns being rung, when tho vessels weio npproach-lng npproach-lng at full speed. A striking Instnnce of the efficacy of tho device occurred a short time ngo when a steamer was approaching the Boston lightbhlp on her return from New York. Owing to a severe gale, which had been blowing for sov-eral sov-eral days, the seas wero mountainous. mountain-ous. As tho steamer came up Boston bay tho lightship was obscured by rain and fog. Not hearing tho foghorn fog-horn on tho lightship, the captain of tho steamer turned to tho signal apparatus and, adjusting tho earpieces. ear-pieces. Immediately heard tho submarine sub-marine bell and got his direction. Five minutes later, having proceeded on his course, he heard tho whistle on tho lightship for tho flrit tlmo. Tho lecelving apparatus of this unique submarine telephone has two receivers, ono for each sldo of tho vessel In which It Is installed. Thcso nro enclosed In iron cnhcs, screwed Into the hull of tho vessel bolow tho water line A connection Is mado by wire between tho hull nnd tho wheel-house wheel-house whero the telephone box Is placed. By moving a bwltch to the right or loft and then holding tho earpieces to his ears, the listener can ascertain whether or not there Ih any danger or warning ot danger ahead, and where it is locnted. This method is so accurate that tho steamers using tho system hnvo often found their direction within ono point, nnd by n little manemerlng of the vessel a captain can always get his direction with ncrnraey. Tho vibrations which ho hears nro Initiated by tho bell that is hung over tho sldo of the lightship or suspended In tho water at tho end of a cable from a lighthouse or boll buoy. Tho bells are struck by a hammer exactly llko n bell in tho air, only with more force. Thcso vlbrntfotiB are taken up by tho receiver on the sides of tho vessel and transmitted through tho telephone. A typo ot apparatus designed for fishing boats or small vessels of any kind Includes a receiving box, with n ball receiver, which is lowered Into tho water. It Is obvious that somo sounds would bo too delicate to penetrate pene-trate tho sldo of a vessel. To meet this case, a receiver has been Invented which Is lowered directly Into tho water and picks up sounds of comparatively com-paratively small Intensity. To npprecinto tho Importance of thlt Ir.rentlon to the maritime world It Is only necessary to consider that nt tho present moment there are ro sound signals in the air which can bo trusted. |