PERISCOPES IN PEACE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11504, 28 September 1915, Page 7

PERISCOPES IN PEACE.

TO AVERT ACCIDENTS. Much of the usefulness of the submarine in modern warfare depends on the periscope, that ingenious arrangement/ which enables the men on the craft while submerged to see what is taking place on the surface of the water far jvboro them. A New York inventor, William E. M'Laren, believes that the periscope can bo made to assist- in the preservation of human life as well as its destruction. His idea is that' if ocean liners and lighthouses were equipped with periscopes tall enough so that their upper ends rose above the blankets of fog which frequently menace navigation, the danger of accident in thick weather would' bo greatly lessened. M'Laren .suggests attaching to the foremasts of ships and to the tops of lighthouses periscopes made in three or more sections, telescoping one into the other so that tboy could be conveniently stored when not in use. Each section would bo 100 ft in length. In the ca.se of very low-lying fogs it- would be necessary to raise only one or two sections in order to bring the "eye" of the periscope into the clear atmosphere. When the fog blanket was still thicker than this, all three sections could bo used, giving a, total height of 300 ft. Scientific knowledge teaches (hat this would"bo high enough to cope with the worst of fogs. On the Hanks of Newfoundland, where the fogs are unusually dense, observations show that they are seldom extended higher than 2.10 ft above the surface of the. senAbove this height the atmosphere is almost invariably clear. The tops of the periscopes would carry flags and coloured liirhto. so that their nearness to one another could be instantly soon either by day or night. Tho disaster iu the St Lawreuce I'ivcr, in which the steamer Empres? of Ireland was sent to the bottom, could have been avoided had both the vessels involved been equipped with even very short periscopes. Testimony at the official investigation into the causes of the disaster showed that at the time it occurred the feg extended only <a short distance above the masts, of the vessels. The value of the periscope in making ocean travel safer would not be limited In fog conditions. The device in clear weather would enable navigator.-, to see the approach of storms, vessels and icebergs ii far greater distance than is now possible. CAREY'S LINEN DEPT.