Science Siftings

New Zealand Tablet, 22 April 1915, Page 53

Science Siftings

By ‘ Volt.’

v ; Wireless From Paris to Warsaw. The wireless station of the Eiffel Tower may be utilised to communicate with Russia from Paris, via British stations to the Mediterranean, instead of by way of German stations. But the Eiffel Tower, however, could easily get its messages to Petrograd direct, for it is the most powerful station on the Continent. The terrific ‘sparking' from its antennas, nearly 1000 ft above the ground, is so distinct that those conversant with the Morse code can read its time and weather reports in the streets of Paris without any instruments. But there is no powerful wireless station in Russia, and the round-about route will be necessary. The British Government is building a station more than 500 ft above sea-level in a remote part of Oxfordshire, which will have a dozen masts, each as high as St. Paul’s Cathedral. This station will be able, it is anticipated, to get into direct communication with Egypt 'the daytime, and possibly witji India at night, when the ether is always a better carrier. Modern Shell Fire. The naval correspondent of the Standard, writing about the recent victory won by Sir David Beatty, says that some time ago Sir Percy Scott gave a description of modern gunfire which will convey some idea of what took place when, tearing through the water, the British men-of-war were pounding at the enemydots on the far horizon. This officer was referring to the 12iu gun. ‘ The home for this projectile is the enemy. The art of gunnery is to get it to that home; to arrive there we point the gun at the moment of firing at a certain spot. That spot is not the spot that you want to hit; the gun must be pointed high, so as to counteract the effect of gravity. The wear of the gun, the temperature of the air, the density of the air, the strength and direction of the wind, must all be taken into consideration when settling where you are to point the gun.’ The admiral then illustrated the course which the shell takes, saying that in firing at a range of fifteen miles, which is possible, the shot would go to an altitude of 22,500 feet, which is 7500 feet over the summit of Mont Blanc. One can realise what a• variety of atmospheres it will pass through and how impossible it is for anyone on earth to divine what will be the direction and the force of the winds it will meet with in its ascent and descent. When a mass of iron, the size of a man’s body, has to pass even five miles through the air, one may imagine what a difference' wind behind it, or in fropt of it, or right, or left of it, will make in its final destination. Rubber Armour-Plate ! If the present war has proved anything it has proved the inadequacy of the protection afforded by armour-plate covering the under-water vital parts of a ship. The armour does not extend sufficiently far below the water-line to assure complete protection when the vessel is rolling, and in this respect a suggestion put forward by a writer in Popular Science Siftings might be worth serious consideration. Describing an experiment made n 1860 on the recoiling strength of rubber, he says that a piece of rubber two inches thick and a foot square was placed under a steam hammer and a six-inch round shot was placed on it. The hammer fell with tremendous force and broke the shot to pieces, the rubber remaining elastic and unimpaired. Results from great explosive force on rubber flooring and buffers have shown that beyond fusing by heat the rubber remained uninjured, so apparently rubber would make a ship more shot-proof than armour-plate.