The Great Round World and What Is Going On In It, Vol. 2, No. 23, June 9, 1898 | Page 4

the army; with the addition that is now called for, the army will number about 250,000; and it is expected that active operations will be begun at once, and that Porto Rico as well as Cuba will be seized at the earliest possible moment; it is expected that part of our fleet will proceed at once to San Juan, Porto Rico, and destroy the fortifications there, so that our army can without serious opposition land on the island.
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The cruiser Columbia, which was disabled in a collision off Long Island, is being rapidly repaired in the Brooklyn Navy-Yard. If she had not been very strong there is little doubt but that the Foscolia would have cut her in two; the frames of the vessel, however, are so well constructed that these, with the protective deck, prevented more serious damage. Naval officers are very much pleased to find how well the vessel withstood the collision; they say that if the Columbia had been a ship like the large ocean liners, nothing would have prevented her sinking with the ship that struck her. When the officer on the Columbia saw that a collision was inevitable, he gave the order "Full speed ahead"; it is very fortunate that he did so, as otherwise the Foscolia would have hit her amidships; and the damage must then have been very serious, as the water compartments in that part of the vessel are large, and when filled might have caused her to capsize. The damage proves to be much less severe than was at first thought; after two or three weeks it is thought she will be on duty again.
This is not the first time that the Columbia has been in trouble of this kind; two years ago she collided with the Wyanoke, a coasting steamer; in spite of the trying circumstances at that time, not a man was lost on the sinking coaster, so perfect was the discipline on the Columbia.
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It is reported that the balloons recently received from Paris will be sent forward with the first expedition to Cuba; arrangements for equipping the balloon train are under charge of Lieut. Joseph E. Maxfield of the Signal Service. It is reported that one of the French balloons will be first given a careful test from the deck of one of the war-ships off Cuba. The necessary plant for generating the gas is already in Tampa; the gas will be forwarded in steel tubes, which will hold a large volume when the gas is compressed.
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It is now proposed to take the necessary apparatus to Cuba, and have pictures of the bombardment of Havana and of other engagements made for reproduction with the cinematograph. Dr. D. S. Elmendorf is now at Tampa, Fla., making elaborate preparations for taking these pictures. The cinematograph is a wonderful invention. By a clever arrangement hundreds of photographs are taken, one after the other, with marvellous rapidity; these pictures are printed on a long strip, and made to pass through the magic lantern as rapidly as when the photographs were taken; the result is a composite picture which, when thrown upon a screen, reproduces every motion.
Edison was the one who invented this system of taking in succession very rapidly a great number of pictures of moving objects. We hope that Dr. Elmendorf will be successful, for we will then be able to see these interesting scenes; and if by a clever use of the phonograph or graphophone he can record the sound of the guns, we may not only see, but hear, the battles.
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In THE GREAT ROUND WORLD last year we described experiments that were being made with kites by Mr. W. E. Eddy, of Bayonne, N. J., who has been largely instrumental in promoting interest in scientific kite-flying. Kites have been made of such power as to carry a heavy cable from one point to another over some obstruction, or to lift a man some distance from the ground for the purpose of observation. It is now planned to make use of the kites for offensive and defensive purposes in connection with the invasion of Cuba. These kites can be raised to an enormous height and photographs taken of the country, or, if necessary, by a clever device which slides on the string of the kite, dynamite can be carried to a point over the enemies' camp or fortifications and dropped into them.
It is also believed that the kite will be of great value for signalling purposes, especially at night, as it will be possible to hoist electric incandescent lamps to a great height above the earth and signal by turning the light on or off in accordance with a settled code. Mr. Eddy estimates that