Великий военный синдикат

           Thetubewhichpropelledthebombwasofaforcegraduatedaccordingtocircumstances,anditwouldcarryabombtoasgreatadistanceasaccurateobservationforpurposesofaimcouldbemade.Itsforcewasbroughtintoactionwhileinthecannonbymeansofelectricitywhilethesameeffectwasproducedintheothertubesbytheconcussionofthesteelheadagainsttheobjectaimedat.Whatgavethetubestheirpowerwasthejealouslyguardedsecret.Themethodofaimingwasasnovelasthebombitself.Inthisprocessnothingdependedontheeyesightofthegunner;thepersonalequationwasentirelyeliminated.Thegunwassomountedthatitsdirectionwasaccuratelyindicatedbygraduatedscales;therewasaninstrumentwhichwasacteduponbythedip,rise,orrollofthevessel,andwhichshowedatanymomentthepositionofthegunwithreferencetotheplaneofthesea-surface.Beforethedischargeofthecannonanobservationwastakenbyoneofthescientificmen,whichaccuratelydeterminedthedistancetotheobjecttobeaimedat,andreferencetoacarefullypreparedmathematicaltableshowedtowhatpointsonthegraduatedscalesthegunshouldbeadjusted,andtheinstantthatthethatthemuzzleofthecannonwasinthepositionthatitwaswhentheobservationwastaken,abuttonwastouchedandthebombwasinstantaneouslyplacedonthespotaimedat.Theexactnesswithwhichthepropellingforceofthebombcouldbedeterminedwasanimportantfactorinthismethodofaiming.