The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1876-08-17
THE NAMELESS FORCE.

THE NAMELESS FORCE.
Prof. wingard Blows Up scheoner At
q Distance Of One and Three-Ffftns
from the New Orleans Republican,
A proces verbdl has been made out
and signed by Prof. c. G. Forshey, l..
P. Maddox and M. F. Bigney, in which
these gentlemen state that they yester-
day witnessed the demonstration OF
Prof. Vineyards "nameless force" at
Lake Ponchartrain; that at 80 O'Clock |
in the afternoon the professor discharg-
ed his apparatus, and ninety seconds al
ter the schooner at which the test was
applied, moored at one and three-ftths
miles distance, blew up by the stern and
sunk to the waters edge. The MEM
orandum of the committee goes on to
state that after Prof. Vineyard came
ashore they went to visit with him the
vessel in sail boat. They found her
completely wrecked. Even the small
timbers aft of the mainmast were broken
all to pieces. The mast was still stand
ing, but all else was wrecked so that it
would not stand being towed ashore.
The flag was torn to pieces and fell to
halfmast, where it was still flying.
Prof. Vineyards hand was severely
burned by the fash, the silk glove with
which he held glass tube not proving
sufficient non-conductOr.
The statement of the Committee is
signed by the following named citizens,
most of them well known to the public,
who were present and corroborate the
same: Capt. John Grant, J. B. Kelly,
Capt. E. L. Cope, Charles Brown, John
P. Labrano, H. Rosenhaber, George w.
Wintz, Capt. M. II. Riddell, Andrew
Despartes, M. Brannon, A. r. Ober, M.
D., A. B. Williams, James Jane En-
brey, Joseph G Steeher.
From an interview with Mr.. Bigney,
one of the Committee, the following adj
ditional particulars were obtained:
Mr.. Bigney states that at the time
mentioned in the brief process verbal,
heretofore alluded to, he discovered a
slight volume of smoke arising from the
skiff in which Mr.. Wingard had taken
his position, and Immediately after saw
what appeared to be the trail of
some substance or body passing out
from the skiff toward the doomed
schooner Augusta. Surprising cleo
tricity to be the agent employed,
and that the effect would be almost in
Simultaneous, he turned his eyes toward
the schooner. But there she lay with
her flag still floating defantly. He
then arrived at the conclusion that there
had been another failure, and that his
friend Vineyard was self-deluded NOR
tai, led away by such stuff as dreams
are made Of. A little more than min
ute elapsed when some one remarked,
"There she goes!'
He then saw smoke above the
schooner, heard the report of an explo-
sion, and in less than five minutes the
doomed vessel had settled down to the
waters edge.
Mr.. Wingard came ashore and after
his hand had been dressed, which was
badly burned, the committee accom-.
panied him, proceeded to the wreck
which, being entirely of wood, still
floated at anchor on the lake, with the
flag, partly freed from the broken hal
yards, settled at half-mast, as if indica
tive of a vessel in distress.
If the force be all that Mr.. Wingarl
claims it to be, says Mr.. Bigney, on.
that can be successfully and economi
cally employed at distance of from
Eve to seven miles, and wholly beyont
The range of the best guns hitherto made
it VII completely revolutienize mari
time warfare, and leave the cannon o
to-day with the clumsy enginery of an
Gent times.
) In conclusion Mr.. Bigney said Mr.
Vineyard, though much laughed at 0
late, is neither fool nor mailman
He has already indicated his claim a
successful and scientific inventor, an
the hitherto ssnameless force''-hence
forth the ''Wingard force"-will yet b
heard of as factor in controlling tn
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