New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-07-30
POSSIBLE IyPR0VElEYns N KILLING.
From The Lond,n S3,cfGior

The Limit "a 16rf1iOr
Arc no discoveries possible which should r1dlc-
ally alter all the conditions, OF lighting, ana either
render war impossible give certain victory 10
those Who dare face such destructive nachIuesi It
ia most improbable. The human race has been
studying the Art Of War for four thousand years.
and has discovered exceedingly little, except the
fact that an explosive in "A tolnned space VIII
drive missile long way. They have Earned Ia
throw stones scientifically. SIuce Agncpurt' man
has improved on the discovery OF gunpoW1er, Dus
ma. invented nothing absolutely org nal fOr
thirty years the most learned chemists, the most IN
vcntfye mechanlcIans, the most scientific soldiers
have dcv0Ted their minds to tins SUBJECT WIN
kind OF fury of eageTness prompted AZ once OY lha
love OF tame. by patriotism ana ~ ne Aopc VI re-
wards which 10 some of them, III Mt W nltN9rtn,
sir w Armstrong and Herr hrupp' nave ueeh
granted with a lavish han1, ana theN nave ulScoN,
cred nothing. They have made bigger guns; dhl
better shells, and more explosive poW'ieI, aut uaeo
devised clever ways OF keeping the sl'ei9 guy, Sus
that il ALL The way of killing soldiers - 10 Ito
little bullets through small barrel; the way OF
destroying works Is To ire big DnAets through
liz barrel,-ard that is all. New explosives nave
been discO> cred. but no new waV oil thIoWh2 tnent
for file reQu red distance. Ii ships ever touched or
nearly touched, as in Nelson's tine we sgPpose
catapult might throw barrel OF hltr"-2ly cerino
which exploding dow inward, would anuiiillate THO
enemy's vessel bat the experiment has never Deen
tried ship which approached so close couIi ram
and such "A barrel not being driven by al eAposlVe'
could be kept OF by wire netting.
The only two directions IN which even dreamers
can see probability OF much change are the use OF
electricity or the OF balloons, aila ol ether lHo
nrosnect is very slight. We can 10 great deal
Wi the lightning but we cannot throw II, nor Is ~
eosv To CONCEIVE how it could Ice darted, except
throunh a conductor Mr. Urquharts dream Of tho
oUret savaut who fought the Capitalists army
without weapons WAS original, bnt was only 70
dream The Capitalists had mastered tie worlds
and the Prolctariat in revolt, resolyeu 10 die
rather than be pIllaged longer They had no
weapcns tie Capitalists owning all; nut as no
Canitalsts army approached, electricity. snot from
unseen latteries struck every particle OF nletai
usel bv tbe soldiers, and the army pers eu ~ suu-
denly ana silently a. that OF SennaeherIti ma. =
a mere dream. I: is ust cOuceiyabe that some
A. Edison might manage 50 tO establish wire
connection with an ironcad that the whole struc-
trrs sbould be full OF death-gvng electrcity-be.
in fact. huge wire charged by dynamo. But 10
ia only conceivable, - the similar dreanl-which
has greatly interested some able mechanic ahs-or
so arranging mirrors as 10 concentrate ntoerat 10
heat heat that would puveriZe diamond AT
considerable distance. The thing coulb De uOnc'
we believe eilectually that the very riDs OIL an
iron ship would dissolve into molten metal out nos
at any distance In balloons there i llttle ano
a yeIV little more hope. Ii is always a possiDlnty
that immense electric force may be concentrated IN
such small space that a machine sunPor"1 IN .i4o
air bv balloons could be guided OF VIII; ana enl
were ACHE yed the conditions OF war Woulu' ~, ~.
course be finally altered. No clueS coai,. 20 70.
Ssndad AGAINST A machine shOwerine dynauite
lgnHeu hight be destroyed IN few minutes.
and all fortresses must BE snbterranean structures.
Ia nrartice battles would have Ia he fought IN INC
ar ami fine survi vors would be accepted as irresisti.
| lie masters But the more experienced lnan VI
| sriencs il the more he doubts tne porsoiuly OF
making m aerial machine independent oI the vino.
or Of .sug balloons IN war, except as lie wouio Use
| too,,I.s or other high points of observation.