The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-08-03

IHE apparent success OF the experiment. u
navigating balloon in accordance with the
wishes of the occupants revives the talk CT
these ships of the air being employed in war to
carry torpedoes and drop them upon the cities
and vessels of the enemy. 1t has been de-
clared that there is absolutely no escape from
these things were they to be introduced.
That remains to be seen. Every engine of
war thus far invented has been met with an
armor Of defense that has served to ward off
its missiles While it may be difficult to
prevent destruction from dynamite torpedoes
dropped from balloons, there lie such a thing
to carry on this kind of warfare. 1t is just as
easy for one power as another to employ bal
looms, and if it is to be that balloons are to be
directed right over tie cities or forts of an enc
my, it is just as easy for the enemy to meet
these vessels d-air, when the spectacle of a
battle above the clouds would be presented.
A balloon is of all human contrivances one
Of the most vulnerable. 1t would not be.difi
cult to meet them as they came on, and to
make holes through the silk that confines the
gas needed to keep them afoat. For this rea
son it is not at all likely that balloon warfare
will ever become an institution. The idea of
such thing is fit for the pen Of Jules Verne
but as to ever becomingan irresistible force in
war it is not to be thought of.
Something of the kind has been the hope of
the Anarchist. The man foolish enough and
contemplate enough to be at war with his
fellow men has always boosted of some new
destructive agency that would enable such
malcontents to destroy their enemies-i. e.,
organized society-at their pleasure, without
i've nature of dynamite came to the knowledge
of these fellows, they fondly imagagined that
there had at last been discovered an agency
that nothing could stand out against. They
seem to forget in all their calculations that
the use of the very same explosives is open to
those whom they would destroy. A dynamite
bomb in the hands of an Anarchist would not
be particle more destructive than dyna-
mite shell in the hands of man in favor of
the maintenance of the law. It is true that
the Anarchist seldom has anything of value
to destroy, but he has life, and this will be
demanded when it comes to the issue
whether there shall be law and
order. The people diligent enough and
plucky enough to honestly accumulate a little
property are not going to see it destroyed at
the bidding of Anarchists and dynamit-rs
without fight of magnitude. The threat to
use dynamite has none of the terror that
these scoundrels imagine it contains. An
Anarchist mob could be dispersed in a mo-
ment by the Anarchists best friend. The
same dynamite that he thinks would enable
him to do so mach damage, would be just as
formidable in the hands of the authorities
Like gunpowder, dynamite will prove one of
the best servants of civilization, in that brute
force alone cannot overpower justice That a
few men have accumulated inordinate fort
unes does not warrant war upon society
And the invention of dynamite does not signi-
fly that society is at its mercy The balloon
theory, that England could readily be de-
stroyed by her enemies, will not brighten any
body in that country. For, while the work of
destruction was going on, it is more than
probable that the English themselves would
be doing something in the same line. I'm
proved explosives are great civilizers.
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