Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1888-12-21
MODERN WAR WEAPONS.
Marvellous Possibilities of the Inventions
Made by lieutenant Graydon.

Marvellous Possibilities of the Inventions
Made by lieutenant Graydon.
There appears to be every indication
that within the next five years enor-
nous strides will be made by the United
States towards securing adequate pro-
lection against foreign invasion. This
protection will not be accomplished,
in all probability, by the old obsolete
system of Notifications which were
sufficient for other days and genera
tions in the early part of the present
century. Instead of them, the United
States will probably be armed with
weapons of defensive warfare so power
full in their destructive capacity as to
convince the would-be invader that his
armada may be blown out of the water
and totally annihilated before he can
fire his first gun, no matter how
thickly plated with armour his vessel
may be. A great deal has been heard
within the past few months of the
Zalinski dynamite gun, and the army
appropriation bill carries an item of
$500, 900 to be used in supplying the
military service of the United States
with this gun. 1t is also understood
that the naval bill will have similar
amount for like weapons for the navy.
But there is another method for firing
dynamite which will also be adopted,
in all probability, and which, owing to
its simplicity, promises greater results
than the Zalinslki gun. During the
Tonquin war the Chinese Government
employed an officer of the United States
navy, namely, Lieutenant Graydon. to
block the Canton river in order that
the progress of the French fleet might
be checked. Lieutenant Graydon could
not secure an extended leave of alb
sence for the purpose of conducting
this work, and, in consequence, re-
signed his position in the United States
navy. He was so successful in his
work that he was offered something
like 100000 by the Viceroy of Ton
quin to blockade in similar manner
the Min river, but the Viceroy of Can
ton, fearing visit of the French fleet,
declined to allow him to leave and the
offer had to be declined, and the result
was that Foo Chow was captured by
the French.
Lieutenant Graydon has devised a
system for firing dynamite from ordi-
nary cannon, which system has been
tested at Sandy Hook with remarkable
results. There was presented to the Mil
itary Committee of the House copies OF
letters from several of the foremost
military and naval officers of the coun-
try, in which they spoke in terms OF
the highest praise of the Graydon
method of exploding dynamite. AID.
miral Jouett expresses the firm convic-
ton that the use of dynamite, with its
wonderful power to annihilate, will
prove to be the most effective means
of checking warefare. AS soon as the
nations Of the earth ascertain that the
declaration of war means absolute de.
struction for their fleets and their sol.
diers, arbitration will be resorted to,
instead of appealing to gunpowder and
the saber. A large sum has been APP.
propriated for testing this new weapon
and an experiment will probably be
made under the direction of the off.
GERS OF the army and navy some time
this summer, as to it's effectiveness
against one of the old monitors Those
who have seen Lieutenant Graydon'
work in the past are satisfied that with
a fifteen-inch rife cannon, at dis
the face of the sea the most powerful
armored vessel of any navy in the
world. Washington Letter.