Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-04-11

eats in the army" After summing up the
various improvements in guns. projecties.
ammunition, &c, produced by American in
ventors. he said:
"within the last few days much has been said
about the powerf,i .lsvy and the heavy guns Of
o European nation, ard fear has been expressed
that such kcsYy armament might enter the
harbor OF some Of our larger cities. So far a.
the army Is concerned, we would gladly let
them come. Let them come in il they want to;
they would go no more out forever. So per
fectly and effectively has the work OF destruc-
ton been planned and carried out that within
surprisingly short time there can be placed
beneath the water . surface an indefinite num-
Der OF destructive explosives. and those can be
so arranged that the vessels passing over them
VIII cause explosion and their own ruin. Or
they may be so arranged that vessels may pass
over them unharmed and arrange themselves
IN line of battle ready for attack. and then by a
simple touch on the shore-it may be from the
hand of small child-there will come in
Simultaneous explosions all along the line, sufii-
cient to destroy in an instant of time the
largest heet finding room in one of our harbors.
There IL also ready and waiting for any for
eign invader the pneumatic dynamite torpedo
gun, wholly an American invention, largely due
to Mr.. Mefford, but Capt ZaIinski is entitled to
much credit in its development. 1T is veri-
table innovation, in that compressed air is
USED IN place of gunpowder to propel the pro-
Jectiie, charged with high explosives Ii is
>"p"pLc vi u trefn( nCOuS mass OF uNna-
mite through the air and against vessel. caus-
Ing Its complete destruction.
Again, II the work of destruction is not
already complete We will plant on shore in safe
POSITIONS groups of mortars. sixteen forming a
group, from which the most destructive ex-
piosi,es can be ut once hurled high in the air
anu SO nicely is the propulsive force distance
OF range and other considerations taken into
calculation that they may be made to drop with
wonderful accuracy upon the offending vessel.
III VIII do more than pierce the joints of the
fesseis armor; these huge and destructive
missiles will drop upon the upper deck, pene-
trate the ship, explode and destroy it.
these things are not mere theories in the
minds OF American inventors; nor do they ex-
list simply in the models in the patent Office.
but they exist in terrible reality, and any
nation belligerently inclined is respectfully in
vited to test them.
with the best of guns and small arms" he
said, In closing, ''and all the equipments of
war, with all the appliances and inventions for
moving troops and concentrating armies. with
an effective force of more than 5000, 900 Of
stalwart men ready for the field, sustained and
supported by more than $1,000, $50 of loyal
hearts-among whom are the mothers and
daughters OF the nation-our army is invinei-
Die to any force that can be brought against it.
Inc American standard is full high advanced
and forcibly sustained. With the increasing
strength OF our navy and maritime commerce
our nag shall not only proudly wave over all
our land, but 1t shall spread its ample folds in
every commercial port of the globe"