Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-06-18


been no battle on the sea since the days OF
wooden battle ships, and rapid-fring weapons,
fish torpedoes, high explosives, submarine de-
stroyers and other devices for scientific and
wholesale killing have had no chance for o prac-
tical trial. The United States government is tax
ing active of late in the line of
strategic bsllooning-in the experiments which
all civilized and Christian nations are engaged
with for the purpose of discovering more
effective means for wiping out hostile armies
and fleets. While busy with smokeless powders,
the chief object of which is to make the foe
visible, the War Department has been keeping
an eye upon the "smoke grenades' that are
now exciting attention in England. They are
filled with chemical substances which, on ex-
plosion, produce clouds Of dense black smoke,
and are designed to be carried in advance by
skirmishers and thrown SO as to conceal the
troops following. Not less novel and remark
able are the Illuminating bombs which are being
tested by the Italians. One of them cast among
the enemy at night will burst and Immediately
light up the darkness with a power of 100,0 900
candles.
One Of the most extraordinary Of new inven-
tions in warfare is the French explosive called
'melinite," which is not only effective for rend-
ing and destroying when thrown in bomb
but also serves purpose similar to that of the
''stlnkpOts" of long ago. These latter, sup
posed to have been originated by the Saracens
during the middle ages, were utilized as late as
the last century by the British, French and
Spanish. Smashed among the enemy, they set
free volumes of poisonous and asphyxinting
gases. Melinite Is only three times as powerful
a. gunpowder, but it has the great advantage
of being entirely safe to handle. Its base is a
coal-tar product termed picric acid and it has
about the consistency of molasses being poured
into shells and hardening. The fumes liberated
by the bursting Of one of these bombs are most
deadly. Not long ago, for the purpose of ex-
pertinent, single one was fired at a vessel on
the deck of which had been placed number of
sheep and goats. ALI of the animals not killed
by the fragments of the exploded shell were
suffocated to death. One dav a French work
man digging out of the ground a melinite bomb
that had been fired three days before was so
far overcome by the gases which it still ex-
hailed as to be with difficulty restored.
PUTTING THE FOE TO SLEEP.
The object of civilized warfare being not to
kill but to disable and capture the adversary it
has been suggested that shells, instead of being
loaded with destructive and deadly explosives,
should be filled with powerful though harmless
drugs, which on bursting would spread sleep
producing vapor. Thus an entire ships COM
pany might be plunged into involuntary slum-
Der by a single bomb. and in like manner whole
regiments and brigades could be forced to re-
sign themselves to sudden and helpless repose
W pc TcNNtu lhttT ny their humane CaptOrS.
The somniferous gas ought to have nearly as
possible the same specific gravity as the atmo-
sphere, SO as to be dispersed in the latter and
hang in clouds about the enemy neither rising
in the air nor falling to the ground.
High explosives. hitherto untried in either
military or naval contests, will play large and
important part IN the warfare of the future.
The most powerful at present known is Tex
plosiye gelatine," being fifteen times as strong
as gunpowder. 1t is made by dissolving gun
cotton in nitro-giycerine, the preparation hav-
ing the consistency of honey. Unfortunately it
is very unsafe stuff to use in battle, because a
bullet striking it will set it off by conclusion,
No explosive is good for fighting purposes that
can be touched off by shock or otherwise than
by actual contact with fire. novel kind of
bomb is filed with what the inventor calls
''hellOfte." The two chemical ingredients,
binitro-benzole and nitric acid, are in separate
glass vessels, which are broken when the shot
Is fired, their contents being mixed together by
the rapid revolution Of the shell and exploded
by a time fuse. Wonderful accounts are given
OF the havoc created by the bursting of pro-
jectiles of this description. Up to the present
time no method of throwing high-power ex-
plosives from guns by means of gunpowder has
been proved successful, although one scientific
gentleman has wasted $500, 900 Of Uncle Sans
money in experiments, which only resulted in
bursting many valuable cannon However.
trials that are being conducted under govern
ment auspices with a new mixture termed
..emmensite" seem likely to solve this problem.
Until now only pneumatic guns have been
found available for such purposes
Flying machines for use in war have engaged
no little attention Of late on the part of inven.
tors. Maxim, the designer Of the famous gun
claims to have produced one which can be con.
trolled. He declares that he can fill his aerial
car with explosives and hover in it over the CITY
OF London, holding that great metropolis o,
NJ aa mill 81
pounds as he chooses to mention. Thus sit
uated he can announce his terms by dropping a
small package containing a statement Of them
and his ultimatum Of "cash or crash" Hi
continuance is q cylinder Of aluminium contain
ing three-fourths vacuum, its collapse being
prevented by strong ribs inside. 1t is propelled
and steered by electric gear, and is further sus.
tanned and balanced by the wings Of a great
aeroplane, with automatic arrangement of q
compensatory nature that brings the machine
Immediately back to the horizontal when il
tends to vary therefrom.
BALLOONS FOR WAR.
The War Department has been recently CON
Quoting experiments with balloons for militar,
purposes. 1t will exhibit at the Columbian ex
position one Of its new balloon trains" con
sisting Of three wagons. One of the wagons
carries balloon packed in a basket, while the
other two convey cylinders charged with hydro
gen gas. When it is desired to send up the bal
loon, it is taken out Of the basket. connected
with one or more of the cy finders, and is ready
to make the ascent in fifteen minutes. 1t at
tains an elevation of 1900 feet, remaining at
tached to the earth by wire rope through
which a copper wire runs. The copper wirs
connects . telephone in the balloon car with
banother telephone on the ground, SO that direc
communication Is maintained. II desired. thu
telephone wire may be continued to the head
quarters Of the commanding general miles
away. Meanwhile, the observers in the balloon
car can overlook the position and intrench
ments Of the enemy, being at q safe distance
from the hostile lines. Sketch maps they car
send down by means Of the wire rope plaI
recently suggested is to send up small captive
balloons, carrying nothing but Photographic
cameras. which could be worked automatically
from the ground. They would be allowed t
drift over the Notifications of the foe, each one
taking series Of pictures Of whatever was be
meath.
Rapid-fring guns are attracting more atten
ton just now than any other development o.
the science Of warfare. The latest and mos
admirable weapon of this sort is the invention
OF Mr.. Maxim. II stands ON q pivot and i,
managed entirely by one man, who points thu
nicely balanced instrument in whatever direc
ton he desires. He has simply to aim,. mas
much as the gun fires itself, throwing contin
ual storm Of projectiles like water from hose
The operator pulls the trigger once and aftel
that each shot discharges the next one and rifle
bullets issue from the muzzle at the rate Of 90(
minute. Another pattern projects fifty ex
plosiye shells per minute, each weighing
pound, while still another throws six lOO-pounC
shells minute. In order that there NAV he nj