The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1895-12-27

present system ~ To run lines OF torpcdocs
acrvss tho harbor and fire them by cleo
tricity as the objects to he destroyed pass
over them. This system can be greatly
improved upon, | think, In many ways.
For instance, hats the matter with put
ting out number of structures on which
wheel could he placedr This, sunk
10 the bottom of the sea with a cable
around T.. would give You an endless cable
that could he kent In motion just like the
CABLES that run the street railroads. Tor
pedves could be attached to these and
desirable. Its location at any time OF its
travel could be traced just as readily
as Y u were stationary, The torpedo
toward the surface by some magnetic
arrangement and would discharge when
the pressure of the water on its top
run out In various directions would make
the harbor mine OF death. Nothing anoat
could live IN Il. There ia nothing 10 pre-
vent THIS being done tomorrow. So you
see how quickly defenscs can be found
Electric power can he applied in so
many different ways that am convinced
II VIII furnish the machines to defend
this country against all foreign attack.
Are we IN advance with electrical appi-
from Annapolis and West Point are wei
equipped with information | am some
times aStcnished TO ind how well posted
they are In the practical workings OF the
and gave us tho combination of the
pneumatic gun and the dynamite gun,
VIA certainly give us another engine or
even greater power. have an idea for
a gun that will permit the firing OF dyua-
mite direct. The dynamite liz 50 quick
aud the air so show tha, they can not
make gun Tor the purpose that viii not
burst. What I would do would be to
make four capncns IN ono. That Is one
m the center. another rim around that,
third around the second and "a fourth
around the third Load Nil OF them, ami
then when you fire them torcther tho load
between the first aud second rims win
furnish ia 10 Las n,
the first tube TO prevent that bursting
and the other loads would act In a similar
manner. thus keeping your gam intact.
made some experiments and they were
encouraging, hut other things have occu-
pied my attention Yo, sec, nothing is
listed.
u once had a wild idea that could
cd i'rc cannon inside of IT, The little
cannon could then DC fired twelve miles
ara. arriving az That distance. could
twonty-fom- mile shot. Ii wouldn't work.
though.
- nm BEGINNING 20 believe that the uses
ct ldg bouts nrN growing less lon see,
ldtlc things Ike torpedo boats can bc
made Sc fast with these s,ual h!eh-powcr
engines mat they can plant a mine and
get away before harm can ho douc there
IN. They are SO easily handled too. ana
require only II handful OF mon. Such boats
can te thrown toEcther IN no time at a
10 a big first class cruiser \ myriad OF
such lttle flehtiug devils would bc NOR,
ohcCtiVc than III Sic hattlc-shp. Many
might be destroyed In cndcaVoring to
place their mines but ir one ever got
through tho line OF fire close enough to
IRE It's proicctile all would bc over with
"High explosives have done moro than
tho average II an thin KS to equali2c the
elrHgth OF nations What It took an army
10 do years age II han dful OF men can do
FtiM. l hhltpNH TIE hundred
today Inventors who arc not paying ut
tGnticn To destructive engines hccause
they did noi believe the government want
Cd them. who could turn out some new,
icNii.sh thing that would horrfv tho civ
lllHod world, Electricity IT, such a flexible
power tni II can h. put to many usos
,hlt, are MOI thought OF today II Ia easily
hnadlcd, requires hut lttle space aud
,,S tsd mta nary rssrlts nor that sGh
sniy tc use alcctr.c bower The rrupclline
force could be secured from chemicals
such as caibonic acid gas or hydrogen
uHain."
~ thore Is n war with England, which
trust there never win be. YOU may
quote mo as saying there viii I've some
~ nhrkHhlc things done by Americans
For myself | Will say that ! win nhau-
don an else and give my whole energy
10 the service of my country. Tho dynn
mite nun should he taken NJ nrst II
should be cNperimonted with more. 1t can
he nnilt 50 cheanly md made SO much
II can hc put IN the greatest war vessels
on the seas would have TO Keep very
respectful distance from "A shore whore
one WINS pHuicd 4 vessel armed with
II dozen dynamite guns would hc II terror
OF the p"ns.
american inventive genius will soon
suunly what the army and navy OF the
country lack
But therc. rvc talked moro about these
things than ! thought | ala. I've sa11
quite enough "
And moment later the famous In |
Vcntor was working among his chemicals |
with tho energy of youth