The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-11-07
BOMB TO CARRY MEN.
Startling Conceptions Of Enthusi-
astic Inventors.
Troops to he Shot Into a Fort--Queer
Patents In Shells.

the enemy Having arrived, they emerge
from the bomb and proceed to do as much
damage as they are able. 1t Is easy to
imagine the CONSERVATION OF the foe on
finding hostile warriors In their midst and
more arriving every minute perhaps in a
series Of shells that hatch out fighters Ike
20 many dragons eggs. Dragons teeth,
Iuch as Jason sowed for military purposes,
10 not fit the metaphor.
This novel species OF bomb Is big enough
10 contain three or four men. 1t is pro-
vided with portfolios, though which the
occupants are able TO fire their rifles while
the projcctilc is In the air. Naturally the
Idea suggests itself that they would be
killed by the shock of landing, but this Is
provided against by rubber tubes like pneu-
matte tires, three of which encrcle the
hollow she'll When the latter strikes the
ground, it bounds along and rolls for some
distance before coming to stop. This
method Of passing the enemy's pickets at
night, by going overhead, Is particularly
recommended.
Though this country has enjoyed peace
for so long a time Yankee inventors are
continually exercising their "devilish in
genuity," as the British callit, in devising
new engines of war The patent office is
full Of queer kleas Of this sort, particularly
In the limo Of bombs and projectiles. A
Boston man recently has obtained exclu-
siye rights in "a shell that Is intended for
blowing Up warshipa The point Of it
penetrates the steel plating Of the ironclad
and remains fixed, the rebound causing
the body of the shell TO be detached and
fall down. But ii falls only few feet,
being attached TO the point by a wire.
Thus IL hangs suspended at such level as
To be below the row of plates which pro-
tect the vessels water line. Bursting
against the unprotected hull il makes a
hole so big that the floating fortress must
immediately sink.
Equally formidable is a "torpedo shell''
contrived by a ST. Louis inventor. 1t Is
provided with powerful magnets, by means
OF which 1t clings TO tho arinor Of the iron
clad until time fuse explodes IL, rendng
a chasm in the side OF the vessel. Quite a
different sort of bomb Is one that contains
number Of little bombs, which are lib
Grated by the first explosion so as to burst
separately. 1t resembles in construction
one of those Chinese tops which, ON being
spun, give birth to lot of baby tops The
little bombs in this case are cylinders pro-
vided with separate fuses. Hardly less sur
prising is shell devised by Rhode Is
land man. 1t Is loaded with powder and
bullets, and after striking IL discharges its
deadly contents from its rear end. There
Is another species Of bomb, perforated with
holes through which bullets are projected
In all directions and yet another offered
by clever Oregonian, that distributes
hail Of leaden balls as 1t flies through the
air.
A Jerseyman Is the author Of q very pc
culiar species qf bomb, which is provided
with propeller blades. The propeller, start
ed by the initial explosion, revolves at
tremendous rate, giving additional velocity
to the projectile and at the same time MAX
ing its aerial course straight Another
propeller driven shell is to be fired at ships
undor water. Yet another. credited TO a
Buffalo inventor, has wings that spring
out on its discharge from the gun and re-
volve. These projectiles that fly are we'll
enough, but for real devilishness prize
should be awarded to a shell that contains
from dozen to 90 glass bottles of nitro
leum. The bottles are imbedded in gun
cotton. Tho latter explodes first, breaking
the bottles and setting off the nitroleum,
which is capable of smashing anything
that human beings are able 70 construct.
The next war assuredly will be one of
wholesale destruction, and one cannot help
sympatl iying with the naval officer who
said to the writer the other day that things
were coming TO such pass that no gentle
man could afford TO fight
In this regard what is to bo said Of
bomb devised by person from Shaver's
Creek, Pa, which continues to discharge
bullets and scrap iron after bursting?
There Is another which Is nest of shells,
one within another, SO as To make series
of explosions. A projectle for carrying
dynamite is not put In a gun at all, but
Is attached by a chain TO an iron ball that
- placed Ia Il nnrtar wtt Hf.s~tfeF charge.
Thus the dynamite Is not subjected to
shock, but is conveyed by the iron ball TO
the place where il will do the xSst harm
ON exploding. The author Of this idea sug-
gests that a rocket may he used instead for
transporting the dynamite bomb Chain
shot are supposed to be forbidden by in
ternational law, but no nation would hesi-
tate Co use such proiectiles nowadays IL IL |
wanted 20. The old way of firing them
was TO connect two iron balls by chain
aud discharge them from pair of guns
placed closa together but with diverging
muzzles. an this manner the deck of
vessel could be swept Of men by single /
discharge. But that was In the days of |
close quarters i'm marine combats, when /
war vessels clinched and fought hand TO
hand.
A New York man has invented curl |
Gus projectile which holds in it's sides, as
in pockets, two supplementary balls at.
taohod 90 IL by chains. When it is dis.
vhargcd from the gun the twin balls fly /
out, and the triple shot revolvcs, cutting /
everything TO pieces in its wide path. An
other kind Of shot divides In halves, con-
nected by n chain, which fly apart. The
point Of yet another separates from the
body of tho shot, tho two parts being
Joined by chain. Speaking Of things
forbidden by international law, explosive
bullets came uudor that category 90 years
aso. but now the projcctiles fred from
rapid fire guns are always explosive. con-
timing bursting charges II gunpowder
Warfare, though n survival Of savagery,
has never bocn 20 mercilcss ms in this
epoch uf advanced civilization, and no