The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1896-01-16

| AERIAL TORPEDOES, ELECTRIC SNAKES,
DEADLY WATER, SUBMARINE DESTROY
ERS.
''With war upon us we would not be
long in finding the destroyers."
So spoke Edison il his laboratory at
Llewellyn Park.
cit would require but the impetus of a
war to bring forth such inventive genius
as would astound the world. As it stands
to-day battle on land need not be fought
handful of men could sweep away an
army. The destructive power is found in
electricity
"Water can be made more effective than
bullets. For instance, if an engagement
should take place or a fort be assaulted
near running stream, all that would be
needed would be a dynamo and hos
One man for the dynamo, one for the hose
and one for general assistant-three men
all told. They could charge that water
with 5000 volts, and it would sweep every
thing living before it away like chaff 1t
would simply be a question of how far the
water could be forced. The three men
could hold position against an army.
''Then, again, city could be surround
ed with cables that would deal death to all
who should attempt to cross them.
"Another idea that suggests itself as
we chat, is the firing of electric chains
into the invading force. You could take
chains of whatever length was desired and
attach one end 10 the wires of the dynamo.
The other end could be placed in the can
non with as light or heavy load as desired
and fired into the ranks of an approaching
enemy. You could send death to every
| ~, Nth Nd tba
air filled with chains like great snakes.
There are hundreds of other possibilities
that would suggest themselves when once
we realized that we were face to face with
war.
'With properly compressed air | think
it would be possible for a boat to remain
under water for days at a time.
81 believe that a speed of 20 knots can
be secured beneath the water by proper
construction and the right kind of power.
Five hundred pounds of dynamite explod-
ed directly beneath an ironclad Of any size
or strength will send her down. If it is
fired anywhere in her immediate vicinity
it will shake the plates SO that she will
leak. Several such shocks would tell the
story.
sit is necessary, of course, that such a
vessel be fast, because after placing her
mine she will have to scuttle away at a
good gait to save herself from her own
work.
''Our civil war was half hearted affair.
We were fighting against ourselves. But
God,'' said the Wizard rising with shin
ing eyes and outstretched hand, chow
different it would be with foreign
power"'
81 believe that the aerial torpedo fur
nishes us with protection from hostile
war-ships,' said Mr.. Edison.
Il have not the slightest doubt than an
aerial torpedo can be constructed that can
be steered The cost of construction
would be trifing-about 1,500 for each.
Each torpedo could be set to explode at a
certain time after being cut loose from its
ship. Now, suppose so of these things
. were let loose at one time and sent out tC
sea with a 800 pound dynamite torpedo
hanging to it! 1t would not be necessary
to strike the ship when dropped and ex-
ploded. The very force of the conclusion
within two miles of ship would almost
shiver her.
Il don't believe that an arship, or wha
j. is popularity known as such, is practicable
for warfare. | mean a vessel that viii
carry men. ] would not give straw fol
the life of a man who was in a balloon
within, | would say, three miles even OF
the explosion of 500 pounds of dynamite
n II have thought it is possible to con
struct an aerial torpedo on lines somewha
similar to those of a yacht That is, the
body should be narrow and possbl,
pointed at each end, to give as little resist
ance as possible. For elevatjng and pro
pelling power | think that sails just ik,
pillow slips, two Of them, made out o
some strong stuff filled with air, wnult
suffice. With such sails the vessels coult
be guided. Once that difficulty is gottel
over the rest is easy. We could we'll af-
ford to send up a flight of a hundred o
such torpedoes to destroy a million o
} two millions dollar warship that wa
Smelling one of our cities. it would be
business proposition, and we would hav
a great deal the best of it.
''Elecrric power can be applied in S
J many different ways that | am convince
it will furnish the machines o defend thi
4 country against all foreign attack Arr
we in advance with electrical appliances
? Beyond a question Our officers fror
Annapolis and West Point are well equip
ped with information.
'Lieut. Zalinski, who struck off an
i, gave us the combination of the pneumati
] gun and the dynamite gun, will certain
give us another engine OF even create
power
81 am beginning to believe that tn
uses of big boats are growing less. Iol
see, little things like torpedo boats cal
be made SO fast with these small high
power engines that they can plant min'
and get away before harm can be done
therein. Such boats can be thrown to
gether in no time at a cost that is reall.
trihing as compared to a big first elias
cruiser. A myriad of such little fighting
devils would be more effective than
N single battleship.
''High explosives have done more thai
the average man thinks to equalize thu
strength of nations. What it took al
army to do years ago handful of mel
10 can do now. | believe there are hun
dred men to day-inventors-wh are no
paying attention to destructive engine
because they did not believe the govern
ment wanted them, who could turn gu
some new, devilish thing that would hor
. rify the civilized world
''If there is war with England, whicl
trust there never will be, you may quot
me as saying there will be some remark
able things done by Americans. For my