The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-07-28
AIM WAS SPOILED
BY ELECTRICITY
Significant Discovery Made by a Party
OF Swiss Marksmen.
MAY REvOLUTIONlzE BATTLE PLANS
The Presence of Highly Charged
Electric Wire Near the Target De-
fected Bullets Very Decidedly from
the Line of Fire --- Deductions
Drawn.

Some experiments recently made in
Switzerland open up, says the sun, an
entirely novel field of military opera
tions, and may lead to developments in
the way of defensive tactics of an ut
terly revolutionary character. The eX-
periments show the possibility that
electricity may be utilized to defect
bullets from their intended course, thus
.endering the aim of the most expert
marxsman altogether Intellectual.
The discovery of this important pow
er of electricity over flying missile
was made quite by accident The COM
mittee of the Federal Shooting associa-
tion of Switzerland, while target shoot
ing at Winterthur, noticed that tar
gets at the left side of tie range re-
ceived a majority of bullets to the left
of the bullseye, while the reverse was
the case on the other sire of the range.
Some quick -witted member of the COM
mittee suggested that this apparent de-
Election of the missiles might be due
to the electric telephone wires which
CHANGED to be strung on each side of
the range. The matter was brought to
the attention Of the Federal expert
mental committee, who found that all
projectiles that had been DETECTED from
their course was magnetized.
The theory of electrical action being
thus supported, experiments We're un-
dertaken to put the question to a final
test. At the range at Thun, where no
electric wires were in the way, four
experimental wires, each eighteen mil
limetreS in diameter, were strung par
allel to the line of fire, and 1875 feet
away from 1t. Paper screens We're then
fixed at intervals of thirty feet along
the range, to indicate the exact course
of the bullets. An electric current of
5000 volts being sent through the wires,
it's influence was Enthusiastically shown
by the course of the bullets fired from
the military rifles. At 2f5 yards the
detection of the bullets from the
straight course was no less than sew
enty-five feet, "the trajectory, as
marked by the paper screens, showing
very remarkable curve toward the
| wires"
FURTHER TESTS.
When a trial was made with a JAP
| anese rifle, the invention of Col. Yama-
! gaia, which throws a very slender bull
! let, the results We're even more start.
! ling, as the minute bullet went straight
| for the wires, broke two insulators, and
| followed along the course of the elec.
trio wires, finally wearing out it's en-.
ergy with the friction"
The effect thus being more pro,
nounced with small missiles, it was
presumed that a cannon ball would bt
unaffected. But a trial proved this as
sumption mistake, for on a S,000-yarC
range, the wires being st, ng only fol
a distance of POO yards il front of the
target, and at the same lateral distance
as before, the cannon ball was DETECTED
no less than II degrees. With shrap
mel (an explosive shell filled with mus
ket balls) the effects were even NOR,
curious, as the proJectile carrying tn,
fuse made of non-magnetic metal wa
completely detached, while the bod!
was attracted by tie current, 1.-The bul
let's, after the shell burst, showinl
such extraordinary variations that al
accuracy of fire was totally done ava,
with"
The general result Of the entire serie
of experiments was to show that, a
might be expected, the DETECTING powe
of the current was proportionately les
when large missiles We're used, an,
varied also with the velocity of tn
missiles. The conclusion was reache,
that it would be feasible to protect al
entire section of troops from hostil
rifle fire at distance of 800 yards b.
means of an electric current generates
by a dynamo or accumulator at on
side; and that at 300 to 1,400 yards eve
artillery would be thus rendered harm
less.
PRACTICAL RESULTS.
1t seems doubtful however, whethe
such an application of the current a
that here suggested could ever be Q
use in actual warfare, unless unde
very unusual circumstances, since line
strung at one side of a section would b
too far removed from the bullets on tn
other side to sufficiently influence thei
flight What apparently might be done
however, would be to have the wire
strung along the earth between tn
opposing forces, in order 70 ground tn
bullets The wires being strung nea
the line to be protected would affeo
the partially spent balls OF the enem
more than those Of the protected sol