The record-union., 1897-06-22
AN ELECTRIC FENCE.
DETECTING Approaching Bullets by Electric
Current.
A Wonderful Thing PropOsed-W ha'
Has Been Discovered by Ex-
periment-New Tactics.

switzerland opens up an entirely novel
held Of military operations and may
lead to developments in the way Of de-
fensive tactics Of an utterly revolution
airy character. The experiments show
the possibility that electricity may in
future be utilized to defect bullets
from their intended course, thus render
Ing the aim Of the most expert marks
man altogether Intellectual
The discovery Of this vastly import
ant power of electricity over flying
missile was made quite by accident.
The committee Of the Federal Shooting
Association Of Switzerland, while tar
get shooting at Winterthur, noticed
that targets at the left side of the
range received a majority of bullets
to the left of the bull 's-eye, While the
reverse was the case on the other side
of the range. Some quick-witted men,
Der Of the committee suggested that
this apparent DETECTION of the missiles
might be due to the electric telephone
wires which CHANGED TO be strung on
either side of the range. The matter
was brought to the attention of the
Federal Experimenting Committee, who
found that all projectiles that had been
DETECTED from their course were mag
netized
The theory of electrical action being
thus supported, experiments We're IN
dertaken to put the question to a final
test. At the range near Thun, where
ne electric wires We're in the way, four
experimental wires. each eighteen nm.
in diameter, were strung parallel to the
line Of fire and 125 feet away from it.
Paper screens We're then fixed at in
tervals of thirty feet along the range
to indicate the exact course of the
bullets. At 275 yards the detection of
the bullets from the straight course
was no less than seventy-five feet, the
trajectory, as marked by the paper
screens, showing a very remarkable
curve toward the wires
When a trial was made with a Jap
anese rifle, the invention of Colonel
Yamsgate, which throws a very
slender bullet the results We're even
more startling, as the minute bullet
went straight for the wires. broke two
insulators, and followed along the
course of the electric wires, finally
wearing out it's energy with the fric-
ton
The effect thus being more pro-
nOunced with small missiles, it was
presumed that a cannon ball would be
unaffected. But trial proved this as
sumption a mistake, for on a 3OO-yard
range the wires being strung only for a
distance of 200 yards in front of the
target, and at the same lateral distance
as before. the cannon ball was DETECTED
no less than Il degrees. With shrapnel
Can explosive shell filled with musket
balls) the effects We're even more Curl
Gus. as the prOjectile carrying the fuse
made of nom magnetic metal was COM
pletely detached, While the body was
attracted by the current, the bullets,
after the shell burst, showing such eX-
traordinary variations that all accuracy
of fire was totally done away with"
The general result of the entire series
of experiments was to show that as
might be expected, the DETECTING power
OF the current was proportionately less
when large missiles were used. and
varied also with the velocity of the mis-
siIes The conclusion was reached that
it would be feasible to protect an entire
section of troops from hostile rifle fire
at a distance of 800 yards, by means
of an electric current generated by
dynamo or accumulation at one side;
and that at 900 to l 400 yards even ar
tiIlery would be thus rendered harm
less.
1t seems doubtful, however, whether
such an application Of the current as
that here suggested could ever be of
use in actual warfare, unless under
very unusual circumstances, since lines
strung at one side of a section would
be too far removed from the bullets on
the other side to sufficiently influence
their flight. What apparently might
be done. however, would be to have
the wires strung along the earth be-
tween the opposing forces, in order to
ground the bullets The wires being
strung near the line to be protected
would affect the partially spent balls of
the enemy more that those of the pro-
tected soldiers, and the latter could, in
addition. make allowance for the cur
rent in aiming. Should the enemy see
that their shots are falling low, and
make allowance for the detection, the
current of electricity could of course.
be varied or altogether shut off for the
moment. thus releasing the projectiles,
and allowing them to fly harmlessly
overhead. the change in current being
from time to time announced to the
protected line by signals. that their
own fire might be governed accordingly.
BY repeated variations of the current
it is evident that the aim of the most
expert marksmen would be made a
matter of guesswork. II would indeed
be a strange sight should it come to
pass that an army might stand out in
an open field and be protected from the