The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-01-24

thought that MACEo would DO safe at his
camp. and could repel any Spanish force.
so long as he had supply Of dynamite.
MAKE" he said, "a series Of shallow gut
ters around the camp; plant the waterproof
dynamite cartridges In them, thirty or forty
! feet apart; let the insulated wire be
connected with other wires a mile away,
where there is q ten-cell battery then let the
electrician press an electric button, and
there will be an explosion. or series Of ex-
plosions, the shock of which no enemy can
withstand it would certainly be frightful
for Spain"
What could be simpler than Mr.. Ed
IsoN's plan for the defence Of the insurgent
campi At the time he spoke. Gen. MAcEo
had an abundant supply Of dynamite In the
Rubi hills; and he had American and
French electricians at his headquarters.
who, 1t was said, had made all the prepare
tions spoken OF by Mr.. EDISON. Yet the
destruction which EDISON had regarded as
the certain result OF the execution OF
his design was never accomplished. In
December last the Spanish soldiers en-
tered the Cuban camp. which, as 1t had
been supposed, was fully protected by dyna-
mite, scientifically employed. We have
never had a satisfactory account OF the
means they took to avoid or overcome the
dangers that lay before them; but 1t cannot
be denied that they compelled Gen. MAcEo
to leave those OF the RUB hills. the pas
sages to which were said to be sown with
plenty OF dynamite.
As to the use OF dynamite Rrenades In the
insurgent attack upon the town Of Arte-
misa In October last, but little Information
has ever been furnished. We were led to
suppose at the time that some houses had
been destroyed and . few people killed by
them; but we know that they did not enable
the Cubans to capture the place, to drive
out the Spaniards, or to do any thing more
than Brighten the Inhabitants.
We had wonderful stories last year about
the uses to which dynamite-carrying balloons
were to be put In the Cuban war. Balloons
laden with the explosive bombs were to be
sent up, moved to point directly over camp
or city Of the enemy, into which, by
an ingenious device. the bombs would be
dropped at the right time with destructive
results. We were told how the Spanish
columns would thus be shattered. and how
Havana would thus be compelled to sur
render, and how the Spanish navy guarding
the coast would thus be sent to the bottom,
and how Cuba would thus be saved The
war balloons were to be beyond the
reach OF the Spanish gunners, and
rs IL was not necessary that there
should be any man in them, the loss Of life
would fall wholly upon the enemy. The
thing was simple as WEYLER's plan Of
campaign; there were rival inventors In the
feld only the funds were needed. Not one
dynamite balloon, however, has yet been
seen lowering over Spain In Cuba, bearing
menace to the enemy.
The idea was not OF American origin. 1t
has been talked Of for years in Europe as
possible factor in modern warfare. There
was a French balloonist who thought he
could take some bombs aloft and throw
them into German cities.
There is nothing new to be learned from
Cuba about the serviceability Of dynamite
| in actual warfare II has been OF use to the
revolutionists mainly in the destruction OF
railroads and buildings; and 1t was
thus used many times before the Cuban
war. The dynamite gun has disappointed
expectations, and so also have the water
proof dynamite cartridges as largo as a
banana, united by wire with ten-cell bat
terry. Perhaps, II Mr.. EDISON himself had
gone last year to Cuba with the electrical
apparatus and the explosive, the results
might have been more impressive than any
we have yet heard of.