The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1897-04-15
A Terrible Bomb.

At the beginning Of our civil wal
thousands of inventors went to worl
to devise explosives so destructive II
their nature that the simple announce
ment of their character would cause
the combatants to compromise theil
difficulties.
On both sides of the line many at
temptS were made TO invent a dea tn
dealing bomb OF extraordinary power
Some of the inventions were tolerably
successful, but they did not come NJ
to the popular Ideal.
What was wanted was machine
that would eXterminate men by regi
ments and at the same time spread i
confagra ton which could not be ex.
tinguished by ordinary means.
One of these bombs created sensa
ton in it's day, but the experiment with
it did not prove altogether satisfactory
The explosive was invented by pri,
vate in the Georgia militia. His com.
pany at the time was stationed on the
Chattahoochee River TO intercept Sher.
man in his march TO the sea.
To vary the monotony of camp life
Lige Peake sent TO Atlanta and OBJ
tanned a lot of chemicals, with which
he proceeded to manufa cture an eX,
plosive of great power.
Lige was an adventurous character
He had been engaged In gold mining
in Mexico, and one of his tales was
that, while in that country, lie had seen
a mountain split in two from top to bot
tom with a small tube containing an
explosive manufactured by German
scientist. The secret had been reveal
ed to him, lie said. and he felt salts,
fled that he could get up a bomb that
would wipe out the Federals hundreds
al a time.
Captain lump kimberley took a Won
derful interest in Lige's pet hobby ana
soon beca me firm believer in it. The
other officers in the company had their
doubts, but under tho circumstances
did not feel at liberty to say much.
One day Lige tried an experiment
with his Greek fire. 1t was quite sue
cessful. burning so fiercely that water
seemed to add to the fame instead of
putting it out. The inventor explained
that the materials used were only :,
part of what he would Utilize in his pro
posed bomb. After the explosion of his
missile the Greek fire part of the bust
hess would then put in lis work.
Gradually Captain lump kimberley
grew more and more Interested. He
detailed Lige to perfect his invention
and assigned him Il little log hut near
the river. In this suiet laboratory Pri-
yate Ppake spent nearly all of his time
at work. Several premature mishaps
occurred. and at the end of week
t. experimenter had all the hair on
one side of his head singed off and both
eyebrows were missing
At last the day arrived when 4 pub
lie test was to be made Of the new
weapon of warfare.
Captain lump kimberley was the
biggest and the happiest looking man
present. He had invited several prom
inent officers TO be present. and alto
gether there were perhaps twenty spec
tatorS.
The place selected for the trial was
a deep hollow near the river bank. The
officers stood on the waters edge and
-iewed Lige and his work rather sus-
ticiously.
The inventor bore himself with the
solemn dignity of man who was
about to be blown into fame or eter-
nifty. he hardly knew which. He stood
dowl in the hollow, by giant oak,
one Of the monarchs of the forest. y
hole Lad been drilled through the base
of the rec and in this had been Insert
ed an iron tube containing the myster-
Gus explosive:
\ long fuse was attached to the tube
and Lige carried the loose end in the
direction of the river, where the Off
GERS were.