The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-03-21
ELECTRICITY IN BATTLE,
IT'S POWER To DEF ECT FtYLyyy
AND CANNON B.iLLS.
swiss Experiments Indicating Tint KIN, IT.,
May Be Turned Aside at 400 itrl, 1900,
ARTILLERY Firc mt 900 to I,iOO .,rI
Pow or of Currents and po.I,t,, ,r,..

Swiss Experiments Indicating run, Rin, ,t,,
May 'Be Turned Aside al 400 iarI. ..,
ARTILLERY Fire mt 900 to I,IOO t,rr.-
Power OF Currents and Position OF t.i' ~ I....
Some experiments recently made ia IS
land open UP an entirely novel field o. y
operations, and may lead to hcvrlUpmr...
way OF defensive tactics OF an hti.r..
tionary character. The CNprriu.u., ..., .
possibility that electricity may 30 ul!. i..
fleet bullets from their intended gn4 .. ,
rendering the aim OF the most expert lu....
altogether Intellectual.
The discovery OF this important rovcru.
tricity over a flying missile was made az ,
accident. The committee OF the FEEDER -...
Ing Association Of Switzerland, while
shooting at Wintcrthur. noticed that tar.
the left side OF the rarTc received a m....
bullets to the left OF the hullscyc. VIII.
verso was the case OH the other side o,t..n,
Some q~uick-witted member OF the c1n .
suggested that this apparent dcicoll..
missiles might be due TO the electric to-. ..,
wires which CHANGED TO he strung on oa..
OF the range. The matter was brousAt
attention OF the Federal experiment. .aa
tee, who found that all projectiles tAlt % a
detected from their course were magnet -,.
The theory OF electrical action puiuE tn.. =
ported, experiments were undcrtakrn 60 -.f
question TO a final test. A; the range r,l.I .
where no electric wires were In tho Wa.
experimental wires. each eighteen m%.lliur'r. g,
diameter. were strung parallel TO tho I'm.
and 125 feet away from it. Paper scrrr.- IS
then liked at intervals OF thirty feet a'Jl. "a,
range, to indicate the exact course olthr %
An electric current OF 5000 yo.ts bc.s ,,1a
through the wires, its influence was urr. lax.
ably shown by the course OF the bll'.'s "a
from the military rifles. At oT5 yarfs "a. .--
hection Of the bullets from the strn.gl. ...r,o
WAA nj lRZa Than Z Iran 4 Et4 tEN l..H Gee
tory, as lnarkfq by the pIper screens, s-4N..-A
very remarkable curve toward the wire..'
when a trial was made with a japanese r-a.
the invention OF Col. Samagata, which tlrru,a
very slender bullet, the results were even @.lss
startling, as the minute bullet went -frt:.tf f1-
The wires, broke two insulators, ami iul!oset
along the course OF the electric wires, uua..F
"iTf he eft SSt ~ ibe eseE bsi, VIM morn Ias bono L55gt,9 55nrea v,
small missiles, IL was presumed that h canton
bail would be unaffected. But a trial pgyyal
TINS assumption a mistake, for on a 3.opO-y.r.
range, the wires being strung only for a die 80
OF 200 yards in front of the target, ana at 40
same lateral distance as before, Tie cannon a4.
Was detected no less than IL. With -LrA,.s
tan explosive shell flled with muskc.
the eff ects were even more curious. az the .--.
Jectile carrying the fuse made OF non.LAa-Ir.3
metal was completely detached while the ~.
was attracted by the current, the bullet. a.-.r
the shell burst showing such eTtranrlins-T
variations that az accuracy OF tire Was to-A.y
The general result of the entire series q. cy.
periments was to show that, as might be e..
pected, the DETECTING power OF the curreGt was
used, and Varied also with the veIoeijy Of H.
missiles. The conclusion was reached thu; .
would be feasible 10 protect an entire section
troops from hostile rife ire at a distance Of 500
yards by means OF an electric current generate
by a dynamo or accumulation at one sIde: al.
that at 800 TO LOO yards even artillery wou.-
be thus rendered harmless.
II seems doubtful, however. whether such IN
application OF the current as that here suggest!
could ever be OF use in actual warfare, 4u.ess
under very unusual! circumstances, since J..
strung at one side of a section wOu.i l- 100 p
removed from the bullets on the Other I'D. X,
sufficiently influence their fight. WAT al,---
might be done, however, would h. 20 - e.
the wires strung along the earth between VIA
opposing forces. in order TO gronut he 0l-l
The wires being strung near the Line - H. -y-
tected would affect the partially sptni gaa-s
the enemy more than those OF the V.gta.-..
soldiers, who could. IL addition, MAKE allow
see that their shots are falling Low,
make allowance Tor tie detection, The ,-..
varied or altogether shut OF for the mon.
nus Te.easinS HE lroleetlles aud ale.
current being, from tune 20 time ~anno.Ltc. .
he protected line by signals, THAT their own -ss
might be governed accordingly. b. 7epca.
'nTlations OF the current it Il evident tLat tie
Aim OF the most expert marksInoE would DO ln-ss
\ matter of guesswo;k. Ii would indeed DC "a
orange sight, should II come 10 pass. tEat .-
army might stand out ia an open field ami -
protected from the onemy's Dire By an iny.s!o.s
OF electromagnetic force. yCt -.-
.eems to be within the Possibilities. MAJ
vain imagined his Connecticut Nankee T.
King Arthur's Court, - protesting himself .-a-4
ais armored foes by surrounding his sIroa-suiI
With an electric fence; but now truth promises
outrun the fancy OF the rOuIancc-.
Perhaps the most interesting suggestion O.
he Swiss experiments, however, is the mes a'.
nent they Introduce into the old Coutro,s.-l
versus arlIOr plate. Just = : q 3d..
the pru!eCtiieS We're in the lead. e.. ..
Johnson 100 pound ball. projected by . J.g
oft steel. had penetrated ten inches o; Ii.
teel. notwithstanding its Haryvy. ICED sur.-..,'
hardness. But now the >ws
make IL clear that the difficulty
uture may be not SO much 10 penetrate 4.--..
to hit at al.