New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-07-19
INVENTORS DISCOURAGEMENTS
OPPOSITION TO MILITARY AND PEACEFUL
DEVICES OF Val UE
From The Ba,t,mOre Sun.

From The Baltimore Sun.
1t is a little too early to say just how much that
Is in the arts ana processes OF war has been
developed by cur current conflict with Spain
smokeless powder seems 10 have bad its utility
demonstrated and considering how many years
ago II discovered II Is rather remarka bic that
The s.owgoing SpaniaIds should have taken the
have made n far better record OF ere ctiveness as
fighting machines than was ANTICIPATED ey me
numerous critics who, when the war began, pre-
Ga hat thy ny %Ga y nF9Y e gnW @ sn p4a
pears 10 have done all that was expected OF 1t on
board the weSnyus ana psdaaS so a e' nroys n
but must wait for the experts 10 tell US what
Meanwhile Editor John Brisben Walker writes
an article In the current number or MS 'toslno-
po on m, SdSa t new W.T. inventions" T IL
recalls the familiar story OF Ericssons Giffcultlss
us that the ircucl., warshp was not adopted for
Of messing It's merits on the Official mind. He as
.eris that a pneumatic gun weighing more than
a Hight field piece and capabe OF safely throwing
Goye.unent over a year ago, and was then pro-
nounced a success by General Miles. but that II is
s,1' Work In DESTROYING the mines in the outer
channel OF Santiaeo Harbor stu more remark,
Tho Holland submarine boat. whose value was
tested and. as he thinks proved yeayS ago ys' h.
has cut figure In Cuban waters Whereiore ne
concludes that the official mind seems 20 regsiI
the civil inventor with certain cohte,ip, am
stern,y closed against all that is not already known
Without undertaking 70 pass upon tne actuaI
merits either o. the pneumatic gun relerseu 20 o,
Of the Holland boat we are inclined To- thnX that
the military and naval authot''eI an no mew
INVENTIONS than the rest If mankind. Nearly all
imnortant inventions and discoveries have been re-
eaidrd with great scepticism at first. and have
Rad tn win their way 10 acceptance against more
I Wr less IN Engsnd ana Fulton. in America all had
hand work 10 convince their fel!ow-men that the
I,yimrs,cn wrote a very able letter O show that
to build and operate railroad was utterly impos,
soG b nVS9 bg TO risk his life dying through the
air at the Of fifteen miles an h 1 ; NO LESS
argued that the frost on the rails would prevent
the train from moving or from stopping II u H., once
heran 10 move Mr. Seaton. Editor Of The Wash
inrtnn Intellisencer" described a trial trip on the
baltimore and Ohio Railroad when II was hrst
onennd and said that Il might be OF use for carry
inq freight: but as to passengers. he thought II
might possibly he OF service at speed OF tWeIne
miles an hour. when wo"'d De rs i"S' do any o'e
would care TO ride. ,,... D., ,,,-
when Illuminating gas was discovered by by , Mur
n nbrnv paw and Sir Walter scott while wollas
ton scientist Of Smnence IN ms da1y deS ,h
slice from the moon" The bitter opposition 70 me
printing press Is sso wa s' sarr Gs
with large force Of police. ready 70 queI the rot
expected 70 fS9% the nsw methoS OF the
appearance Of the first sewing machine was hailed
ferrd in many American churches that Its pro,
notcrs might be led to see ne OF tnSr
sands Of sewing women to poverty. The attempt
Of Tho French phllanthropiSt GaTmentleI 10 miro
J,,ce the potato to his cOuntrymen came near 10
cnstinr him his ife he offered TO give them seed
not zoos for planting. but. believing the roots
were dangerous they repaid his kindness by wreck
Nv military and naval devices have been re.
ceived neither better nor worse IMAM peacefli
6ovetios The first needle gun was made In 1871,
but II was not adopted by any nation until 1876.
when the Prusslan Government took II up IN
1854 Il surprised the world by the deadly work II
did against the Danish army. Yet in 1865 the
Austrian army was still unarmed with II, and Its
crIIshln. defeat by the Prussans was largely duo
10 that fact. In 1861 when our Civil War
broke ont William G. Dodge lahored hard to have
the Washington Government adopt breech-loadng
guns and metallic cartridges. but II was not until
1854 that the muzzle-loading rifles were retired.
and no. until 1868 that metallic cartridges began TO
be used. The first steam ram was offered TO the
British Admiralty In 1915. but not until our Civil
War was one seen In naval hight Torpedoes
were also first used with success In naval opera
lions IN our Civil War; though IL is on record that
Fulton demonstrated their destructive power in
1855 10 the British authorities who refused -
adopt them.
.lany other Instances might be quoted. all going
TO show that important Inventions, whether peace:
fu or warlikc are usually greeted with doubt and
opposition. Editor Walker thinks there Is real
danger to public interests In this fact. To guard
AGAINST. far warl.ke devices are con.
cerned. he suggests their examination by "a board
OF really great engineers, TO be composed Oh
"broad- minded Army officers. liberal representa-,
tives OF the Navy and the best types from clV!i
life" This Is an idea that will bear oiscusaioh