The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-04-05

He was a lean man with a persistent
look, says the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
He leaned over the desk of the associate
and persisted in waiting for him to look
up.
"Well?" said the associate.
The lean man held up small valise.
Il have here" he began, but he got
no further
I'm long on everythIng-except cash."
said the associate.
Sir said the lean man, with some de-
gree of dignity, this is not for sale. 1t is
an invention, sir; an absolutely novel in
vention. 1 merely want you to come In
on the ground floor, sir, as a witness"
whats the nature of your discovery"
inquired the associate, as he leaned back
and resigned himself to fate
The eye of the lean man frightened.
1t is a warship destroyer, sir. l call IL
the magnet of death 1t is so simple in
construction that it is a wonder somebody
did not stumble on it long before 1 did. 1t
eclipses the ordinary torpedo boat. 1t is
absolutely certain. 1t cannot be guarded
against
What's your principle?''
Simple, of course. As you know.
Warship is mass of iron and steel. 1t
attracts the magnetic particles. A sensi-
tive magnet will at once intuitivelv turn
toward warship, even though the latter
be at some considerable distance This
is my principle. 1 have constructed a
conDhauo OF wood, magnet and vibra-
tory tail, that is guaranteed to feel the
warship's influence at a distance of at
least hve miles. The magnet of death
is ballasted to run under water. and I
calculate that my No. 4 size will cover
the hve-mile distance in fifteen minutes
and then stick to the hull of the warshin
like a veritabe limnet."
But how will that damage the enemy?''
A natural question. BY putting a span
Oh my magnets together, or hooking up
three in the Russian fashion, can attach
to them a cylinder containing six bounds
OF my new fulminator, which, when cleo
trlcally fired from the shore, is enough to
blow hole in the side of Cheops. Here.
| let me illustrate"
The lean man brushed back the 'paDers
| on the associates desk and cleared a suf-
nclently large space. In the center of this
he placed steel fac-simile of warsnip.
perhaps foot long. Then at one end Of
| the desk he laid two curious little objects
that looked like metal pollywogs. They
bore between them a bright brass cylinder
| perhaps half an inch long. A fine wire was
| attached to them, its ends disappearing in
| the Valise on the floor.
Ready" cried the lean man. Cor
He raised his hand from the comical pol
| lywogs and they began wriggling across
the top of the desk toward the warship at
high rate of speed A moment more and
| they had touched it, holding their black
noses tightly against it's metal hull.
Now, watchr shouted the lean man.
He bent over his valise, his hand in its
| interior.
The next instant there was a flash and
a sharp report. The warship jumped from
the desk, a shower of copy flew in the air
the dictionary toppled to the floor, and al
the associates pigeon holes emptied them
selves simultaneously.
When the associate had adjusted his
dangling glasses and picked up the Ink
stand and waved aside the cloud of vapory
smoke, the lean man, the valise, the war
ship and the magnets of death had disap
peared together.