Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-05-11
LIGHTNING nOMB.

fearful havoc on striking. The projectie
is To lie attached by a copper wire to a
powerful dynamo at tho firing station.
Being fired, it will carry the wire with it,
and through the wire the exploding cur
rent will be sent when the bomb has
alighted Oh hostile ship.
Examiner Seely, chief OF the division of
electricity at the patent Office. has devised
an electrical gun for throwing q continu-
Gus stream of projectiles containing high
explosives. The weapon is tube COM
posed of a series of wire coils, and it is fed
with the explosive shells from ahopper
Along tho tube runs copper channel, and
wires arc so attached as to connectthe two
ends Of the gun with a battery. The con-
trivance is very simple, being of the sort
known to electrical experts as a'ssele-.
mold" The spherical projectile.s as it
runs through the tube. closes the Circuit
at "a series of points ana obtainsn steadily
augmented velocity, being finally project
ed from the mouth of the gun with fofce
enough to throw it six miles.
A gun OF this description concealed be-
hind a hill or embankment, could project
a steady rain of bursting proiectifcS upon
ships at sea or into a fort occupied by the
enemy. 1t would be silent as wellSas in
visible, no report ard no smoke accom-
panying its discharge. OF course there
would be no danger OF the bursting of
projectile in the tube--that peril always SO
dreaded when dynamite is used in guns
because tho shell would receive no shock
in being thrown.
Two inventors of Russian birth. named
Bernados and Olszewski, have offered n
scheme by which steel ships may be bored
as full Of holes as SO many coianderS. 1t
is perfectly practicable, too, apparently.
There are various ways in which 1t I1ighs
be carried cut, but preferably submarine
boat is employed. Having arrived at
point Immediately beneath the vessel that
is to be attacked, the operator attaches a
copper wire to her bottom. The wire is
connected with powerful battery, and to
tho latter is also hitched Il second wire,
which terminates in carbon stick, such
as is used for arc lights. Taking this stick
in his hand, the operator holds 1t closs to
tho ships bottom, though not quite in
contact, and the current being turned on
the metal. melts and runs like so much
wax. Only short time is required to
bore great many holes.
Captain L. l.. Zalinski, the we'll known
inventor of the pneumatic dynanite gun,
has contrivcd flying torpedo which is
calculated to work a lot of mischief con-
tanning, as it does, n quantity of high ex-
plosives together with an electric battery
to set them off when the proper moment
arrives. The battery is of chemical ma
ture, and the chemicals are put into it
dry. So long as they remain dry no cleo
trical action is excited and the apparatus
is harmless. Thus the projectile may be
fired by Il gun with perfect safety. 1t is
intended to be thrown into the water near
a hostile ship. A hole in the shell is plug
ged with gelatin, which is presently
melted, and tho water, entering. energizes
tho battery, exploding the torpedo and dis
tributing the onemy's vessel over the
briny waves in fragments not too large
for kindling.
Another sort of use for which projectiles
of this kind are recommended is the clear
ing away of set torpedoes in harbors Be-
ing thrown ahead of ship, they may be
SO timed as to burst soon after reaching
bottom, exploding mines in the channel.