The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-05-05
DestrOyers
In rlid-Air--
APossibility

me today. I'VE have gone about AZ far a.
We can go In perfection Of the doating
craft, the battleship. the torpedo boat tbo1
stays upon the surface Of the water, the
cruiser and torpedo boat Destroyer The
submarine craft is now much In vogue.
In fact, 1t Is quite the rage among GER
tain class OF daring inventors. But every
man who has carefully studied the quos-
ton OF submarine navigation knows the
dreadful difficulties In the way and doubts
complete success by any methods which
can now be discerned But the aerial ma.
chine Of destruction is an untried Geld.
That we are upon the eve of important de-
velopments in that direction am con-
vinced. In fact, I personally know of
numbersof inventors who are even now at
work upon devices Of this sort. II the art
Of navigating the air could be developed
aerial destroyers would follow as a mat
ter of course and follow very quickly. But
as yet flying machines are mere toys, and
1t is impossible to say how long IL will
take to develop them to tho stage of use-
fulness.
Successful use of aerial m machines Of
destruction does not wholly depend upon
navigation of the air. The use of kites in
testing meteorological conditions Indicates
In a small way what may be done In the
dropping of explosives upon the ships or
cities of an enemy. So 1t IL, too. with
balloons which float at the end of guy
ropes. Even without navigation OF thU
air our inventors are likely to produce
some very remarkable devices for drifting
aerial machines out over the point TO b.
attacked, permitting dynamite or gun cot.
ton or inellenite shells to be dropped. In
just what way these devices will be adapt.
ed 90 throwing explosives out to wind
ward In case tho point to be attacked liea
in that direction OF course cannot say.
II could tell that, would have the
secret myself. But believe It will be
done. With the coming of aerial machines
for dropping high explosives we shall have
. new argument In favor of universal
peace.
Hydraulic Ship Armor.
Another naval expert was telling ne OF
an invention for protecting ships from the
heavy shot of an enemy. It was device
by which there was to be extended out
from the armor sides Of the vessel when
In action q secondary protection Of metal,
this to be set in q system of air pistons.
In other words, when q ship II ready to 90
into battle this extension armor plating
will be showed out 10 or 20 feet by means
of hydraulic screws. 1t will be held in
place by pistons working In air plungers.
When shot strikes the outside armor, Il
will force the wall of metal inward against
the air resistance, practically without dam
age to the outer armor plating or 10 the
ship itself.
or. Whether IL will or will not work well
ty. ~ - ~f~ L.
expert to whom the matter was suggested
said In his opinion It would not work at
ALL but that the effect would be very much
as II piece of paper wore put out before
ones hand to ward of blow from sharp
edged tool. The paper not having sufii-
cient bulk and resistance to stop tho point
aimed at, 1t would simply be pierced. The
fact that IL ia held In place by air cushion
plungers will not, In his opinion, help
matters at all, because the blow from
modern cannon ball Is so quick and short
that before the air pluDger could be sot In
motion to take up the shock the armor
would be pierced and the shot would have
passed on to the ship itself.
There has been such large number Of
volunteers under the calls Issued by the
president that discussion has bsen rife as
to the number Of men the UnitoG States
could throw into the field In case We wero
threatened with q really great war. OF
course the trouble with Spain does NOS
stir the people of our country ~ , whole.
1t touches only the edge Of our great body
politic. But let the United States become
involved in desperate war with such .
nation as Germany or France or Britain,
and it would be seen that we were capable
of raising such armies as the world never
saw before.
Guarding War Secrets.
Secretary Alger gave 1t as bis opinion
the other night in private conversation
that the United States could N necessary
throw 5000, 900 soldiers into the field in q
year or year and half, all fully equip
ped for effective service. There is no
doubt that the men could be had. The
only point would he as to their Quitting.
Would IL be possible to provide guns and
ammunition and commissary and tents
and medical supplies and all the parapher-
MALTA of war for so many men In such 4
short timer Other military experts than
the secretary of war believe it could bo
done. They say the people of the United
States are the most Inventive and meohan-
ically resourceful people In the world. Let
such war come on, and just az our mnri-
time inventors and constructors have al
ways met every great emergency with
something now and effective SO 1t Is be-
lieved our machinists throughout the coun-
try would rise to the occasion and turn I'll
sorts Of machine shops and factories into
concerns for turning out guns and NUM-
tions of war.
Great trouble has been experienced By
the leading officials of the war and navy
departments In preserving the war secrets
intrusted to them. The newspaper corre-
spondent Is everywhere. He has his cone
nections and his means OF getting infor
nation which puzzle even the oldest and
most experienced staff commanders. Rigid
orders have been issued In both Of the war
making departments TO keep Information
from the press, and yet the press continue
70 print the news. WALTER WELLMAS.