The Winslow mail., 1898-06-04
SCIENCE In WARFARE
Inventor Edison Talks About the
Coming Conflict.
Can Produce a Light That WtlI Rem
der Spain's Warships AbsO-
lutely HarmIess-About
Yellow Fever.

81 can produce Il light" said Thomas
A. Edison in his laboratory at West
Orange the other day, that wii1render
absolutely harmless SPANS terrible
torpedo fiotillas we read SO much about.
Science has found way to destroy the
mines Spain has planted in the harboTs
of Cuba. More important still, science
tells us how we can march our armies
from one end of Cuba to the other this
summer, and in the rainy season, too,
and lose hardly a man from the dread
malarial and yellcw fevers.'
Ae to certain published statements
to the effect that Mr.. Edison had in
vented electrical apparatus that will
work all kinds of destruction in case of
war, he said;
"All such statements are imaginative.
No such things are needed, nor does
science do its work through any such
methods. Science does its work in
legitimate and straightforward ways,
and it stands ready to-day to afford the
United States army and navy just what
it needs.
"As to the light that renders abso-
lutely harmless these terrible torpedo
fotillas? Well, the torpedo boat is
demon of darkness only. 1t is an enemy
that creeps upon its foe in the night.
In the daylight it is as useless as the eye
of an owl. In the day time it can be
seen and blown to pieces before it gets
near enough to do any damage.
''In order that an object may be OBJ
served distinctly the light must be be-
hind it. 1t must appear in silhouette.
Ignite bonfire behind tree, for In
stance, and you can see its outlines dis
tinctly.
"By the use of chemicals which ignite
and produce light when brought into
contact with water, the ocean can be
lighted up for about four square miles
about any of our vessels. This is an
ample distance to render torpedo
boat useless, for the moment the latter
appears within the horizon of the little
span of day thus made she becomes
easily visible, and within two minutes
she can be riddled by the modern rapid
fire guns.
''The chemical l suggest can be
thrown out from the ship or feet it is
to protect from guns of peculiar con-
struction. 1t is all very simple and not
SO expensive as might be imagined"
The wizard was asked to elaborate on
his idea of protecting the health of the
army of occupation In Cuba.
Science can do great deal for that
army" he replied. 81 am willing to lay
wager that / can take 100 men Into
Cuba and spend the summer in the
worst districts of the island and not
lose a man, no not one. And the same
thing can be done for the army.
How? The solution is as simple as
standing the egg on end. All that is
nessessary is care and little knowl-
edge. Let nothing go into the stomach
of any man that has not been boiled;
nothing that has not been subjected to
212 degrees of heat. The problem is
easy. Yellow fever be blowed! Excuse
my emphasis, but 1t is as easy whipped
as yellow soldiery."
Mr.. Edison said he had no plans for
the destruction Of the mines in the har-
bors of Cuba. He would leave that to
the dynamite cruiser Vesuvius and the
dynamite cruiser Nictheroy, which, it
has been reported, the United States is
to buy from Brazil. How these little
vessels can make harbor safe by lit
orally blasting a way for our warships
has been told in the Press. Besides, the
army engineers are well up in counter
mining. Mr.. Edison thought he could
not help the army and navy much on
mines. He said we would have a great
advantage in the inine question because
Spain has no boats like the Vesuvius
and the Nictheroy.
Mr.. Edison said he had no doubt that
electricity would play an important
part in the war, ard he pointed out that
the Spaniards have little or no inventive
genius. In this particular, he said, the
Americans would have a great adj
vantage.
All in all. Mr.. Edison isn't worried a
little bit about the outcome of war
with Spain.-N. Y. Press.