New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-06-19
" CRANKn INVENTORS IN VAR.
SOME CRAZY IDEAS PROPOSED DURING
THE REBELLION.
STEAM GUNS THAT WOULD THROW UP EARTH
WORKS 49, DOUBLE SHELLS SHOOTING
sNAKEs-sQUIRTING HOT WATER
A PILL FOR JEFF
DAVIS
From The Providence Journal.

From The Providence Journal.
A single fortunate invention may revoutonize an
the present methods Of warfare Jest as IN tn'
famous Monitor sounded the call for IRON Ntssf
ard in day reegated 10 uselo ssness the splendid
wooden navIes Of the world But to me one ma,
whose invention may be OF practical Nsn4e 'ci -, "
! a hundred others with devices in whlch n.y. ,
have the fullest faith. but which appear ut'eIIs
useless and absurd TO every one else lhese ar INC
less of a nuisance during the days Of the civil Var;
The freak inventions and ideas when VIZ WIN
and South form an interesting study IN the Htht
| Of nearly forty years progress , 49,. u,
ventors during ;he Rebellion. but before the sl.uE-
.;le had fairly begun many genluSe9 were neN",inS
/ their attention to finding out some way by whlch
steam power could be UTILIZED IN iand ~aIIaTG az. As
to be built with this idea was known As ne l'alu-
! more Steam Jun. This curious weapon Nh m W
| an odd cross between ancient catapcait and the
/ modern machine gun completed within lew
weeks after the fan Of Fort Sumter ana 10Y Il
time attracted considerable public attention - was
an ordinary steam Nrc-enCine. and mounted upon
four wheels The bullets wee not propelled b! pow
der but solely by the velocity Of the barrel when
/ whizzed around a; the rate of coo dimes a minute.
This proved TO be the most fatai defect 81 r s,,
for on actual trial it was found that although ane
! times second. # was rot possible 10 OBTAIN an
! effective range OF more than Auhufeu !"'"S
! The failure of the Baltimore plan did not dis
! courage other inventors who were working ai1ms
similar lines, for in December 1851 a LoWSiai"
man rose 10 a'n"ii.e d str"I" a., no,ys, rere
invention consisted. according to the h"wsl.dl"is
common roads 20 which was attached one or more
air cannon" Special stress laid upon the ar
cannon part Of the scheme because OF the scaroIIi
| of powder in the South at The time. BY the use OF
machinery it was confidently announced air could
lis Original bulk and when released the force Wouid
he sufficient to propel cannon-oan Wild eve"
Nor this all. BY removing the cannon, L I
machine could be used in pa(e 81 hors,s OF . nueS
drag field guns or carry dspaiches Win ,i tG qua
|
as j ire-enEne. on the battlefield II was dtSlgieu
to run through the ranks OF the enemy. where IL
was warranted TO open up a lane fourteen feeet
wide through either infantry or cavalry. ,,,
From cannon 1t was but short step 10 new kliius
OF ammunition. Early in the war Methodist min
lister named Puffer invented mover double nam
tain powder and the other secret composition IN
tensely inNammatory and exp.os'Vc, wh hn fe
the shell burst. was TO consume eVefHthhs - hi
upon. The patriotic clergyman rem9rk9d OF o nj
birthstone in the abstract for long time and now
proposed 70 give EN- little Of u IN the concrc.e
ance by the War Department. and the porson was
again forced to confne his hell-hre dispensing en-
bouble-chambered shells were fayoTite devi ,e
with other inventors The early Gccupau1ohn o., by
entrance to Pensacola Bay. made the southern au,
thorities very anxious 10 recapture the place ana
among the aids suggested for bringing about ms
result were Kinds Of double shells or BOMBS.
Both plans originated in Ala pama brains ne diied
whirb On the burs,jrg Of these shells would quick
tbese shells could be quickly thrown into the fort
fbe air the inventor asserted that would be i'm
possible for any living being to remain ~ ne phCe
Fort ri kens was more elaborate According 20
"The Mobile News" It was proposed to let Gehera!
Bragg detail few thousand OF ms uHo:s 40 10 u" i
work Of catching snakes. which we're abundant IN
the low lands Of the State at that ime. t4cm ,He
friends Of this humane scheme would nave Md" W.
or sheet-iron shells or cams eTs chaised WIN u
se-pents the shells to be cyndricoI In shaie anu
of size to fit the largest mortar MS nS'' ,
munition was TO be put together IL .ach a MAJ
that soon as II fe within the tHr, coN wcn,
break pieces and libera'e us WriebHIs -,
for the benefit OF the garrison. Those who charged
the shells were warpfd to pgt e cny ' snnEes YER
mixed they would sting each other 70 acath btlnI'
II was also suggested that the corners ana inter-
stices In each shell might be filed IN WIN !" IT,"
ards In order TO make close work since the snakes
would pack loosely. For some reason ms pc,-
Perhans II was feared that some dniorlty mient
be experienced in capturing and ABSORBING inc
The 'FIollns Turtle" another C9nfede i,,l
expected in the South. This was neg 'ypTT ,, oi
war craft designed By Commodore O. \ h s
81 on 1'e ~ NfwOTaa1s She was designed for use
against the vessels OF the enemy in much the same
Years later by the Federal Government The boz
Of the Turtle was Of great strength, beng DI@Vtu
feet In place Of an iron ram, however. the vessel
provided with large iron borer or au fer
which worked by steam ana was ao'u, 10 -,
inches in diameter. This anger was des'sheI IN
under water, and make q no' III nv ~,
OF hostile ship which w0uI9 !tt ~ VIZ so oniy
quickly sink her The hun OF me Iur'.e ios" o.s
about two feet above the water level 50 ma slt
presented but small mark 20 me eheih! sa''
She carried guns, but had twenty-five .ies -.
were to be directed at the deck Of The enemy
vessel In order to prevent the crew from ihtertr.
,ng with The operation OF the auger. IT does hot
seem to have occurred to the Inventor mai siisIe
blow from simple ran w9uid 40 EuI nv his hoT,nc
machine and the Turtle failed to prove % am
Hot water 10 repol boardcrs the idea Of many
geniuses who offered their plans 10 the no' s1
ment Some wished 10 9reot r"g nozz1rs others
would have it spouted through holes IN me nuI-
of bot-water pipes to the rigging Of all the war
vessels. 50 that at given sigma rhe caeW 81 81, Sn
enemy 10 be scalded 10 death on deck by showers
of hot water from above II was proposed 70 Apply
The ancient Greek IRE" !, was thought by some
people might ma S use V on moq Rtpsynr in ri
Colonel John Travis. OF that city, discovered the
ancient secret Of preparing that infeIna mlHtnt.
The colonels invention, II was ASSERTED. ns'Hn i1
became. on exrosure 70 ne ar RGrIeG nro D,a.
Of fire. resembling lquld lner, 'rl ne'tt cr.an
wood Ike under Water thrown npGn the haines
colonel seems 10 have again lost the secret before
T. had time 10 make him famous
Another Yankee notion hayonet. which
metal This was for use in a hand o-hand scrim-
one Northern genius proposed 70 bring about
the fall OF the COnfederscy by striking Mt Its
head His plan to XII Jefferson Davis. not
hv the simple means Of knife. bullet or poison.
which might have occurred TO any ordinary NOR
tai but by n new invention OF his own. This con-
sisted 81 a tiny Internal machine, containing
high explosive and arranged that II could be
set to 20 off at any time The inventor wished the
Government TO make large number OF these ma
chimes and by means OF spies introduce them Into
the provisions supplied 70 the household OF the
rcbel leader ~ Richmond If the Confederate
Pre- sident would only De accommodating enough 10
swallow one OF them without noticing Il. the liz
ventor thought that the problem Of the Rebellion
would be solved
Other schemes for which Government aid was
requested FOR their object the raising OF cotton
on an extensive scale in New-Jersey. and the fur
nIshine 81 the South with large quantities Of
drlIgrcd liquor. the drug offered having some pc
culiar properties which only the inventor could
plain. When the Presidents FIRST call for volun-