The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-03-28
WE'VE GOT EN- NOW.
An Invention to Hurl Bolts of Light
ming at Spanish Invaders.

Washington, March 28-GeneraI Ed
ward w Serrel, who, during the war
of the rebellion, was in charge of the
department if the south, United States
army, is in communication with the
government relative to the possible
adoption of his patented device for de
strOying an enemy's ships that may
venture too near the coast of this cOun-
try.
The general will not tell what his de-
vice is, but it is known that electric
ity is the element of destruction. By
an ingenious application of mechanics
a bolt of electricity will be hurled from
a height upon the deck of a vessel
coming within a certain line, and the
humiliation of the vessel is a certainty.
The most powerful gun made at pres
ent will strike with a force of 5000 or
900 foot tons, and it takes four or
five minutes to prepare and fire each
shot. General Serreu'S new electric en-
CINE will strike with a force of $4,000
foot tons, and can do it three times in
a second. That the general admits.
He says that it will be worked by cleo
tricity, and that its power will be reg
ulated from the shore. Some guns
cost $1,000 for each shot. The electric
machine will not cost anything like as
much as that for each discharge.
1t is understood that the invention
calls for the erection of two towers.
reaching an altitude far above that of
the highest point of the highest battle
ship. They will be of four-inch angle
iron. These towers will be on opposite
points of land-such as Sandy Hook
and Rockaway beach, for instance. From
one tower to another will be stretched a.
wire and on this wire the electrical engine
will be be suspended, to be moved along
the wire at pleasure, controlled from
the shore.
In connection with the device, there
will be optical instruments on shore;
which will act something like the Ordi-
nary range finder. They will show ex-
actly where the enemy's ship is stu
ated inside the line covered by the ma
chine on the wires. Then as soon as
the vessel is Immediately beneath the
engine, it will discharge its bolt YER
tically upon the deck of the vessel,
tearing its. way clear through to the
water. This is the aerial torpedo sys-
tenn loosely described. The details are
known only to General Serrell and GER
tain officers of the government and
they will not make them public.
The motive will be steam, but the
missile itself will be electrical fluid.
There will be no metal missile
General Serrell perfected his device
three years ago, and the government
has had specifications and estimates
ever since. If it is accepted, the har-
bOrs of New York, Boston, Newport
News, Philadelphia and Port Royal will
be thus protected, as well as Washing
ton and the mouth of the Savannah
river.
General Serren is the inventor of the
hydraulic vertical gun lift for barbette
guns. He also planned and personally
superintendent the construction of the
world renowned swamp angel batter
les during General GilmOre's siege of
Charleston, and commanded the VOlun-
teer regiment of engineers from New
York. Among his other important in
VentiOnS was that of the long wire tele-
graphs and suspension bridges and a
reduction of exposure of the embraSure
of Notifications.