The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-01-14
ENGINES OF WAR.
Some Unique Contrivanccs and Sug
gcstions for determination of Spanish.

-oult tnlIut -pniilNdntcS anu Sh1
gcstions for determination of Spanish.
WASHINGTON. Jan. -Special--Men-
ton has been made during the past eight
or ten months OF a few Of the contrib
ances offered 90 the War Department
by inventors who desired 20 facilitate
military operations against Spain. But
there were several hundred others which
were not heard Of beyond tho Office of
the Board " Ordnance ana Fertilization.
This board o. composed OF MojOr-General
Nelson A. Miles Cprcsldoau. Colonel
Royal r. Frank. First Artillery. Colonel
Peter O. Hams. Engineer Corps. Lieuten-
aut-Coonel Frank If. Phipps, Ordnlnce
Department: Joseph II. Outhwaite, civil
Jam member, and First Lieutenant ]. n.
Lewis. Sixth Artillery. recorder
The carnations of fertile brains
brought 90 the attention Of the board
must have suggested the thought that
war is the stepmother Of invention. since
no pressing necessity laid maternal
claims 10 the multitude Of devices sub
mitted. Had the suggestions made been
found practicable and adopted American
arms would not have been content TO
race overland i'm armorcd cars but would
have SCARED with the birds or been
equally at home with the deep sea fishes.
as several clever geniuses had plans for
sending submarine cars and boats scurry-
ing along the bottom of the ocean. Had
the latter been found feasible there is
possibility that a real naval battle might
have been fought. as the Spanish navy
certainly did have q way Of getting 10
the bottom Of things liquid.
But this is not all. Humanitariang end
friends alike got in their suggestions as
90 how 10 make the shells effective.
Substances with which TO I'm bombs
ranged from asphyxiating gas, chl0co-
form. SNUFF and cayenne pepper 10 cleo
trical apparatus 10 electrocute the enemy.
That must indeed have been a grotesque
imagination which mentally pictured
American soldiers charging a Spanish
position and capturing II because The
enemy with their faces buried In hand
kerchiefs were sneezing themselves 10
death; endcavoring 20 extract pepper and
snud from their eyes, or taking maps OF
more or less permanence after the eX
pl0sion Of a chlorofOrm bomb. How Ut
terly Insignificant would be ten machine
guns in the presence Of one good, healthy
snuff or pepper bomb.
one inventor can claim credit for being
alone in having q powerful sun glass TO
be used IN burning cities. OF course
hddles would be provided on all balloons
on which TO play as Nero is alleged to
have done. There be a hot time i'm
the old town"
The favorite idea with those who wish
ed TO aid Uncle Sam was that he stood
greatly i'm need Of means TO navigate the
air Sixteen persons offered AS many
solutions OF the problem. Seven were
referred 20 the chief signal officer and
nine not recommended by the board.
4 great many suggestions We're made
as 10 shells and among them seven per-
sons would have used cayenne or red
pepper or snun 10 an them. one thought
chloroform just the thing. while another
favored hydrogen gas. and two others.
carbonic acid gas. Sulphte carbon only
had one advocate. Ten had devices for
filing shells. with "oil and other inham-
rnahle substances" and gasoline was
specifically named by five more. one
genius wanted 10 throw lightning balls
into the ranks Of the enemy. and TWO
more wished 70 an shells with devices
10 eiectr0cute them. Tho worst OF the
lot. however. We're three who 'tuld have
used nitro-glycerne In bombs one who
favored frozen dynamite and another
prussic acid Two others offered glass
pointed and explosive glass shells.
The perpetual motion crank. % course.
bobbcd up serenely. and offers were
HdNr 10 sell tdiitif Two H"'HiNtlH'
vessels. and a disappearing war-ship."
4 Photographic return shell did not re-
ccive a recommendation
Among the papers filed was one con-
tanning some comments on the trans
mission Of power on the rays OF the
search-light.
Among the numerous other devices and
suggestions were aerial blasting anpara-
tus. an electric revolver: an armor plate.
baii-bearirg fort. portable breast works:
coast defence by petroleum: naptha. &c.
proiectiles for destroying barb-wire
fences catapnlts FOR throwing high ex-
plosives. and plans FOR the electrocution
Of an enemy.