The Irish standard., 1902-09-13

with one in the Duluth Observatory.
The request will most likely be grant
ed by the chief of the Weather Bureau.
Speaking OF the invention, Chief
Moore says: Il consider the invention
great help in my department and
it should prove of much value to the
, Weather Bureau in It's work.
Another priest, Rev. Casmir Zeglan,
of st. Stalislaus' Church, Chicago,
has invented bullet-proof cloth to
protect the wearer from assassination.
In an interview lie says:
'"To show my confidence in the
merits of the cloth l have several
times offered myself us a human tar
get, allowing any expert marksman to
fire upon my body at such places as
l am protected by the bullet-proof ar
NOR. l am still ready for any further
tests. In the manufacture and sale
OF this cloth, however, please say that
my interest Is that which was awak-
ened from humanitarian standpoint,
the assassination of Carter H. Harri-
son, ST., having first suggested the
use of such protection.
'Orders for the bullet-pr. of vest have
been filled for nearly all the crowned
heads of Europe and 100 men in the
bodyguard Of the car, who will wear
them upon state occasi ms. Many or
d,ers have also been received from
sheriffs on the frontiers
There is nothing particularly secret
in the quality or manufacture of the
new cloth. Pure silk is used in three
ply strands, making cord about as
heavy as an ordinary fishing line and
rather more than twice the size of
heavy embroidery silk. The weave,
however, is peculiar, being seemingly
in four thicknesses with each weave
crossing the other SO that the whole
fabric is closely bound together, ad-
ding to the embarrassing qualities.
In thickness the cloth is about one
eighth Of an inch. 1t is soft and PHI
able, so that it may be readily formed
into shape to fit the body. When
struck by Il bullet the very small
meshes give slightly, the cl-th not
breaking, but rather showing u ruff
fed up surface at point OF impact,
as silk will naturally show when tile
threads are seriously disturbed. The
bullets that have been used in tests
show the impression firm threads of
the fabric and tiattened heads.
The history of this invention dates
back to the death of Carter ii. IIarri-
son, ST., who was as.sasSnated on the
| last day OF the closing of the great
world exposition in 1898. From that
time OH Zeglen began to ponder over
an invention that would prevent men
exposed to the envy Hnd malice of
victims of the assassin. After four
years of hard toll he succeeded in his
endeavor by discovering that silk is
impenetrabe to bullets. Before COM
ing upon his discovery lie tried various
other materials, such as hair, Straw,
etc, but none seemed to give as per-
feet results as the higher grade silk
material
The first public test of this bullet
proof fabric was made in the presence
of tive chief of police Of Chicago and
his assistants. 1t was next tried on a
corpse, ON Il live g and finally on the
inventor himself and On DR.. Il. H.
Westcrschulte of Chicago. Other tests
We're made at Fort Sheridan, New
York and at Springfield armory, Mas
sachusetts. All of these tests proved
very satisfactory.
Many orders f r the cloth were re-
ceived, but the quality did not suit the
inventor, who made a special trip to
Vienna, where John SZczepanik & Co.
and N. Reiser, director of the weaving
school at Achel, aided him in perfect
ing the ma chinery for the new ma
terial.