The Washington herald., 1908-05-03

explosive projectiles? Some wireless scout
might report that missile was on the
way. 1t would take a fun minute. even
with the enormous initial velocity Of six
miles a second, for the destructive visitor
10 arrive, says the New York Tribune.
! A minute IS long enough to get thor
oughly scared in, but scarcely gives tbs
opportunity for an entire population to
/ escape. If there were any sound accom-
/ panying the discharge it would be heard
about sixteen minutes after the arrival
of the projeetile Probably no warning
would be given. Noiseless and irresistible
as fight Of meteors, aimed to the hairs-
breadth with mathematical calculation.
death would descend from a clear or
clouded sky
| There would be no means Of telling the
distance or direction Of the enemy. He
might be operating upon the sea; he
might be located on the land anywhere on
the circumference OF circle /, 800 miles in
extent. There is good deal Of space in
such an area. Let the wireless buzz and
the aeropIanes go scouting at all points
OF the compass in search Of the destroyer
Of cities. New York may be blotted out
in the few hours required. with the best
luck, TO find the enemy. And if the loca-
/ ton Of the enemy is known at the begin
ming, and fire fights fire, the enemy has
| city for target, while the defenders
must aim at a tiny bulrs-eye
NOT Far on, He Says.
/ Such speculatOns would seem TO belong
to the school Of noyelistic dreamers Of
the future. However. they are soberIy
advanced as matters not very far over
/ the future horizon by Col Frederic \.
Mapde, c. B., a military authority and
lecturer on military history at Mlnches-
/ ter University in England. It appears 10
| Col. Maude, writing m the Contemporary
/ Review for April. that the invention OF
the electric gun is the last word in war
making machines and must result either
( in q universal cataclysm or a world peace,
/ II Is not as a mere life destroyer that
/ the new invention can hope TO change
the face Of things. People have often
predicted the end Of war through the in
creaSing deadliness OF modern weapons.
/ But increasing precaution and distance
! between opposing forces have compensat-
ed for the greater deadliness. and no
| ipropOrtionate TO the broadswOrds OF our
| ancestors. Not to destroy life, bat to
destroy property, and on a gigantic scale,
despite the conventional ideas OF dipIo-
mats, will be the aim OF warfare in the
near future, and the destruction Of prop
| erty will bring nations 10 terms mora
| quickly than the slaughter OF armies.
| The electric gun, which is already in ex-
/ istence, says Col. Mauie, and which viii
| put great cities at the mercy Of puny
/ foes, is the invention Of Mr. Simpson.
/ formerly known as metallurgicaI expert
/ II Is unlike any gun ever known. since IL
/ has no TecOil The lay mind can hardly
conceive the possibility OF a projectiIs
| leaving a gun at terrific speed, yet hav-
/ Ing no backward push
Usually r Powerful RecoiI.
/ Whether powder or compressed air is
used in an ordinary gun. there Is a pow
erfuI recoH, proportionate 10 the charge
/ and the weight Of the weapon It may be
| surmised that the electric projeotile is
not driven, but drives itself by means OF
Ipropellers, constituting an aerial torpedo
| or a self-directed aeroplane of destruc-
/ ton. There is no sound or smoke.
| The initial velocity is $1,000 feet a sec
0nd. This is travelling close 10 six miles
/ a second, a speed hsretofore undreamed
/ Of for projectiles OF any sort Half a
mile a second is about the limit for pow
/ der-driven pTojectiles. The electric Weap-
on is able 10 propel missiles Of any desir-
/ able dimensions and weight up 10 200
/ pounds. The resistance Of the air. which
increases as the square of the velocity,
will not prevent the prOjectiles from
reaching far distant targets at an enor-
nous speed. II is imaginable that al a
distance Of fifty miles the velocity would
/ be sufficient 10 bore any battle ship or
building with a solid projectile, while the
mere conveyance OF high explosives at a
/ greater range would be sufficiently de-
stTuctive.
II is assumed that 200 miles viii be the
effective range. At this estimate the na-
tions of Europe could mutually devas-
tate their cities without overstepplng
/ frontiers. A small anarchistic state could
/ blow up half a dozen metrOpOliss Bombs
could be dispensed from London to q cir
cult of cities including Liverpool, Am
sterdam. Brussels and Paris. The Chan
mel would interpose no obstacle TO duel
/ between the French and English capitals.
! torpedoes flying through the air in oppo-
/ site directions 10 destroy Westminster
and the Pantheon. the Houses of ParIia-
ment and the Louvre Silent would be
the old-fashioned siege and coast defense
guns helpless TO aid or hinder the aerial
combat.
Battle ships Like Bulldogs.
! A petty conflict might be going on be-
tween battle ships Of the warning pow
/ ers. This would not last long and would
/
won. Modern battle ships are like bull
dogs; the survivor is as much hors de
combat as the vanquished.
The new weapon has two important
| features that put it within the means OF
| the humblest persons bent on annihila-
/ ton. War machines are usually heavy
and costly. This is cheap and light Bat
tie ships are built Of enormous strength
and weight mainly 10 enable them TO re-
sist the shock Of firing big guns.
| The electric weapon. having no recoil,
may be mounted on any light and speedy
vessel. even a tOrpedO-boat destroyer that
makes thirty miles an hour. No doubt
it would be as easy TO set il up on Mont
Blanc and lay low the cities OF France
and Germany. OF Italy and Austria. The
elements of cheapness and light weight
suggest the danger of unauthorized per-
sons getting hold of It and turning It
against civilization in wanton amuse-
ment.
Black Hand Might Use 1t.
The Black Hand might employ il; at
least. small. poor nation might use It
against a rich neighbor. Any woody
height would conceal the noiseless weap-
on. Probably It could be discharged at
night as we'll as by day
The inhuman possibilities Of the de-
struction Of entire cities, not to speak OF
/ the loss Of property, and the military
/ equalization Of all nations regardless OF
! the finne-hnnnrad rrlnrIrIa Of sllrarlnr