The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1908-06-19


two pieces of FURNISHED steel. Eager
ly all those in the room crowded for
| ward. while the president gingerly
took one of the slabs in his fingers.
New explosive?" he asked,
mo. they're harmless" The inven-
tor smiled.
The others looked eagerly at them
what connection the two little strips
of metal could possibly have with the
| defense of a nation against multi
tude of battle ships. Nothing but Rob
ers' known ability prevented them
| from looking upon him as crank.
They inspected the objects before
them in turn. passing them from hand
| to hand with blank looks. Only the
secretary of war, who in his earlier
years had been a metallurgist, showed
| any signs Of surprise or amazement.
He turned excitedly away and crossed
| the room to a side light, against which
glare he held the little plate, staring
| at 1t fixedly. The inventor smiled. and
the others renewed their interest. The
ccclcldls
What on earth is 1t. DR. Roberts,"
he asked, and then without waiting
for an explanation continued Il never
saw a metal that looked or felt like
It. What is it,"
Gentlemen" said the inventor, re-
covering the slab and balancing it in
his hands, that is a new plate that
can be made cheaply and quickly. IL
It does what the laboratory tests show.
It will, when applied to cruisers which
can now steam 20 knots an hour. make
so knots an easy gait for them"
There was a gasp of establishment
amounting almost to incredulity
among those who crowded round. and
the scientist. enjoying the effect of his
words. smiled and smoked. A mo-
ments pause ensued while the pos
sibilities of the discovery dawned on
them. Those who knew him least were
again questioning his sanity, and then,
rs II all at once they could wait no
| longer for him TO explain, they burst
| Into a chorus of questions, which he
did not answer. He waited until no
voice was heard, and then began.
That plate practically overcomes
friction. My assistant, my daughter
| Norma, and | have made several tests
before | came here with It. These
were cast and tested last night | am
not going into scientific details; but
this much I'll make plain: A ship
coated along certain lines with that
! metal. electrified only TO a point where
, she would not sink for lack OF support,
can reduce her skin friction caused
I by the water to point. where her
, speed would be something hitherto I'M
| known. IL would of course, mean
/ lighter ornaments, because the light
er the dead tonnage the greater the
buoyancy. But cruiser with a few
long range, high explosive guns, that
can travel at the rate of 40 or so
miles an hour, or a submarine that
can make that speed for "a hours at
stretch, would play havoc with any
navy in the world"
The room was alive with excited
men now as the full force of his state
| ment came In all its clearness. II
| that unknown metal had that proper
ty. and sufficient fighting ships could
| be armored with II in time TO meet the
| demands made upon them, the seas
would be whipped into subsection and
legions OF troops transported before
they could be interfered with. The
president himself had lost his calm.
ness and was gripping the arms of his
chair The secretary OF the navy.
having the practical point of view.
came out of his trance, and snapped
out question:
How long would 1t take to equip a
cruiser with those plates?"
Roberts turned toward him. DE
Ponds on the plant. The plates can be
cast and electrified just as rapidly as
| yon could cast sheets OF plain iron
| and turn a current into them: but |
wish to experiment a little further
| first and try them out on some old gun.
boat that wouldn't amount to much IL
| lost"
The room was again filled with a
| babel of sound. as the officials began
| an argument: but On one point they
| were agreed. The man before them
was so well known that the govern
ment was taking no great hazard in
affording him every means within its
power to carry out his work, and. II
ne could do what he believed, and OF
| that there seemed no room for doubt.
the solution Of the approaching war,
| OF any other, was in their hands. The
president alone sat buried in thought,
his brOws drawn into frown
Gentlemen" he said, and there was
that In his voice which demanded at
| tention, II should like to ask DIR. Rob-
| erts few questions. wish to know
| II this work of his can be carried on
So secretly that no other power--not
one. nor even the people OF this coun-
| try-can become aware of his discoy-
| cry; II he can suggest means for
| snch concealment; II his work can be
done so expeditiously, with full gov
eminent support, that within three
months from tonight the American
navy can be SO equipped as to make 1t
the most powerful in the world; and