The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1909-05-15

:
RIBLE THAN DYNAMITE.
EVANSVILLE, Ind, May H.
A lanky, sweatered schoolboy has
achieved what Tesla, Marconi and
other wizards of the wireless
have been months vainly laborine
for-the invention which scien-
lists long agreed would be the
greatest blessing to mankind.
He is Charley Williams, 49,
year-old Evansville lad.
BY pressing the key of a wire
less instrument rugged up in his
mothers woodshed the other
night, he caused an explosision to
occur THREE MILES AWAY. II
shook every building in the city.
That's what this boy has &C
complished. His Is an engine OF
war that will KILL WAR. The
United States government is me-
gotiating for it. If Uncle Sam
gets 1t, he will be supreme among
the powers of the earth.
Charley Williams hasn't stopped
at inventing the apparatus which
sets off the explosive. He has dis
covered the explosive itself. He
calls it "Williamsite," and de-
clares it to be FORTY TIMES AS
AS DYNAMITE.
Three ounces Of it was enough
to scare this city out of a years
growth. A pound, experts say,
would have razed every building
within a mile of the tree top in
which he set mp the three-Ounce
bottle for his test.
And the boy has this terrible
invention of his perfected. He can
direct his brobdingnagian blast
wherever he wants it's force to go.
eff man had been standing I'M
der that tree the other night, not
a hair on his head would have
been displaced" young Williams
said. Il had the charge fixed so
that all its force was upward"
They examined the tree for
proof. Its tops had been sliced of
rs with q knife, but beneath not
a leaf was disturbed. Below not
a living thing was harmed, but the
ground for a radius of half a mile
was strewn with dead sparrows.
Williams. a youth of quiet, re-
firing manners, robust, large for
his age, with light hair and blue
eyes that regard one in a mildly
way, didn't seem to
think that he had done anything
extraordinary when a correspond
ent for the Times visited him in
his woodshed laboratory.
why, yes, the experiment was
he said careleslsy. 81
knew it would be. You see, I've
been studying 1t a long time and
knew just how it would act.
Young Williams has been study
Ing high explosives and electricity
for four years. In his flimsy
shed laboratory he had
been working with the most dan
gerous substance known to science.
II wouldn't make it life
he declared. ''Td kill my
self in years time" He was
thoughtful for a time. "But
like it," he went on enthusiast
tically. think Of it," he said
"to be able to take a
piece of stuff no bigger than that"
and he held up his clenched fist,
and wreck a mountainside with
It.
'No, I'm going to be a railroad
man." he went on. 'That's my
I've been making tests here at
home for some time" he contin-
led. "But have only been us
ng minute quantities. One of the
first / made was right in our par
Tor. set of a little explosion by
wireless across the room. When
work with large quantities of
the stuff ] always do it out in the
country, far away from anybody"
The Times correspondent want
ed to know what would have hap
pened If a farmer had wandered
into the charge Of "Williamsite"
IN that treetop.
"Wouldn't have hurt him il
he'd been standing under the tree
when it went off," young Williams
replied. "Might have scared him
TO death, but it wouldn't have hurt
him. You see. it's easy to direct
\ blast-make it go any way you
you know a little about
It." 1t seemed extremely simple
TO this remarkable boy.
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