The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1909-03-20
cnApTER xIII.-continued.

CHAPTEH Ntti.-(ontiHueo'
The others looked eagerly at them
as the president held them, wondering
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 a 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
secretary hurried back.
What on earth Is 1t, DIR. 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 1t in
his hands. that is new plate that
can be made cheaply and quickly. II
It does what the laboratory tests show,
1t 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-
ment's pause ensued while the pos
sibilities Of the discovery dawned on
them. Those who knew him least were
again questioning his sanity. and then,
Ms II all at once they could wait no
longer for him to explain, they burst
into a rhorus of questions, which he
did nos answer. He waited until no
voice vas heard, and then began.
THAT plate practically overcomes
friction. My assistant, my daughter
Norma, and have made several tests
before l came here with 1t. 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
by the water to a point where hel
ha ~ n r,er 49,,
known. 1t would. of course, NEAR
lighter ornaments, because the light
er the dead tonnage the greater tn,
buoyancy. But a cruiser with a few
long range. high explosive guns, tina
can travel at the rate of 40 or 81
miles an hour. or submarine tina
can make that speed for "a hours a
a stretch, would play havoc with an,
navy in the world"
The room was alive with excite,
men now as the full force of his state
ment came in all its clearness.
that unknown metal had that proper
ty. and sufficient fighting ships coul
be armored with 1t in time to meet tn
demands made upon them, the sea
would be whipped into subsection an
legions Of troops transported befor
they could be interfered with. Tn
president himself had lost his calm
ness and was gripping the arms of hi
chair. The secretary of the nav,
having the practical point Of view
came out of his trance. and snappe
out a question:
How long would it take to equip
cruiser with those plates?"
Roberts turned toward him. ID
ponds on the plant. The plates can b
cast and electrified just as rapidly a
you could cast sheets of plain iro
and turn current into them; but
wish to experiment little turtle
first and try them out on some old gu,
boat that wouldn't amount to much
lost
The room was again filled with
babel q sound. as the officials bega
an argument; but on one point the
were agreed. The man before thel
was SO well known that the govern
ment was taking no great hazard |
affording him every means within I,
power to carry out his work, and
he conid do what he believed. and