The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1911-03-30
INVENTIONS OF THE AGE.
"Old Timer" Discusses Battleships,
Airshps, and Aeroplanes.

drifting? A five million dollar bat
tleship as a target and now lies on
the bottom of Chesapeake bay, is
the latest news from the front and it
sunk by guns considered obsolete
and to be replaced by more powerful
ones. The ones used at distance of
6k and miles that pierced solid
steel eight inches thick and did the
greatest damage on the opposite side
seems like great guns to us in this
neck of the woods, but to the know
ing ones are too weak to do battle
with the great dreadnaughts costing
eight and ten millions of dollars now
in use by the great navies of the
world. Great Scott! Could our
forefathers who fought with Perry
and others of his day wake up and
see the modern ships of battle they
would feel like so cents in cash
vault, but great seventies, a five
million dollar target, voodooed one
at that, so costly few years ago and
did service at Santiago, Cuba, Is all
the good remembered, nova worthless
hulk in the bottom of the sea, where
an old man of peace-loving qualities
in his heart thinks all Of it's kind
should be, and sudden destruction to
men or nation who offered to build
another. How is this for the tax
payer? Soon all the wealth of the
nations will be in ships Of war, each
nation looking with eager eyes to
find a weak place in the other fel-
lows make up, and if found then the
work begins at a safe distance, say
so or Is miles, each one sending a
wireless to know if the other is hurt
much, for it will never do to squan-
der so much in a free fight for ALL,
and only fools rush where angels fear
to tread, as at the present rate Of
improvement in explosives nothing
will stand in it's way.
Then there is the air ship soon to
sail over every sea, land, and hamlet,
and the end of all is not yet, for they
can send to destruction perhaps
whole fleets, garrisons, or cities in a
night. That makes one on the out
side see peace, sweet peace, written
in the sky, and have little fears for
the future Then men are only
grown-up boys at best, and pamper
them a little, well wine and dine
them, makes the old love Of noise and
adventure of the boy return and
reckless waste and daring deeds one
Of his greatest hobbies, all under the
same strain, it is necessary to keep
up with the other fellow If his face
does get black, his trousers torn, a
finger gone, and he has only one sus-
pender left, as he ambles home and
to anticipate a parental storm, ex-
claims: "Gee, didn't we boys have a
time!" and say, Pop, that pack
age of cannon crackers you gave me
made the biggest noise Of all, and /
crowed over Jack Stone because his
made no noise at all, and then I had
to lick him, and I gave him a good
one." Now parental pride forgives
all else and the old man slaps his
boy on the back and says: "You are
chip often the old block, my boy,
and some day may be president" The
boy is made happy, and he is con-
tent to live on scant rations and go
barefoot for month to make up for
it. So with the people perhaps, as
each one with a spark of love for
home and country wants to be on the
winning side if a few thousands do
go to bed each night supperless. We
have had the noise and only five mil
lions thrown away in making it.
Then there is more news: An
Aiken dispatch says farmer was
driven out to his farm 16 miles in
20 minutes in an aeroplane, settled
with his hands and back in no time
in the city. Three cheers for the
farmer. He will soon be with the
best in the land, but one down this
way don't like gasoline as motive
power for an aeroplane, and will wait
until they learn to use compressed
air to. propel it, which will be done
he is sure, and there is plenty of it
everywhere and won't give out, but
the gasoline might and what then?
OLD TIMER.
III