Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1914-10-11

ing gasoline. "a
1t is much lighter than
bombs of the same
size containing dyna-
mite, and is, therefore,
very suitable for use
by aeroplanes. Sir John
French, the British
commander, mentioned
in an official report
that one of his avia-
tors dropped a petrol bomb on a Ger
man ammunition train, killing fifteen
men and destroying the whole train.
1t has been stated that many Belgian
and French towns have been set on
fire and destroyed by petrol bombs.
Even London has been in fear Of de-
struction from this cause.
The use of poisonous gases is I'M
doubtedly planned by military engi-
neers. We have positive evidence that
gun designed to discharge such
gases among the enemy has been pat
ented by the Krupp firm, of Essen,
and we may hear at any moment
that it is in action.
It is a question whether such a
weapon does not come under the
clause of The Hague Convention
which prohibits the use of poisons,
explosive bullets and other excessive
ly cruel weapons. The events OF the
present war seem to indicate, how
ever, that not much attention will be
paid to the humanitarian provisions
of The Hague Convention. 1t may be
argued that the use Of poisons was
forbidden for the protection of civil
ians and neutrals, and that the pro.
vision does not apply to gun throw
Ing poisonous gases at the enemy's
soldiers.
The poison gun has been patented
in the United States by Karl Wieseri
a German subject residing at Bre-
deney, Germany. He states in his app
plication that he has assigned his
rights to the Krupp company.
The shell containing the poisonous
gases Is a great globe, which remains
outside the muzzle of the gun. A
shaft attached to the globe enters the
gun and separates from the globe
when it is fred. The globe is said 20
be capable of suffocating a thousand
men by the gases which 1t emits
when it explodes. The technical de-
scription of the invention says:
1.-THE object is, in the present in
ventiOn, reached by giving the part
OF the shaft wherein the weight
slides a smaller dimension than that of
the bore Of the gun, and by supplying
the shaft with an abutment or stop
at the rear Of this small diameter,
which stop will conform with the di-
ameter of the bore of the gun. And
the smaller part of the shaft passes
through a hole of the same diameter
in the weight, so that, with the as
slstance of centring faces on the
weight and on the gun, the former
will be in such a position that its
axis will coincide with that Of the
bore of the gun"
The invention Is a three-piece de-
vice-the shaft, which goes into the
bore of the gun; the shell, and a
weight which is attached both to the
shaft and the gun and joins them
together. When the shaft is fired, the
weight retards its progress, and
through that means detaches itself
and the shaft from the shell, which
continues in its flight.
One great object Of the military in
ventors is the direct use of the power
of the sun for purposes of destruc-
ton. They are planning to furnish
airships with lenses and mirrors, by
means of which the suns rays may
be concentrated on the opponents
forts, magazines and encampments.
Imagine the effect Of such a titanic
force burning, whitening, annihilating
everything over which 1t passes! No
gun can reach 1t, no defence is pos
sible. Fortresses explode, cities burn
up and men shrivel into nothingness.
Such a triumph of destruction IL
an ancient dream of mankind, just
as flying was. According to tradi-
ton, Archimedes, the Greek inventor,
destroyed the ships Of Marcellus
which were attacking Syracuse in PA
B. C. by turning the suns rays on
them by means Of concentric mirrors.
Signor Ulivi, an Italian inventor,
claims TO have discovered a method
Of controlling the infra-red rays OF
the spectrum 80 that they will ignite
any explosive or combustible in a
metal case. He has given demonstra-
g.