New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-02-10
!. \. Sjeinmetzs Balloon
Bombs Sought by English,
Who Rejected Them
Until Attacked.
BY GORDON BRUCE.

BY GORDON BI,t tE.
. Picture a monster Zeppelin, AS long
as an ocean liner. laden with tons OF
! dcath-dcaling explosives. creeping
through the murky mist Of winter
night toward London. Picture again,
! if YOU can, the skies turned to fame
/ and the heavens shattered as thc hun
drcds OF thousands Of cubic feet Of
hydrogen gas cXplOdcs. scattering the
/ sinister craft in tiny pieces over the
| streets and housetops of the city.
That is the graphic sketch OF what
is likely to occur if the Zeppellns at
tempt serious raid on London. as
given by Joseph A. Steinmetz. of Phil
( adelphia. Mr. Steinmetz is the orlgl--
! nator of the first seriously considered
/ scheme for mining the air ana the m
ventor of the trailing bombs Tor the
| destruction of dirigibles.
Al luncheon in the Aero Club OF
America the inventor told yesterday
of the progress which has been made
bv Great Britain and France toward
preparinc a defence against the en-
emy Of the sky. Last sumner, Wheh
/ he disclosed his plans. the french
military authorities took the matter
up at once and began experiment win
the new devices.
The English were not 50 reau! /"
adopt new ideas, and, after much con
sideration, wrote Mr.. Steinmetz lasC
month that they we're arranging thell
defence against air raids along
standard lines" The following day
broupbt the first visit of German ar
craft 10 British shores and the re-
ports Of the explosions had hardiy
died away before the Philadelphia man
lras hombarded with cablegrams IN
nn;rino how soon his scheme could DC
put into operation.
To Test German Ingenuity.
"Tbe host Of it is that very llttle
,ioa Is required TO get ready to r rT
~, attack" said Mr.. StelnmetI. ,Ln
coat of one big gun Is greSteL La Ia.
tbat of twenty air mines, ana inc
ter arc much more likely TO DC c"e'
tive against Zeppelins' !, soiIed
A. Vr Steinmetz talked he smlieG
- ,ho face of a retired oihcer, OF
NV German army. The officer smileu'
t"o and when the speaker tnshed ue-
.cT;h;mg what would happen TO tne
Carnnans he was gently reminded tnat
W Ta,,tors Rad vet to find military
,'robiem which they could not so''e
J." Is So." Tow words, the plan devised Dy
AR Steinmetz is 20 install on OH VIZ
buildings in threatened area ri, To- 70
,,umber OF hydrogen balloons ~ cn
held ready for instant use anu n,iloe
;s attached 10 fine WIRE ' ~ ',,irc
ionc wound on windlasS.. ~ o;,bs
j. 50 small that mile OF ~ On
hut four pounds, while IL mas
sile strength Of l2O pouhas' .ho look-
Tho Zenpelin, sighted by the TO-
- n' ,ronId be permitted TO proceed
out .;ii aln,nst over the objective pom.
S IT., simultaneously, scores OF unJ
hl "Ioc 70. each of which is attacnJ b
highly explosive i''"
would be released. III r;ro
SC 49, triggers, and the slightest touII
,,,;li cause an explosion whicn "ouiu
,rnrestionably ignite the gas III ,me
I;n;c;hIo The plan is TO send Ger
tain number Of the mines " roJ
t .atH while others will be anchoted
% different heights, thus allowing '"e
| Iernelin no chance to escape
re other method OF destroying the
corn,on craft is along similar lines' put
! G;e'ers in that it is conducted lhiouSn
t III nsa If aeroplanes. Each machine
| l. eouipped with bombs such as a
| used in the air mines. Inc tla.l'he
Wire is wound on a spool, wnlch eau
/ operated by the pressure OF ihe ave"
/ tor's thumb and stopped az VIII. ii
RI anronIanes. being swifter. woulo
/ ho sert AGAINST the dirigible IN nocSs
81 tbrec or four The avIstors "oulu
| Jo,ond nm their speed and the gteaI
.i,itudc 10 which they can ascend 10
Laon on. of range. At the proper tlthe
The bombs would be released on inc
wires and a dash made at the enemy
Bomb Has Hooks.
In addition to the triggers NnlJ J,.
can be locked until the bomD Is reauI
for use. the bombs are ut'ed W. =;
sharp graphing hooks. A. tne wiz -
drawn across the big gas bag the hoohS
will catch and draw the triggeis ~
contact with the envelope. Inc eAPiO
sion will follow. Lh
Numbers OF both types Of bomb
have been sent TO England and France,
/ and with those as a pattern the army
cn~iueers have been constructing the
means for combating the dreaded Yep
pelins. Mr.. SteinnetZ firmly belieVes
/ that an air raid on either LONDON OF
| Paris will result in a thrilling demon
| stration OF his invention.
I A demonstration Of the use o. inc
trailing bomb will be given within
! few days at Hampstead Plains AVIATION
! T. cid. in Mineola Albert ). Heinrich
will conduct the experiment on the toc-
caslon of he first flight OF new mill
tary aercplanc which he has built Tor
the government tests at San Dlego'
Mr.. Steinmetz said yesterday that he