The Republican journal., 1915-11-04
Ingenious Inventions
To Meet the Emergencies OF the European
War.

War.
Since Europe has been merged in hos
tilities, scarcely month has passed UNI
marked either by the development OF
.one new agent of destruction, or the
production of some new medium of de-
tsrse. The creative genius of half the
por!d has been concentrated in an effort
IN make war more terrible on the one
land. and safer on the other. And first
me beIligerent and then the other has
met crucial emergencies by ingenious,
net to say startling inventions.
The apparent deadlock on the western
ir3utier has presented a perpleXing sit
nstion. For months the armies have
fought battles more sanguinary than
Waterloo without making progress ex-
.rlt in terms of yards. Trench warfare
has been responsible for this.
To make the trench less secure for the
enemy is an object which each of the
aelligerents is striving to accomplish.
A step in this direction is found in the
work of British inventor who has de-
,soped wheeled body shield that af-
lords immunity from rifle bullets and
rrapnel when advancing upon fortified
oosltlons. The body of this is construct
4 ID Of tempered steel plates, the front so
rounded and tempered that bullets strike
he surface at an angle and glance Oft
without doing harm. The rear is open,
while the interior is just large enough
10 accommodate one soldier, who rests
1 N his hands and knees. The device is
n1pelled forward by pushing against
En-. erOund with one foot
/. was inventive skill applied in diff
.aent channel that made possible the
ar5truction of a gigantic steel network
cross the Narrows in the Dardanelles
q me-eck the operations of the allies sub
suues in the Sea of Marmora. The
ar-ier extends some rs feet beneath
n water and is long enough to block
ntire channel from Chanak kat1essl
ASIA Minor to Namazieh on the Euro
744r side. 1t is composed of number
& 4 great nets, each approximately 500
s. rsI l0ng, moored end to end Dy means
e agoys and anchors.
a The net across the Narrows. has been a
n r,aetical means of defense because there
a ite tide in the eastern Medlterra-
rs4r to disturb it. This condition is not
9 -g- in the waters about England, where
B British admiralty with remarkable re-
:lIts, Here, it is claimed, the subma-
ares are caught by literally SEEMING
a=m The nets used for this are made
4ngths of about 10 feet with heavy
10. wire. They are usually about q
.- II width and of Is feet mesh. When
use they are stretched between the
If two oil-burning destroyers and
uuoyed by means of large blocks of
g91I attached to the binding cables
the top. When an enemy subma-
- sighted, the fast destroyers cut
-s3 of the vessel and moor the net d.
in the path it is pursuing.
81 rough condition of the water In
North Sea greatly restricts the
of a periscope, making it effect
Fyr a distance of only about mile.
permits the destroyers to set the
after observing the course sub
u-rn is taking, and escape unnoticed.
result is that the submersible pro-
ignorant of danger, and drives its
INTO the netting, the top of which
ABOUT eight or ten feet beneath the
-,-ace.
llrse illustrate few of the numer-
ways in which the wars emergen-
rs are being met. For every new in
ylmant of destruction introduced some
mans is promptly developed to counter
' is effect or nullify its efficiency.
Tor every fresh obstacle encounter
the ever changing methods of war,
su5 scheme is devised for surmounting
Searle Hendee, IN the November
LAR Mechanics Magazine.