Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1915-11-04
WAR EXPLODES MANY
ELECTRICAL DREAMS
Impossible to Fight Enemy With
Lighting Like Flashes,
Expert Says.

Paris. (by mail.)--Provoking ex-
plosions at a distance by the transmits
sion OF electric sparks is an impossi-
b1l1ty, according to DR.. Edouard Bran
ly who, in 1890, discovered means of
closing and reopening an electric cur
a transmitting wire, which is the prin-
ciple OF wireless biography.
The human species" DIR. Brandy
says, in talking to a representative of
the Associated Press, lis paying a suf-
ficiently large tribute to science in this
war; 1t is scarcely worth while to dis
cuss h visionary power tina are at
tributed to it. 1t has increased the
flow OF blood and the enormity OF ruins
making international conflicts more
ho%rrifying but there are things it can
not accomplish, unfortunately.
Science sends the Lusitania to the
bottom of the Atlantic with more than
1000 human souls, but it is powerless,
contrary to some p~retentions, to cause
the destruction at a distance by cleo
trio current of the engine which by the
Will of man caused a disaster hitherto
reserved to the wrath of the elements,
Neither can it reach by radiating waves
the destructive engines of the air.
The false notion of those who pre-
tend to transmit destructive power
through space arises from the fact that
wireless te~legraphy is accomplished
through the production of a minuscle
spark at the receiving station. That
spark being sufficient to produce an eff
feet upon extremely sensitive instru,
ments at great distance, they concluded
that at a limited distance, Of a mile fol
instance, a much stronger spark could
be produced; as that spark is supposed
10 go trough all sorts of obstacles they
inferred that 1t could also pierce tho
steel shell of engines of war.
In the first place no available pow
er could produce a spark of sufficient
intensity; there isn't the slightest Ca
lorlc power in the wireless spark at the
receiving end. In the second place il
would be necessary for it to strike with
absolute precision a joint or fissure in
the plates in order to get into contact
with h explosive.
different accidents enormously at
tributed to the wireless current may
this false track. 1t was discussed
whether the Voluturno was not fired at
sea and If the explosion of the French
battleship lana at Toulon was not pro-
voked by wireless sparks. The Eiffel
toWer wireless transmitting station
produces most formidable sparks, yet
the slightest accident has ever been
caused In the vicinity.
TO produce explosions at a distance
something different from wireless elec-
trio currents must be found. Most Of
the inventions for this purpose that
have come to my notice when thor-
investigated were found to be
connected with concealed clock worA
and in no s when powder was
brought in by disinterested parties
We're they able to provoke an explosion,
There are a great many 'chevaliers
~dindustrie.' Or what you might call
confidence men, In England, who have
not hesitated to make profit out Of the
tension of the public mind by exploit,
Ing pretended inventions of his kind
but no scientist worthy Of the name
makes such pretensions. If there were
means OF blowing up the Eiffel Tower
from Berlin everyone would know 1t,
vet people are frequently sWindled by
supposed appliances for transmitting
energy-even available for industrial
enterprises. without a conductor. They
all want a great deal Of money; one
asked for the modest sum of $1,000, 0Oa
francs. One man who made the mis-
lake OF consulting me afterward in
stead of before, paid zoe, 900 francs for
an interest in an invention of this kind,
On my advice he had the ground
thoroughly examined after a demon
stration n hidden wires were dis
covered. The earth does not transmit
energy; there. is nothing to be done
in this line excepting by wire.
THE claiming Of lightning to be
hurled by some ingenious device into
the face Of the enemy is another dream
thai must be forgotten. There is no
possibility of the generation and wlre-
less transmission OF electric flashes
even from trench to trench, with any
destructive power: the wire Is needed
for this as we'll az for any other arti-
hcial electric transmission, excepting
simple wireless Biography"
DR. Brandy, though In his 10th year, Is
almost as active as Edison. He con-
tlnues the regular practice Of medicine
and between patients calls pursues his
researches into electric radiation with
a view to perfecting receiving appli-
ances.
There is a mysterious something
that manifests itself between a wire
M q piece OF metal in contact that II
Is important to know more about" hi
says. and l think I have found it."