The Goldfield news and weekly tribune. [volume] (Goldfield, Nev.) 1911-1947, 1915-10-23

plosions at a distance by h trans
mission of electric sparks is an i'm
possibility. according to DR.. Edward
Brandy, who in 1890, discovered
means of closing and reopening al
electric current at a distance with
out the use of a transmitting wire,
which is the principle of wireless
telegraphy.
THE human species" DR.. Bran
ly says. in talking to a representa-
tive of the press lis paying a suf-
ficiently large tribute to science in
thbs war; it is scarcely worth
while to discuss the visionary pow
ers hat are attributed to it. 1t has
increased the flow of blood and the
enormity of ruins making interna-
tional conflicts more horrifying but
there are things it cannot accom-
plish. unfortunately.
Science sends the Lusitania to
over a 1000 human souls but it is
powerless, contrary to some pre-
tentions, to cause the destruction at
a distance by electric current of the
engine which by the will of man
caused a disaster hitherto reserved
to the wrath of the elements. Neitb-
er can it reach by radiating waves
the destructive engines of the air.
THE false notion of those who
pretend to transmit destructive
power through space arises from the
fact that wireless telegraphy is ac-
complished through the production
of a minuscle spark at the receiving
station. That spark being sufficient
to produce an effect upon extremely
sensitive instruments at great dis
lance, they concluded that at a lin
tied distance of a mile for instance,
a much stronger spark could be
produced; as that spark is supposed
to go through all sorts of obstacles
they inferred that it could also
pierce the steel shell of engines OF
war.
I'm the first place no available
power could produce a spark of sui
ficient intensity; there isn't the
slightest caloric power in the wire
less spark at the receiving end. In
the second place it would be neces-
precision a joint or fissure in the
plates in order to get into contact
with the explosive.
Different accidents enormously
attributed to the wireless current
may have put some of these vision
aries on this false track. 1t was
discussed whether the Volturno was
not fired at sea and if the explosion
of the French battleship lena at
Toulon was not provoked by wire
less sparks. The Eiffel tower wire
less transmitting station produces
most formidable sparks yet not the
slightest accident has e. been
caused in the vicinity.
ITO produce explosions at a dis
lance something different from wire
less electric current must be found.
Most of the inventions for this pur'
pose that have come to my notice
when investigated were found to be
connected with concealed clOckwOrk
and in no case when powder was
brought in by disinterested parties
were they able to provoke an explo-
sion.
There are a great many chevi-
liers d~'industrie, or what you might
call confidence men, in English, who
have not hesitated to make profit
of this kind but no scientist worthy
of the name makes such ~pretensions'
If there were means of blowing up
the Eiffel tower from Berlin every
one would know it, yet people ar
frequently swindled by supposed ap-
piiances for transmitting energy
even available for industrial enter
prises. without a conductor They
all want a great deal of money; one
asked for the modest sum of 2S.-
600 900 francs, One man who
made the mistake of consulting mA
afterward instead of before. paid
200. 900 francs for an interest in an
invention of this kind. On my al
vice he had the ground thoroughly
examined after a demonstration ana
hidden wires were discovered. The
earth does not transmit energy;
there is nothing to be done in this
line excepting by wire,
THE claiming of lightning to be
be hurled by some ingenious de-
vice into the face of the enemy l.
another dream that must be forgot
ten. There is no possibility Of the
generation and wireless transmission
of electric flashes, even from trench
to trench, with any destructive pow
err; the wire is needed for this as