The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-05-12
GREAT POSSIBILITIES FOR COAST DEFENSE CLAIMED FOR INVENTION
 OF YOUNG JOHN HAYS HAMMOND
U. S. Government Prepares to Spend Million Dollars Tn Tests of Device Which May Be Guided From Shore to Attack Upon In vading Vessel


 The United states government is preparing to spend over $1,oOo. 900 as an initial investment in the most amazing weapon of warfare produced in modern times. and it is preparing to own that weapon exclusively and keep it's secret guarded from the world, says Brainerd, in the Brooklyn Eagle.
 The inventor is John Hays Ham znond, Jr,-son of the famous mining engineer. He is six years out of col 1ege and is a civilian Yet he had produced an instrument of such de- structive possibilities and such deTn7 onstrated possibilities that high army officers are enthusiastic over it, and are urging with all their influence that Ghe United States become the sole pos sessor. And young MT. Hammond, who is an American, wants his coun- try to own it exclusively.
 The story of what this destroyer will do in so astonishingykh shat it almost re- nuires the imagination of Jules Verne to realize it. Technicallys it IS known as a. radiodynamic torpedo. For general purposes, 1t is termed the Hammond destroyer. It is a diri- efble boat or torpedo-it may be built in either form-which is completely controlled from shore by wireless, or
  ship, or from an aeroplane. These are some of the things it will dos
 It can be steered by wireless in any direction.
 It's engines may be started. stopped \ and controlled at various speeds by wireless.
 The surface type can travel 50 miles an hour.
 The submerged type can travel from rro. |.
 It can carry ton of high explo- It is more accurate, in the opinion Of army experts, than the fire of big guns.
 mains ashore, or on a warship, or in an aeroplane. and whose sole instru- 1nentsg are T telescope and an electric key.
 verse wireless waves, becAuse it is controlled by system of selective transmission.
 If the wave 1entgh controlling it is discovered by an enemy, that wave length can ss4 changed while the tor pedo is in flight.
 If-and this is perhaps most amaz- ing Of allan enemy attempts Ito in terfere with it by wireless, it possesseS the uncanny faculty of pointing inn d1IeCL1On emy and making directly for hiIlli It is propelled by gasoline engines
 It can be operated at night as well as day, subject to accurate control by an arrangement of tiny lights, so shielded as to be visible only to the operator.
 It carries a searchlight of it's own, which may be turned on and off by wireless.
 The surface type will cost about SAT 500 each.
 The torpedo type will cost about k9 900 each.
 The surface type has a cruising ra- dius of 200 miles, at fifty miles an hour
 It may be guided 200 miles to sea by L an aeropIane and launched against an enemy at the end of the run.
 The surfape type has a capacity of double attack It carries a torpedo which, when the destroyer is in strik- ing distance can be launched by wire less. If the torpedo strikes, the de- stroyer can be turned around by wire less and sent home. If the torpedo misses, the destroyer. which carries an additional half ton of explosive can be sent on to retrieves the errots dn which case, Of course, it is itself destroyed upon impact.
 The whole system can be installed in nine or ten months.
 Small vessels now in the possession of the government may be converted into Hammond destroyers, even in- c1uding some of the older submarines although they will not possess high speed.
 "It Is the first time in the history of warfare.'' says the inventor, ''that you can take charge of explosive or pro5ectile and deliver it at a target under constant control from the shore.''
 The extent of that control may be realized when it is said that the Ham nnond destroyer, in actual expert Hess station at a distance Of 28 miles much farther than a ship can De seen
 All f11eso things sound like a dream Yet they are 50 little of a dream that f1le army board Of ordnance and fortf- dcat1on, which has been fnyestfeatfne the invention. recommends exclusive control by the United States, if fur hner tests demonstrate its practiea- tbflity-
 Here are sonae of tf1e army officers who. after personal experience or 1n- yastigation, are eager to see the United States obtain the Hammond destroyers
 Cen. Hugh L. Scott, chief o< staff: Gen. F. M. Weaver, chief of coast ar tfIIsrys Gen. Dan c. KingInan, chiei of engineers; Col. Richmond P. Davis assistant chief of coast artillery; Col Charles e. Treat, assistant chief, Wal college division: Capt J. F. Besar coast artillery corpss Lieut.. Stiles M Decker, coast artillery corps.
 The latter tive officers have been de- tailed for the past two years to make experiments with the inventor and the stories they tell of the achieve iaments of his invention read like Ae- tion-
 If 0ne-+enth of the time spent if chasing flies. mosquitoes and etAei pestss was spent in closing aR theil breeding places, people would bt healthier and haD1ier.