Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1916-12-01

oped to their present efficiency in deadliness.
you know, aircraft have been much used IN the
present conflict. Zeppeins have sailed over LONDON
and dropped high explosive bombs French, British ana
Italian aeropanes in great focks have flown over Ger
and Austrian cities, and Austrian and Ger
planes have flown Italian and French cities
shOwered the earth with tOrpedoes of enormous de-
|sructive power.
Many thousand Americans, watching the progress Of
the there, have become uneasy lest this
country fall behind her competitors and become so far
outcassed of defense to be at the mercy
of enemies. But need not worry ourselves into
fever for according to the New York World,
Uncle experts have kept still and sawed
wood" and he tells about newest means or de-
fense against a possible enemy:
The United States army has torpedo for dropping
aerOplaneS that will do damage than any or
those that have been dropped by German Zeppens in
England by British French aeropanes in Germany
The difference between this and all other bombs is that
1T explodes certain distance above ground scattering
its fragments horizontally while the point at which
others explode is always uncertain.
Existing aerial bombs are of two kinds-one that ex-
plodes contact the other timed with fuse to explode
in the air. The trouble former is that it's high
explosive has a tendency impact with the earth to
blow downward instead of aterally, thus creating
great cavity crater but causing comparatively little
damage.
The trouble with the is that it's accuracy de-
pendS upon the avatOrs calculations to his altitude,
and also that it is impossible to set time fuse to
minute fractions of a second. A dropped a
height of 5000 feet is travelling at from 400 to 800 feet
second when it reaches the ground, of
tenth of second in the avators calculation would allow
bomb explode either 40 90 feet in the air or at
considerable depth below the ground.
This American bomb overcomes both of these
difficulties always explodes between five and six
feet from the ground And it does not matter from
what height drorped Nor has the aviator to make
any calcul, lions. He need know how high
he is All do is to let the bomb fall; it will
do the rest.
The of this extraordinary shell is Lester Bar
low who perfected it under the auspices and at the
expense of the government at the Frankford
hiIoda
oical tests at Mineoa L. These made by Lieut..
IT s. Wilkinson u. S. N; Capt e. j. W. Ragsdale, U. s.
"a and Lieut.. Col G. G.. Galley, u s. A. members or
the ordnance board. The official report by Col 9. H.
Ruggles of the ordnance board stated: 1.-The Barlow
aerial torpedo IS satisfactory the action certain the
flight true and the safety devices satisfactory"
At these only light charges Of explosives were
used full charges would have endangered houses
in the neighborhood Bombs dropped from 1000.
2 600 1000 5000 5000 and 1000 feet, with light
charges of high explosives, some with black powder
THE high explosive bombs shook houses three and four
miles distant.
Lester Barlow is only thirty years old, but he has
baIned buid railways has worked q fireman
ocean steamer as an electrical apprentice, in
the United States navy and wireless operator and he
Ivas on Pancho Villas staff aviator before Villa
and Carranza split. 1t when dropping bombs for
villa that he conceived the idea of this bomb.
The new aerial torpedo is seven and
half feet long and weighs 100 pounds l
has n streamine form to give the least pos
sible friction while passing through the AIR.
The torpedo is carried attached horizontal e
" beneath the aeroplane in traps ana is re- u
leased by the moving of a small lever It 4 u
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