Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1916-06-29

came up next evening at dusk he
would prove the truth of his remarks.
First Exhibit of Liquid Fire.
well, | went. Furthermore, took
some friends Macgarrigle did not OBJ.
ject in the least. He took us outside
on the slope of Mount Pleasant (the
inventor lived on Mount pleasantly and
made us all sit down at about ten
yards distant from him. He disap.
peared for while in the bush and
then came back with what imagined
to be an old oil drum and an ordinary
large garden spray. | could not see
what he was doing because he turned
his back OH us, but presently he held
the spray up in the air.
II saw him stand firmly as If to
make an effort, then he quickly
pressed the handle Of the squirt and
long stream of white fire shot out
from the muzzle of the spray and fell
to the ground, there burning brightly
for an instant.
"The thing was done so quickly and
all was over in such short time that
we were nonplused. Then Macgarrigle
walked calmly toward us and handed
me the spray, saying: Well, what do
you think of my invention now? He
gave US then a lecture on the possibili.
ties of the fire squirt | examined the
spray carefully lit was just light
enough to distinguish objects at short
range, pulled out the punger, smelled
it and tried to seek any clue as to the
nature of the stuff. When Macgarrigle
saw what | was doing he laughed
heartily and said / wouldn't find any
thing there. However, noted that he
had evidently screwed off the top OF
the spray when squirting the liquid,
because he had failed to put it back
properly, and also that the leather
plunger was slightly charred. | care.
fully noted the place where the fire
had fallen and took the trouble to ex.
anime 1t early next. day, and, sure
enough, all the herbage was burned and
wherever the liquid had run only
charred vegetation remained. ! was
astounded l perceived Immediately
that his words were true, and the pos.
sibilities of his invention were so
mighty as to make me temporarily
shudder."
Mr.. Dupain became much attached
to Macgarrigle and spent many hours
with him. Once when he meant to
pay the inventor a surprise visit he
learned that the old man had departed
for Europe; but as soon as he learned
of Macgarrigle's return he sought his
home and heard from Macgarrigle
that he had sold his fire squirt to Ger,
many.
1t appears from an account of Mac.
garrigle given to the Daily Telegraph
by another friend, a newspaper man,
that the fire machine was designed al
SO for the destruction of prickly pear,
which is one of the curses Of Australia
and has already ruined huge tracts of
good land in Queensland. This con.
tributor says:
"He told me that he had offered to
clear the whole of the pear in Queens.
land under certain terms, but the gov.
seemed at first inexplicable, as at the
time the government was offering re.
ward of $4,000 for any effective plan
for getting rid of the pest. When !
told him this he secuted the idea OF
anything so paltry and dealt with
sum of that sort with the contempt OF
a multimillionaire.
"He said that the only condition un.
der which he would show his hand was
that he should receive all expenses
and get the freehold of all the land
he cleared AS there were at the
time about 20,O00,000 acres affected
one may understand the reason for
turning down the offer. The area now,
by the way, runs into 30,000,0O0 acres.
AS | expressed doubt about the effec'
tiveness of his plan, he invited me to
his place the following night to see
the squirt at work. But 1t was con-
dition that no one was to accompany
me. l kept the appointment.
Gives a Second Exhibition.
"He began operations by seating me
in a chair, from which l was not to
move BY this means he made it I'm.
possible for me to get close glimpse
of the machine, but the drum which
carried the oil seemed in the darkness
to be similar in shape to the recepta.
Gle which appears in pictures of those
Germans at the front engaged in this
sort of warfare He told me he was
ready, after pumping up the machine
and then let it go. 1t elected con
stant stream of liquid fire from short
hose length for some minutes, squirt
ing over distance of about forty feet
With the same mysterious manner
that he had begun operations, he bun
died the plant up and put it away in
room and locked the door.
"Then he sat down beside me and
yarned. After urging that this thing
would not only destroy prickly pear,
but noxious shrubbery and weeds OF
all sorts, he told me that what 1t was
originally intended for was an instru
ment of warfare. Man. he said with
great confidence, this thing would de
stroy soldiers as If they were rats
What bayonet charge could stand VI
against It? My idea Is not small
squirt like this, but as large as big
fire-fgbting hose sending out stream
of fire with as much force and volume
az the biggest water hydrant in sgd.
ney.'
"a character of this sort naturally
aroused interest, especially as he be,
gan to talk about synthetic rubber
which he could make for 25 cents
pound Cat time when the genuine ar
ticla was about S250l: cements he