The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1917-09-01
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II ICTANER followed the descrip
IL ton with intense interest
When it was finished he was
silent, wrapped in thought
for some moments. Then he said
gravely:
at must be indeed a terrible ma.
Rhine. But what can It do to mel
The water defle6s or weakens an
electric current"
you are wrong, my son." said
Oxus. "While the current must lose
some of its power under water, II
probably IS still strong enough to
xii you IL It reaches you. Even II
II only stunned you, you would be
lest for the Torpedo without your
direction would either jump out of
the water or be broken against some
Submerged obstacle submarine,
the keel of a cruiser or a reef.
Besides, I am inclined TO think that
the shafts of this electric current
are not neutralized by the water,
because the discharges Of certain
electric fishes are effective at a dis
tfnce."
s"oh, then I will really fight-not
tGner with ardor.
IF I had not known about Sc
verac's electric mirror I should have
had qualms at destroying ships and
men who could not defend them
selves.
But now I can do It, because our
enemies have a way OF attacking and
eonquering me.
'Ah, Moisette! MoisetteI
.If cannot save you. at least I
can die for you" And. uttering i'm
p9ssioned phrases, Hictaner strobe up
and down the laboratory, carried
away by his exalted mood, with up
stretched arms.
He did not see the looks and smiles
Of horrible qualification passing be-
tween Oxus and Fulbert
When the son Of their efforts had
grown calmer, they begged him to
be seated and go over with them the
plan they had formulated.
1t had two parts-to be carried out
by Hictaner, OXus and Fulbert and
their associates at the Lost Isle.
Hictaner was to meet the fleet in
the Indian Ocean and there send a
ANAL ultimatum to Admiral Beres-
ford
Meanwhile, oxus and Auth were to
take the electric launch and plant a
large number OF powerful mines
across the Straits of Armuz at the
entrance to the Persian Gulf. II the
ultimatum did not check the advance
of the feet the second part OF the |
plan was to be carried out
Those vessels which succeeded in |
crossing the Straits of Ormuz without i
being destroyed by the mines were
not to be disturbed until they arrived
OF the Arabian peninsula Of Katar,
near the Lost Isle. There waseto be-
gin the gradual destruction Of the
feet by Hictaner and his Torpedo and
Anti with the submersible electric
launch
Meanwhile oxus and Fulbert were
20 surround the Lost Isle with a nett
work OF mines. which would spon-l
taneously explode at the least shock.
Some were TO be sunk at varying
depths, SO as to destroy the subma-
rines: the others would float on the
surface, and would be intended to
sink cruisers. armorplates, and tor
pedoes.
A Wonderful Plan
Moreover. the Lost Isle was to be
covered with an immense network of
copper wire. bristling with receivers
for the rays Of the electric mirror,
which would conduct them out TO sea,
A. the lightning rod receives the
II
oxus and Fulbert fully expected
that these precautions would force
the powers TO submit to the terms OF ,
the ultimatum.
The two men implored HIctaner not 7
20 expose himself unduly; to stay '
mostly at the bottom Of the sea, and J
only to rise to the surface perpen- Q
dicularly underneath the great bat r
tleships. Thus he would be hidden
from the watchers In the turrets. v
Probably the enemy would make !
use of balloons, because It is a we'll
known fact that the sea, seen from
above, is more transparent. and al
lows itself to be penetrated by the