The sun., 1918-08-04
One Inventor Would Snatch
Enemy Rifles by Means
Of Magnets.
FLEA SHELL rs OFFERED
Then There Is the Scissors
Plane, the Tally-ho Cannon
and the Moon Veil.
Special corsspondsncs to tn, Sun.

S'S>s eAhooohicht- Forhdps you nave
tame balloon to snatch the rifles
from the eremy's hands by means of
suspended magnets; or, maybe. a few
spare snakes to hurl into the trenches
oy pneumatic propulsion: or, perhaps,
a shell with man inside 1t to steer II
at the target II so, pack in brown
paper and despatch to Inventions De-
partment. British Ministry of Munitions
some months later you will receive a
polite notification informing you that
your invention is receiving their COL
lective and earnest attention"
Meanwhile your competitors have Sup
piled suggestions for:
shell to contain feas or other YER
min inoculated with disease
The squirting of cement over soldiers
80 as to petrlfy them.
The throwing of live wire cables car
ryins a high voltage among advancing
bodies Of infantry by means of rockets
Germany should be attacked IN one
case by making a tube" all the way,
and In another by employing trained
coriHorants to fly to Essen and pick out
the mortar from krupp's chimneys.
one inventor proposed u machine of
the nature OF lawn mower as large
as a tank to make mincemeat OF them
The Scissors Plane a New Iden,
The clouds are to be frozen artificalIy
and guns mounted on them heavy guns
are TO be suspended from captive bal
looms; the moon is to be covered with
a big black balloon: aeroplanes are to
be armed with scissors or scythes. like
Boadicea's chariot, or TO trail bombs
behind them on a long cord heat rays
are to be projected for the purpose of
setting Zeppelins on fire electric waves
TO paralyze the magnetos.
One OF the most popular SUGGESTIONS
of all Is to attach a searchlight to an
anti-aircraft gun, get the light on the
on1ect and shoot along the beam but.
unfortunately. the path Of a shell is
quite different from that OF the ray of
light. Most elaborate "decoy" schemes
are sometimes worked out for the con-
iusion or the enemy. comprising in at
ieast one case sham factories with chin
neys and hooters complete
To prevent the polished lines OF a
railway showing at night the last car
rage or the last train. according to an
o'her inventor, was to camouaage them
by dribbling backing as Il went along
Armor Plated Balloon Also.
Not unnaturally aeronautics have
been favored by the inventors, MANY
seem to have thought that the lifting
power of hydrogen ia unlimited, for thew
have suggested armor plated balloons,
the transport of artillery by aeroplane
and OF troops by balloon. Paddle wheels
have often been put forward as an alter
native means OF propulsion for aero
planes, the fact being quite overlooked
mat marine paddle wheel revolves in
two distinct media
Shells and projectiles have received
not little attention. Proposals include
shell containing gravel TO lay a path.
way over mud another containing irri-
tant powder or sticky substance to ham,
per machine guns. and another for hold
ing many thousand feet OF wire, weights
and clock motor.
Many inventors of n device recurring
knowledge OF ballastics betray no
knowledge that such Il science exists.
BY one scheme two guns are to be fired
simultaneously, the shot being connected
by a chain to which bombs and incen-
diary devices. &c. are to be attached
II is clear that variations in powder or
differences in wear would make Il i'm
possible to predict which direction the
device would take.
Ideas Cor starting a shell or maintain
ing 1t in the air by wings. rudders and
even balloons or kites are numerous
Many inventors apparently think that
artillery Is in the front line that shells
are fired point blank at the enemy wire
and that they travel horizontally.
Then There Is the Relay Shell.
Another favorite subject, mechanically
unsound. Is the relay she'll" n shell
acting as small gun discharged In mid
air and expelllng n small inner shell,
Tho object being to obtain an increased
range. The fact is that n shell In flight
does not point directly along its trajec-
tory. but makes an uncertain angle with
it, SO that accuracy OF aim would be
impossible.
In. the group OF Inventions coming
under the mead of motive power the
majority are of the "overbalancing
Wheel type, which dates from the thr-
teenth century. Power Is to be obtained
from other schemes Of people walking
about floors and up and down stairs :
passenger Hts are TO be used az power
hammers, and power Is to be generated
from the flow Of rain water from the
roofs OF houses.
Suggestions are also frequently re-
ceivcd In connection with colored search-
lights. The most remarkable PROPOSE
ton OF all in connection with search
lights is perhaps that of ''black beam. -
whatever that may mean, for obscuring
the moon.
Many inventors are absolutely imper-
vious to argument or explanation an.
are always dissatisfied with the treat
ment they receive. In this respect they
contrast unfavorably with a foreigner
who submitted an engine which would
~ nrIy nd Lad 10
ence with thanks and the admission that
Ia IL ol, a. 1.