Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1918-06-28
CANNED LIGHTNING

CANNED LIGHTNING
New War Weapon Said to Be Inven.
tion Of Italian.
Dazzling swords OF fire more deadly
than the highest explosive followed by
annihilating explosions that leap into
the skies, will be the forerunners OF
the canned" lightning, sciences new
est weapon of war; that, ii Is claimed,
will blast out Gcrmany's las: hope and
chance Of victory and world suprem-
acy.
An Italian scientist is credited with
having discovered n means Of concen-
trating and rejecting electric rays in
such q manner as TO produce the re-
suits above described. 1t is reported
that this inventor has proved to rep
resentatives Of his Government that ell
cctric current could bc concentrated
and directed in rays and made to arc
at varying distances from the point OF
control. He Is said to have offered to
demonstrate his idea in whatever way
the officials indicated. but that he dare
not make experiments in the city OF
Rome because of tho danger attend
ing the use Of this extraordinary
power ----..--- ...-.---.---.
+. Fl. Randall, in describing in the
Illustrated World the results of these
tests, says that outside tie city the in
ventor was told first to burn through
a threc-inch hardwood plank. I'm an
instant" says Mr.. Randall, this plank
was scared and broken. as If 1t had
been struck by lightning.
Next he was ordered to explode two
bombs. one hidden somewhere on the
bank of the Tibcr. the other in the bed
of the stream. Within ten minutes
the bomb concealed along the bank
was exploded. 1t required much long
er to locate and explode the one sunk
in the river, but this too, was finally
accomplished. The entire outfit used
by this Italian Inventor is said to have
been placed on a single small barge"
Mr.. Randall says that an approx
mate idea of power Of arcing electric
ity may he obtained by watching an
electric furnace at work. 1t will cut
the hardest steel as If it We're putty.
To flash slch n flame through an air
plane. submarine, battlcship or a
trench. he says. would leave a wreck
in place of n fighting machine.
This writer also points out other
uses for controlled lightning. Mine
swcepcrs equipped with this device
could fire mines thousands Of yards
distant and eliminate them as defen-
sive weapons. These hidden terrors
could be exploded over extensive fields
without, in any instance. injury being
done to even the smallest swee per.
On land the arc .ay would form a
most successful harrage. and could
wipe out the defenders of trenches
with un ,rring certainty. Thrown from
large tractor-type airplancs or from
big fighting air-cruisers, the enemy's
position would be made untenable.
In the face of these -arcing rays"
says Mr.. Randall, Transportation OF
food, Of ammunition and other sup
plies above ground would be made i'm
possible. The weaker arcs thrown
from battleplanes would be sufficient
TO fire IN ammunition train. while the
strongest ones. II reflected from the big
land batteries. would explode the most
carefully protected magazines"
In the following description Mr..
Randall paints a vivid picture Of what
would happen with this machine in ac-
ton: In a few moments every enemy
airplane or any fleet Of them-no mat
ter what their numbers-would fall to
earth, crumpled wreck! At the
touch Of button. a lance-like bolt OF
electricity would suddenly shoot for
ward with inconceivable speed, ac-
companied by a tremendous clap OF
thunder. And what a moment before
hal oeen a soaring airplane would be a
flaming mass, and, the next instant, a
few charred parts dropping to earth
like a burnedout rocket
IN holes or craters in No Mans
Land a scout could lurk with his
deadly weapons, connected by wires
with the generators and the concentra-
tors behind his lines. When the enemy
charged. he could sweep the whole
lines as they passed him and annihi-
late each successive wave Of infantry"
Mr. Randall says that few electrical
engineers in this country care to de-
clare arbitrarily whether or not
all or any part Of this can be ac-
hut in this connection he
quotes as follows the chief engineer Of
the largest electrical concern in the
world:
II can't say that know this has
been done or will be done-but don't
dare suggest that 1t cannot be done.
We can reflect light and heat and
rays Of other kinds-why cannot this.
100, be accomplished?
This much VIC all know-that once
this problem Is solved there will be no