The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1918-09-06
One inventor Would Snatch En-
envy Rifles by Means Of
Magnets.
FLEA SHELL IS OFFERED
Their There is the Scissors Plane, the
TaIiy-Ho Cannon, and the Moon
veil--AeronautIea Favored
by Inventors,

London Pushing the war on is the
latest popular hobby. It's grent
amusement. Perhaps you have tame
balloon 20 snatch the rifles from the
enemy's hands BY means Of suspended
magnets. or, maybe, a few spare
snakes 20 huri into the trenches by
pneumatic propulsion; or. perhaps, a
shell with man inside II 10 steer "
Of the target. n 80, pack In brown
paper and dispatch 20 Inventions De-
paftment. british Ministry of Munl-
lions Some months later you VIII
receive polite notification Informing
you that your Invention Is receiving
their collective ana eenrnest atiens
lion"
Meanwhile your competitors have
supplied suggestions for:
A she'll 10 contain deas OF other YER
min inoculated with disease,
The spraying of cemeiit over soldiers
80 nH 70 petrlfy them.
Tho throwns nf live wire cables
carrying high yoltnge among ndynnc.
Ing bodies 0f Infantry by means ~
rockets.
Germany should be attacked IN one
cnse BY making "tube' all the way.
and IN another by employing trained
cormorants 20 ~ 20 Essen and
pick out the mortar from Krupp's
ehlmneys.
one Inventor proposes a machine Of
the nature Of lawn mower rs large
as tank to make mincement Of them.
The Scissors Plane a New Idea.
The clouds are 10 be frozen artif.
cially aud guns mounted on them
heavy guns are 10 be suspended from
captive balloons the moon Is 20 be
covered with big black balloon; air
plnues are % be armed with scissors or
scythes like B0ndicen's chariot, or TO
trail bombs behind them on long
cord heat rays are to be project
ed for the purpose Of settling ZeppelIns
on FIRE: electric waves TO paralyze IN
magnetos.
One ~ the most popular suggestions
OF all IL 70 attach senrchllGht 10 an
antialrcraft gun. get the light ON the
chico, and shoot along the beam hut,
unfortunately, the path OF a shelf Is
quite different from TINT % the rsy
% light Most elaborate Hdecoy"
schemes are sometimes worked out for
the confusion OF the enemy, comprls-
ing In AZ least one case sham factories
with ehlmneys and hooters complete.
Not uunaturally neronantlcs have
been favored BY the inventors Many
seem 10 have thought that the lifting
power uf hydrogen IS unlimited. for
they have suggested armorplnted bal
looms. the tran port Of artillery by
0lrplane aud % troops by balloon,
shells and projectllcs have received
not little attention Proposals include
q shell containing gravel to lay u path.
way over mud another containing lsri.
tRnt powder or sticky substance 70
hamper machine guns, and another for
holding many thousand feet Of wire,
weights and clock motor
Many inventors of device rcquir,
Ing knowledge of hglisties he-
tray no knowledge that such Il sci,
euce exists ny one scheme two guns
are to be fired simultaneously, the
shut being connected by chain
90 which bomhs and incendIary de.
vices. ere, are "a be attached. II Is
clear that variations IN powder or
differences Ia wear would make It i'm,
possible 20 predict which direction the
device would take
Then There ID the Relay Shell.
Another fnyorite subject meclan-
ieally unsound Il the "relay shell." a
shell acting as a small gun discharged
IN uid.alr and expelling small in
ner she'll the object heing 10 obtain
an Increased range The fact Is TINT
shelf Ia flight does not point uircct-
Is along its trajectory. but makes an
uncertain angle with II. SO that ac-
ruruey of ain, would be impossible.
In the group Of inventions coming