The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1918-07-02
CANNED LIGHTNING
new WAR WEAPON
is CAPABLE OF ANNIHILATING
ENEMY TRENCHES WITH
ONE BINDING FLASH.

Dazzling swords of fire more dead
ly than the highest explosive, follow
ed by annihilating explosions that
leap into the skies, will be the fore
runners of the Canned" lightning,
sciences newest weapon of war, that,
it is claimed, will blast out Germany's
last hope and chance of victory and
world supremacy.
An Italian scientist is credited
with having discovered a means of
concentrating and rejecting electric
rays in such a manner as to pro-
duce the results above described. 1t
Is reported that this inventor has
proved to representatives of his gov
eminent that electric current could
be 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 in
dictated, but chat he dare not make
experiments in the city of Rome be-
cause of the danger attending the
use of this extraordinary power.
f. H. Randall, in describing in the
Illustrated World the results of these
tests, says that outside the city the
inventor was told to first burn
through three-inch hardwood plank.
In an instant" says Mr.. Randall,
this plank was scared and broken,
as if it had been struck by lightning.
Next he was ordered to explode
two bombs, one hidden somewhere
on the bank Of the Tiber, the other
IN the bed Of the stream Within ten
minutes the bomb concealed along
the bank was exploded. 1t required
much longer to locate and explode
the one sunk in the river, but this,
too, was finally accomplished. The en-
tire outfit used by this Italian inven-
tor is said to have been placed on a
single small barge"
Mr.. Randall says that an approx
mate idea Of the power of arcing
electricity may be obtained by watch
ing an electric furnace at work. 1t
will cut the hardest steel as if it were
putty. To flash such a flame through
an airplane, submarine, battleship or
/" u CANAisl HG says. WOuIQ ledNS
wreck in place of q fighting machine.
This writer also points out other
uses for controlled lightning. Mine
sweepers equipped with this device
could fire mines thousands of yards
distant and eliminate them as defen-
slve weapons. These hidden terrors
could be exploded over extensive
fields without in any instance injury
being done to even the smallest
sweeper.
On land the arc ray would form
most successful baTage, and could
wipe out the defenders of trenches
with unerring certainty. Thrown
from large tractor-type airplanes or
from big fighting air-cruisers the
enemy's position would be made I'M
tenable.
"In the face of these arcing rays"
says Mr.. Randall, transportation of
food, of ammunition and other sup
plies above ground would be made
impossible. The weaker arcs thrown
from battleplanes would be sufficient
to fire an ammunition train, while the
strongest ones, if 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
action: "In a few moments every
enemy airplane or any fleet of them
no matter what their numbers
would fall to earth, crumpled
wreck! At the touch Of a button a
lance-like bolt of electricity would
suddenly shoot forward with incon-
ceivable speed, accompanied by a tre-
mendous clap of thunder. And what
a moment before bad been q soaring