davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-07-28
The lmpossibilities
And What Happens

How timid we are in graspng
these possibilities In grasping all
possibilities of the future We be.
heve in what has been, we doubt
what is to he. College professors
prove that it is impossible to pitch
a curve ball, impossible for a
heavierthan air air machine to flv.
impossible for locomotive to pull
a train of cars, impossible for a
gun 20 shoot a hundred miles, and
then the thing happens and the col
lege professors explain it,
Even practical men Of affairs are
slow to grasp the significance of
new inventions. How MANY of
them realized the Importance of
the motion picture eighteen years
ago? II was toy, an amusing
trif1e, they said Now it rules the
world
Similarly, the airplane was de-
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-07-28

clared for years to have no COM
mercial future, to have reached the
limit of its development. A thrilling
continuance for air stunts at coun-
try fairs--~nothing else. Serious
men. scientific, hard-headed engi-
neers were saying that az late as
1914. You couldn't give away stock
/. in an airplane enterprise.
Then came this war with its
broadening of vision, its quicken
ing Of faith--that is, perhaps the
greatest value of the war-and in
the last four years men have learned
more about airplane possibilities
than they would have learned in
forty years OF peace-they have
been compelled to learn.
To-day experts agree that sue
cessful ocean flight is merely mat
ter of intelligent preparation. No
one doubts that the thing is pos
sible, or that it will be accomplished
In the near future. In all proba-
bility we shall see a transatlantic
airplane service permanently estab-
llshed within the next year. The
Handley-Page people speak con-
tdently of flying their big machines
by hundreds across to England
now!
Why not? Consider the speed
that is already attained by stand
ardized air machines! A hundred
and fifty miles an hour! That
means fifteen hours from America
to Europe, or less with favorable
winds
Consider the engine power of air
planes that are in actual and sue
cessful operation-2,100 horsepow-
err in huge Italian flier, accord
ing to Captain Ugo d'Annunzio, this
machine containing three Fiat en-.
gines Of 700 horsepower each! And
there are reports Of monster Ital-
ian arplane with engines develop.
ing 5000 horsepower.
Consider that already some air
machines have four engines, five en-
eines, six engines; and some air
machines weigh as much as fifteen
tons and are able to carry two tons
of useful load-bombs, freight, pas
sengers--two tons of passengers
meaning twenty-five persons!
And consider the speed records
that have been already made! Three
thousand miles from London ia
Constantinople in twenty-one hours,
with several stops!
We can no more limit the size
power or speed Of airplanes of the
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-07-28

rible burns. lay for months in a
hospital. There! Try it,"
He drew the stopper and held the
bottle under his nose, then gave it
to me. l felt as I did once in the
West Indies when leper offered me
his hand. But took the open bottle
and held it under my nose, as the
chemist had done. What childlike
faith we have!
Nine Hours
Later 1t Kills
There was scarcely any odor. No
sign of fumes arising. No sensation
Of any kind, or indication that any,
thing was happening.
THAT'S the worst of it," laughed
the scientist. Mustard gas fools
you. You think there is nothing
there, then suddenly nine hours later
it kills you, or if it does not quite
kill you you wish it had"
mine hours later?" l wondered
why he was so casual with that stop
per, but he treasured me, explaining
that the deadliness Of the gas came
with much greater concentration.
l need not worry.
Greater concentration of poison
gas! That is what is necessary for
big results. Immensely greater
quantities of poison gas!
Another distinguished American
chemist assured me the other day
that poison gas enters much more
largely into Germany's great cam
paign on the Western front than is
generally realized.
"Germany's successes since March.
1918," he said, "have been largely
due to poison gas. And the long
pauses between her massed attacks
may be accounted for by the fact
that once her supply of poison gas
is used up Germany must wait until
she can make new supply before
she strikes again. And please note
that Germany makes poison gas very
slowly. l need not go into the rea-
sons for this, but we happen to
know that in the case of mustard
gas it takes Germany five times as
long to make a given quantity Of
this deadly stuff as it would take
America to make it.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-07-28
Poison Gas in
Modern Warfare

Let US now consider poison gas
that most tiendish method of de-
struction that has entirely changed
the course of modern warfare.
ut is within the realm or pos
slbilities," declared a great English
poison gas authority recently, "that
this war will be finished, literally,
in the chemical laboratory"
There is no question that victory
in the present world conflict will
come to whichever side is able first
to
(a) Discover gas that is color
less, odorless, invisible and highly
poisonous.
(b) Deliver this gas against the
enemy under surprise conditions
and in practically limit1ess guam
titles.
When poison gas was first used
april, 1879 at Ypres against the
defenceless British the results were
so CHASTITY that even the Germans
were shocked. Six thousand dead
bodies-poisoned suddenly! Ten
thousand splendid young men with
ing on the ground in hideous tort
are! There had never been any,
thing like it in the history of the
world. And that was only the be-
ginning!
Perhaps the most Internal variety
of poison gas that has since been de-
veloped is Observation-Disclosures,
or mustard gas, so called because of
faint smell like garlic.
l recently met the discoverer Of
this gas in one of our war munitions
factories, and he told me how he
came upon this stuff years ago when
ne was studying in Germany under
famous German scientist. / SUD-
pose that this German claims to have
discovered mustard gas himself.
Would you like to see some Of
it? Would you like to take a Whit
of it," he smiled. Here you are.
Don't be afraid"
He produced a glass bottle con-
tanning about a pint of reddish
brown liquid and fingered the stop
per.
This is what does the business,
II you have enough Of it. 1t nearly
killed me. The fumes of it 20 right
through your clothes and make hor-
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-07-28
Wearing Gas Mask
For Four Hours

Furthermore" he continued. "all
experts agree that the gas masks
furnished to our American soldiers
are much superior to German masks
that IS, they give protection for a
greater number of hours and cause
less inconvenience"
For how long a time can these
masks be kept on in the event of p
prolonged gas attack" 1 asked.
For several hours-four or five
hours"
You mean the mask would cease
to protect after that time?'
"No. / mean that the limit Of
human endurance would be reached
after that"
This chemist is a mild hammered
man, with kindly blue eyes and a
pleasant voice, but he proceeded to
paint for me an incredibly horrible
picture of possible destruction by
poison gas that can be accomplished
by America.
YES" he went on, l"America has
it in her power to win this war
quickly, to put Germany entirely out
OF business, if she will spend mill
ions or billions enough in making
poison gas chemicals and transport
ing them to Europe. I would sooner
waste American chemicals than
waste American blood. Wouldn't
you?"
He then explained to me his plan,
which is simply to use the entire
power of Niagara Falls, transformed
into electrical energy, in making
poison gas.
1--WE are already using for war
purposes the little finger Of this
Niagara giant. Why not use all
the giants boundless strength?
Would Germany leave Niagara
Falls practically idle, as we
do, for the pleasure of tourists. if
she had the handling of it? No.
Germany would harness every drop
of water in the American Falls.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-07-28
Doing Away
With Collisions

The usefulness of this water-wire-
less invention in times of peace lies
in the fact that it will practically
do away with the danger OF COL
lislons between ships at sea, since it
informs one vessel of another ves-
sells approach while they are miles
apart, even in storm or darkness; it
also lessons the chances Of another
Titanic disaster by recording the
echo of ships foghorn thrown back
from an iceberg drifting in fog.
may point out, in conclusion.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-07-28


known viii speak of him pres
emily
There is an endless list OF war
inventions and war discoveries.
In chemistry, in physics, in scientific
farming. in surgery, in manufactur-
ing. in almost every branch OF HUI
man endeavor. there have been i'm
mense strides forward since the
war began in 1914, so much so that
nosterity will probably regard this
world conflict, for all it's horrors
and pain. as a blessing in disguise
Nitrates out Of the air, which
means a revolution in agriculture
and in the whole business Of food
supply THAT is direct consequence
of the war
s tunnel under the English Chan.
mel Twenty minutes from island to
mainland and no seasickness. That
will be another consequence
Rolling fortresses,
Radio-controlled torpedoesl
Transatlantic flight,
Mails carried through the air at
ninety miles an hour This is al
ready an accomplished fact. In
Spain. in England, in Italy. in
Neutrality-suspicious., aerial letter
carriers are flying on regular
schedules Two hours and a half
from Washington to New York
And that is only a suggestion Of air
plane possibilities
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-07-28

every drop of water in the Canadian
Falls, with their combined power of
so many hundreds of millions of
horses, to the greatest electro-chem-
lcal gas producing plant ever
dreamed of. Germany would keep
that plant working night and day,
and we Americans would do the
same if we realized our opportunity,
night and day, until we were able to
drench the whole German battle
line, their whole cursed battle area,
say region two hundred miles long
and ten miles deep, with poison gas
and keep it drenched, that is, keep
gas shells falling from our guns, gas
bombs falling from our airplanes
ceaselessly for twenty-four hours if
necessary. But it would not be nee
essary. Ten hours would do; after
that the Germans would be dead"
"Dead-whole armies?"
eyes. All who did not flee from
that poisoned area would be dead.
and comparatively few would be
able to flee. The war would be
over in ten hours. Niagara Falls
and American chemists would have
won the war"
"You really think such thing is
possible?"
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-07-28
If Niagara Were
Modified

~ do. 1t is merely matter of
organization, merely a matter of
paying the price-in chemicals"
"And Germany would make no
answering move? She would have
no way of defending herself?"
Il don't think so. I don't see any
defence. We have Niagara Falls in
our possession and Germany hasn't.
1t is up to us to use Niagara Falls"
There are three arguments against
the plan of meeting German fright
fitness with still greater American
frightfulness.
One argument is that it is abomi-
nable to even think of such whole
sale destruction. 1t is a wicked plan.
But all war is wicked, and Ger
many's present advantage is largely
due to the fact that she has thought
of various kinds of wickedness first
and has forced the Allies to follow
her wicked example Gas in the orig
NAL use Of poison gas) after precious
months have been wasted. Why
should not the Allies take the lead
for change?
The second argument is that it
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-07-28

The sub
marine, q n
other Amer
! c a n inven-
tionl
The | o n q
distance gun ,
Mu s I a r d
gas discov
cree by n
young Amer
lean chemist
Of f n ish
descent, al
though t h / s
t a c { is II O t
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-07-28
Copyright Umdmwoo &
A field of INK gathered mind the lines.


he lines.
quarry until depth bomb settles
things.
1t is no violation of confidence to
explain that these sounds from dis
tant submarines are received by
listening ears"--that is, steel dia-
phragms, a foot or more in diameter,
set deep down in the hulls of battle.
ships or destroyers far below the
water level, set in circular openings
cut through the outer plates, so that
they are in direct contact with the
water.
Not only are all up-to-date battle
ships and destroyers provided with
these listening ears" but sub
marines themselves are similarly
equipped, both for offensive and de-
fensive purposes. All of which has
a much more important bearing
upon the struggle now going on be-
tween ships and submarines than is
generally realized
A New Water
Wireless System
l may add that, by means of a
sound-creating device Gan electric
oscillator used in connection with
the listening ears") it is possible
to send forth sounds, through water
vibrations, as we'll as to receive
them. This practically creates a
water wireless system, or water
! telephone system.
Early in the war | asked the in
ventor of this system, Professor R.
A. Fessenden, if it would be pos
sible to transmit these vibrations
through the water to a considerable
DISTANCE.
"To very considerable dis
tance," he said. 1--WE have already
received them at a distance of thir-
ty-two miles, but that is only be-
ginning-like the first wireless mes
sage sent across the English Chan
mel, which seemed wonderful fifteen
years ago, but is nothing to-day"
''Do you think it will be possible
to transmit these water vibrations
over, say, one hundred miles?"
IL have no doubt Of it; perhaps
several hundred miles, with larger
oscillators and more powerful cur
rents"
"And you can send messages in
this way through the water itself,
with no wires or cables?"
Exactly. 1t is simply a matter
of making the oscillator toot out
dots and dashes according to- the
code. Now you see the Importance
of these oscillators in naval war
fare, for a battleship equipped with
such instruments can talk to it's
own submarines while they are miles
away and submerged and can actu-
ally direct their movements against
an enemy.'s vessels"
He then described a government
test Of his invention made outside
of Newport harbor, in which the
United States submarines XII and
K-2 exchanged water-wireless COM
munications without a mistake at
the rate of ten words minute
when they were eight miles apart.
1--WE not only succeeded in re-
celving water-wireless messages be-
tween submarines" said Professor
Fessenden, "but at short distances.
up to half mile, we were able to
talk with the human voice from one
submarine to the other. would say
to the transmitter, for instance:
Please ask Captain So and So to
come to the phone and a moment
later by wireless I would hear
the captains voice asking what I
wanted"
| Do;uo Ax,,,
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-07-28
Machine S h ops and
Chemical Laboratories
Of World Pitted in
.-5cAdliest Duel
Bv CLEVELAND
MOFFET .

q upright. fefs. b. The T~te.ss Assvctsttow
fNe,o York rrthus-l
T<OUR years Of war inventions,
- discoveries. developments
What stupcndous years!
Consider the record
The airplanc, AN American in
vention that may win the war! And
change civilization!
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-07-28

that the greatest service Of the sub
marine, strange as this may seem,
may come in compelling men to &C.
cept the idea of universal and per-
manent peace.
The submarine may prove to be
the reductio ad nbsurdum of all fut-
ure wars!
How so?
Because # there are to be future
wars, then all nations must prepare
for them, and the cost of such prep
aration, taking account of inevitable
submarine depredations, is too stag
gering for the world to face it any
longer
If wars are to continue, if sub
marine attacks upon commerce are
to continue, then presently we shall
see all the men, women and children
upon earth toiling miserably for no
other purpose than to carry the bur-
den of past war indebtedness, while
preparing for new conflicts, new hor-
rors, new burdens of debt.
Which is absurd!
The very efficiency of the subma-
rine makes US realize how absurd
this is. Half the world striving fran
tically to create wealth faster than
the other half can destroy it! Half
the world striving frantically to sink
ships faster than the other half can
build them, although the salvation of
all depends upon those ships!
No! That is not good enough.
Man was made in Gods image for
something better than that; he was
made for happiness, for useful SER
vice. And the escape from this d.
lemma lies in escape from the bond
age of war, in escape from the
curse of militarism. AS to the prob
lem of submarine attack upon ue-
fenceless vessels, the obvious solu-
ton is to Danish from the seas all
submarines equipped for warlike
purposes.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-07-28
Aeroplane, Submarine
and Mustard Gas An
Products of American
Brains

would require many months to carry
out this Niagara gas plan. But Il
requires many months to carry on.
every feature of our war nro.
gramme, to make ships, guns. air.
planes, ETC. Besides, every ona
knows that we are already preparing
to make immense quantities Of
poison gas, so that next year we may
show no inferiority to Germany IN
this respect. Why not prepare for
an overwhelming superiority here2
Why not put Niagara Falls on the
gas job now, if this would give us
chance to win the war quickly. as
experts believe it would-say, in the
summer of 1919, rather than in the
summer of 1922?
The third argument against tbs
Niagara plan is that if we showered
poison gas in such vast quantities
over the German armies they would
retaliate by bombarding Paris and
London with poison gas from air.
planes. But if the war was over, if
the German armies were put perma-
nently out of business, there would
be no danger of retaliation; they
aoould haze nothing to retalGte
arith!
There is no improperly in speak
ing Of this plan, since Niagara Falls
belongs to US, not to Germany. 1t
is a world monopoly at the DISPOSE
ton of the Allies, if they wish to
use it.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-07-28
Long Distance Gun
A Great Sensation


In conclusion, l must speak Of
the long distance gun, startling
novelty of the war, although scien-
fists now profess to have known all
about this possibility long before it
was realized by the Germans. And
they tell US that this seventy-fve-
mile engine of destruction has no
real formidableness owing to its
short life from barrel erosion Thirty
or forty shots at the most,( its diff
Guilty of manipulation and the rela.
lively small projecuile that il
throws.
This gun is but magnificent in.
strument of bluff declares a
French authority. "Its military
value is zero, and its life appears
to be limited to mere score or two
of shots.
We must admit, however, that the
Germans scored a distinct success de
sensation with this extraordinary
war invention. And they have done
substantial damage to Paris, not
only in casualties and material de-
struction, but by causing the fright
ened exodus of hundreds of thou
sands from the French capital 1t
is pity that some scientists of the
Allies who claim to have had this
knowledge did not use it first against
Metz or Cologne.
The long distance shot is fired at
a very high inclination, 1874 de-
grees, SO that the projectiles that
reached Paris must have risen to
the extraordinary height of twenty
four miles at the topmost point Of
their flight, where the air is SO rare
fed that it offers little resistance.
Twenty-four miles above the
earth.
Since this planet was created
flung off from the sun millions Of
wears ago-no fragment of it, no
creature on it, nothing ever con-
nected with it, ever rose so far above
its surface
This expert also assures me that
one of our biggest coast defence
guns (16 inches), sub-calibred as in
dicated, could be made to throw pro-
iectiles for 100 miles. In other
words, such a gun could drop shells
in New York City from New Haven,
Philadelphia, Poughkeepsie or Eas
ton, Penn.
Which is some shootingf
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-05-29
SCHOLARSHIP IS OFFERED
Princeton Club to Make Award
Under Rhodes Plan

A Princeton University scholarship
amounting to $3.50 a year for four years.
10 he awarded under the Rhodes
Scholarship plan to the most deserving
applicant of Philadelphia or its vicinity.
is offered by the Princeton Club of
Philadelphia.
Graduates of high schools or prepara-
tory schools who desire to become can
didates for this scholarship should COM
municate with II. c. Potter, Jr.. chair
man of the regional scholarship COM
mittee, at the Princeton Club. 1923
Locust street.
In awarding the scholarship the COM
mittee will carefully consider all the
needs of the candidates as we'll as their
general qualifications In scholastic at
tainment and character Qualifications
must be vouched for by the principal
Of the school from which a candidate
was graduated.
The successful candidate must. of
course pass the usual entrance exami-
nations of the University. June eX-
aminations are held in Philadelphia and
other cities and September examinations
at Princeton.
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-05-29
DATESMAN BEGINS
GARBAGE BID PROBE
Director Inspects f. T. Muir.
phys Plant Structure Della.
ware and Weccacoe Aves

Director Datesman. Of Public Works,
this afternoon started on the first lap Of
an investigation to determine whether
Edward r. Murphy, the lone bidder IN
the 1ol? garbage contract. shall be
permitted to do the work or whether
new bids shall he asked.
Since Murphy made his bid. which is
for S4S6 600, more than $4,000 less than
the present amount paid by the city to
the Penn Reduction company. the hold
"rs of this years contract verbal hot
shot" has been flying thick and fast
between Murphy and the Penn concern.
Murphy says the Penn Company failed
to bid on next years contract because
an additional amount. as It believed no
other company would offer bids.
Denying this. the Penn Company says
Murphy has not the reduction facilities
to handle the contract, as his only avail
able incinerating plant is an antiauated,
small structure at Delaware and Wee
Cacoe avenues
1t is this plant Director Datesman in
spected this afternoon. He was accom-
panied by Edward Bader. whom Murphy
proposes to make his superint entent
SnohIu ne pe AWardeu tne contfact.
Bader is in the garbage business in
Atlantic city.
The other laps Of the inspection will
take Director Datesman far from
Philadelphia It Is said that Murphy
is secretary of the Brown Company.
Inc. which has offices in the DreXel
Building.
AS this company Is subsidiary of
the American Agricultural Company,
through which Murphy is said to control
two incinerating plants. ono at Buffalo,
y. Y and the other at Spectacle Island
near Boston. Director Datesman will
visit these plants. Murphy having
promised to dismantle them and erect
them here.
Should the three plants he found
ample to handle the contract it will be
awarded to Murphy.