The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1919-05-13
Scientist Invents Projectile Which
Can Rise to Height Of Sew
enty Miles.
new THING IN BALLsTICs
Propelled by Pcwder-Fed Engine
Deadly Gas or Explosives Borne
In its Head and One Man
Can Discharge II.

worcester, MaSS.-A rocker MS an
agent OF warfare over land or sea, hav-
Ing a perpendicular range of 70 miles
and q horizontal range Of 200 miles or
more, and capable of carrying power
full charges of explosives or deadly
gases, has been invented here by DIR.
Robert II. Goddard, professor Of phys
les at Clark college.
In his experiments, which he an
nounced have attained success, he had
the cooperation and worked by the au-
thority Of the war department and the
Smithsonian institution in Washington,
and Clark university and the Worces-
ter Polytechnic institute. Compared
with 1t, the most powerful implements
Of modern warfare are rendered inef-
fective, scientists familiar with the In
vention assert.
Under the system of propulsion
worked out by Doctor Goddard the
rocket could rise to q height above the
earth's atmosphere. where its
would be increased greatly.
Its propulsive power-which mill
tary men say is a new contribution to
the science Of ballistics-lies in an In
ternal combustion engine of high pow
er, fed either by finely pulverized
smokeless powder or charges of liquid
explosive ut regular intervals regulated
by clockwork. Experiments with min
iature models conducted here have
fully demonstrated Its success against
an enemy.
Can Be Fired without Cannon.
Instead Of requiring a cannon or
mortar to start 1t. one man from any
spot can launch 1t without apparatus.
The destructive agency Is In the head
OF the rocket, though 1t al be adapted
for Photographic work as well, the ap-
paratus being automatically released
from the rocket proper and descending
with a parachute.
In the rockets simplest form, manu-
featured Mt small cost, a foot soldier
would become the equivalent of a
field cannon for a single shot, for he
would carry on his shoulder an instru-
ment Of destruction, with Its head of
gas or high explosive, and fire 1t from
IN point where his legs would take
him. And that would often be where
cannon could not be moved.
For a simple, quick maneuver a
thousand men might discharge a thou
sand rockets, each the equivalent OF
4 S-inch shell, from firing positions
not cas- to locate and quickly evacu'
ated. Or 10000 or 100000 rockets
might be placed in position unknown
to the enemy, each in its simple firms
trough, and wired together in electri
cal circuits, to be exploded after every
man had left the place, by the CLOSING
Of a circuit.
Worked Under Guard.
Doctor Goddard worked on the de
velopment OF his Invention from thu
time the United States went to war
Armed guards stood watch day ant
night and the vicinity was illuminated
10 that no one could spy on the inven
tor IN the darkness.
Doctor Goddard's rocket has an out
er cylindrical shell of thin metal. q
the lower end OF which Is the combus
tiOn chamber having relatively thic|
walls Of nickel steel and opening al
rectly at the lower end into an out
wardly tapering nozzle, exactly lik
the nozzle Of q gas turbine. The open
Ing from the combustion chamber int
the nozzle Is Of much less diamete
than the chamber itself. The pressur
developed by the explosion Of the cart
ridge In the chamber is enormous, an
the increasing diameter Of the nozzl
permits Of the utilization Of the e1
pansion of the gases. The functio
Of combustion Is "speeded up" so I
speak. The result is a high degree Q
e6hciency. Velocity, and therefor
range, Increases proportionately q