El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1920-08-14
By VIRGIL C BRANGVON.
Fort sfoelCfon. Terar.

board whose office was at IL Park
Row, New York
followed Mr.. Edison's instructions
and when the board received my
specifications, 7 received IN reply the
thanks OF the entire board for my
contribution to the cOuntry's defence.
I had made my contribution on con-
dition that was to be protected as
I the inventor and 70 receive such
honors and compensation as the gov
eminent saw Fit to award me after
my invention had proved its merits in
action against the U-boats-
What Might Rave Been.
The original papers Conserving this
invention are on file TO-DAY with the
navy department, together with blue
/ prints OF the weapon and reference
to them viii substantiate my state
ment- 1 have the correspondence and
am in possession Of all other facts
to bear out what I say about the in
vention.
It has probably occurred to many
thinking Americans that had the
allied powers had In their possession
a satisfactory weapon against sub
marines prior to March Is. 1917. It
would not have been necessary for
the United States TO declare on April
5. 1917, - days later. that a state OF
war existed between this country and
the imperial German government
Then on Nay s, & month after We
declared war and one month and a
days after my Information was sub
United, what happened2 Every daily
paper IN the nation carried IN large
headlines this good news: Submarine
Problem Solved by American Brains.
American inventive genius has done
what three years OF warfare and
allied bullets could not do"
The Invention Approved.
81
New York. had given his O. K TO the
inTeation- The announcement was
made by william L. Saunders, chair
man OF the naval consulting board,
consisting Of 80 members. Thomas A
Edison was president and Thomas
Robins, secretary.
Another thing Mr.. Saunders said
was that the board feared to give
trial to a certain novel invention for
fear that Germany would get on 20 It.
Il was said OF my invention, however,
that Il would XIII submarines like
rats IN a hole. This was said Of this
invention although inventions we're
being submitted TO the board AT the
rate OF So a day. Mr.. Saunders said. /
This invention did everything ex-
pected Of 1t and We are going TO
use It."
on the night Of Nay there was
a great secret gathering Of naval and
scientific brains at the home OF sec
rotary Josephus Daniels, Of the navy,
in Washington. where plans were
made for sweeping submarines from
the seas. Just after this another an
was made that the anti I
submarine weapon was a one man
Invention. And the effect Il had IS |
known 70 AL OF US
After that date no further appeals /
went out for g weapon to defeat the |
U-boat- The board had accepted my |
invention
Ny depth bomb was modified some
what, before K was put into regular /
use, as It. was too destructive in It's 1
form to be Of highest effec-
tiveness.
An aerial depth bomb was never 1
heard OF before I gave my invention /
to the government. March Is. 1917.
Americans as Inventors.
Here 7 wish TO state that the depth I
bomb must not be confused with the
Y-gun- The Y-gun Is the invention Of
a man living IN Washington. D. C, I
am reliably Informed He received |
his patent IN 1914 But both OF US are !
Americans. which g a great satisfac- !
ton II was to America and her in l
ventors that Great Britain had to /
look for allied salvation. This sal
vation. Britain admitted, had to come !
In the form OF a U-boat destroyer. |
The reason we had never been told /
who the inventor OF the depth bomb i
was and the nature OF the invention /
was that following the secret con-
ference at secretary Danielss home
the censorship went on.
That the invention came from an
obscure Texan need not be surprising 4
IS some Of cur best inventions have
come IN the same way. I an think
nE OF a good example IN the k-triple
7alve. which put the kick in the
Westinghouse airbralze system which
makes II possible TO stop the longest
rain OF cars almost instantly. This
invention Was given 20 the world by
Walter Turner. an American sheep
lerdsr who made s2S.o00.0oo from It.
inventors. like poets have to be born.
rot made
Americans are the, greatest inven-
.ors in the world. Many OF their ac-
,ldental dreams materialize into
something worth while When I was 4
n Washington. d. C., IN March. 1913.
saw what purported to be an au~
.hentfc report which said that IN an
sffort to meet the emergency Of the
var 100000 inventions had been con-
.ribuled to the different war COM I
rittees. Ny appeal 70 my govern
nent is not only 70 foster the inven-
I've and the creative spirit. but to
protect the inventor In every way
,ossibls from the theft OF his ideas.
have not received one penny
or lust recognition for ny con
frfbuff0n Of the most worthy IN
ventiou that was contributed to
any nation during the war, bat
dc not make this appeal for sell
fisk reasons.
Story OF The Discovery.
How did I happen to invent the
iepth bombf Is a question which must
4 course be answered. Although a
iative Texan and living in = small
own have been inventing for Is
rears. When the war broke out In
ga I began to study the weapons OF
he different countries IN the war
md from the knowledge thus gained
soon realized that unless they were
hecked the Germans would wreak
,reat havoc with their submarines.
So I devoted ny thought TO
cheme 70 defeat the undersea craft
set out to collect all available re-
lorts and records pertaining to
J-bozfs. their nature Of construction,
heir navigation. etc. / laid aside
ny work on a new process motor
ff1e and began the devising OF an
.eriaI bomb that would defy air
urrents and water currents and ex-
lode and destroy submarine at any
I called my wife 70 my aid. We
tudied all known weapons used Tor
fence and defence from the earliest
ID H.HsIr rNH M