The Washington herald., 1921-05-29
INVENTOR SAYS TNTBOMBS
CAN SCRAP WORLD NAyIES
Baltimore Man Seeks to Demonstrate Value oi
Theories to Benefit United States. = &

BALTIMORE, Mays 24.-That the
most powerful navies in the world
could be scrapped and that half I.
dozen TINT bombs. weighing two
tong each. costing about sao, 900. can
convert q palatiaI $50. 900, 900 liner
into junk. is the claim of Emil
Gathmann. son of Louis Gathmann.
The father was one of the most
famous war inventors of ali ages
II vas his basic principle which
the Germans applied in the long dis
tance gun with which they bonn
barded Paris.
II would recommend the follov-
ing simple program to test the
question" said Mr.. Gathnann,
whether a giant, or superRiant
high explosive bomb carrying one.
two or possibly more tons of high
explosives can sink or put out of
action any conceivable type of bat
ueship by one direct hit in the vi
anity.
Suggests Experiment.
obtain a half dozen bombs con-
tanning 1000 pounds of TINT; then
anchor q buoy on q 150-foot radius
from the center line of the battle
ship target. suspending one of the
bombs by means of 100 or l50-foot
cable from the buoy float, then de-
tomato the two-ton high explosive
charge of the bomb by means of
ample length Of wire and an cleo
trio current
He contends that IL is not neces-
sary for the high explosive to act
ually hit the ship, that IL is suffi-
cient that the bomb come within 100
feet of the vessel. The conclusion
of the bomb. Gathmann declares,
will lift the ship upwards and cause
II to crack at its weakest point.
most likely the center. No armor
can be made strong enough TO
Withstand a real high explosive of
the character suggested, Gathmann
says.
Delayed BY War.
Gathmann declares that II the
Spanish american war had not
taken Theodore Roosevelt from the
navy portfolio. that these facts
would have led to action and that
the history of the war arm of the
United States government and ulti-
mately of the entire world would
have been revolutionized.
Gathmann relates the following
incident OF a conference held by his
father with an ordnance officisl:
Upon entering a room in which
the late Louis Gathmann was in con-
ference with the then chief of ord
nance. Mr.. Roosevelt entered at the
moment when the chief said: I tell
you. Gsthmsnn, IL can't be done
Whereupon Mr.. Roosevelt inquired.
What Is this. admiral. which you
say can't be done?' The admiral
explained that the purpose of Mr..
Gathmann's visit was to obtain an
armoF plate for a target which was
to be the strongest the navy depart
ment could furnish. for the purpose
Of determining the destructive EN-
cheney of high explosives.
Dispute. Claim.
Mr.. Gathmsnn contended that no
target could be constructed to with
stand the detonation of 500 pounds
of high explosives. The admiral
contended otherwise. whereupon
Mr.. Roosevelt said: Admiral, sup
pose you give Gsthmann the armor
which you say he cannot break. II
that is so, he will do IL no harm, but
IL what Gathmann says is true, il is
most important that we know it
Accordingly" says the noted in
ventor's son, the test was held on
May Il. 1899. at Indian Head prov
ing ground. The plate was broken
into five large portions. one of
which was carried 100 feet away,