The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1923-06-09
ELECTRICITY MAY
BE CHIEF WEAPON
OF FUTURE WARS.
Two Million Volt Transform
ers Will Not Fall Into
Criminal Hands
BY HARLAN =. MILLER
by Leased Wire To The Age-HeraId.

PITTSFIELD. Mass. June S.-Two
million volts-roaring, sputtering
shafts of purple and white fires, as
thick as ones arm and carrying in
simultaneously more power than that
generated in all Americas electric
plants. What a weapon II it should
fall into the hands of the criminal
and could be put to criminal use!
1t was this thought that led the
writer TO knock at the door of Allan
Il, Hendricks, development en-
gineer who designed and created the
million-volt transformers which sup
piled the power for the dramatic ex-
periments carried on here with man
made lightning Tuesday night.
Gould this weapon be used for
war purposes with the same decisive
and destructive results and with the
same ease of control as it was hurled
about the great high-voltage labora-
tories of the General Electric COM
pany here?" Hendricks was asked
Gould man, with criminal intent,
use the terrific forces to dispatch his
neighbor. knock out and rob unsus-
pect!ng passers-by or destroy homes
If the jewellers refused to pay tri-
bute?"
Can Say "POssibly."
The questions were among dozens
to be heard in any gathering after
news of the lightning bolt tests was
broadoasted to the world.
ITO some questions l can say Pos
sibly' and to others no." Mr.. Hem
bricks said. las for assassinating,
yes, 1T would be possible to lead the
victim close to the wires. rush him
little and fail to rescue him-and
the job would be done in the twink
1fnp re Tl,tt
shafts give warning before they
strike. The Corona. or leakage from
the wire, Kisses loudly so that all
high-voltage conductors, before the
electric arches escape from them,
give much the same warning as the
rattlesnake.
But, for general purposes of as
sassination, house destruction, etc,
I should say the answer would be
that this great force would not be
useful or practical. To produce such
forces requires an enormous plant
pensive. and requires staff of eX-
perts to control it. man could
scarcely use or generate these forces
single handed. So, there are easier
ways of destroying homes-bombs
for instance-and therefore electrical
forces are not likely to be used for
such criminal purposes.
Peaceful Uses.
"As for war uses 1t is possible
that these forces might be fed to
some engine generating secondary
forces for martial uses. But we have
not had time to think about this. We
are very busy with the peaceful uses
and research along creative lines.
For instance, the development of
new apparatus and higher tension
transformer for the transmitting of
power, the development of suitable
insulators for supporting the con-
ductors and tho production of pro-
tective devices to insure the contin-
uous transmission of thousands of
kiIowatts hundreds of miles, in all
weather conditions. and without the
interruption of service even for
moment-these are matters occupy
ing all of our attention.
Few people nowadays stop to
think Of the years of study which
are embodied in making electric SER
vice sure and continuous. 1t Is these
peaceful uses of tho laboratory that
are now of greatest value to the
public and the fact that there is only
one such laboratory in the whole
world at this time may suffice to al
lay any worry as to the misuse Of
the forces available here