The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1940-03-14
Most Deadly Explosive
In World Is Invented
Lester p. Barlow of Stamford Offers II to United
States Senate Destroys Records OF Revelations
So That Foreign Powers Couldn't Get Them

Washington, March IA. - Cup
= The inventor Of "the most deadly"
explosive sought permission today
to deinonstrate its force BY blowing
I'D animals with IL.
at won't hurt them" he said,
"since IT, causes instantaneous
death"
p Lester p. Barlow, Of Stamford,
Conn, 50 impressed the Senate mil
itary affairs committee yesterday
With o description Of his new ex-
plosive that the committee burned
the minutes Of the two-hour session
lest at foreign power learn the
formula.
The COMMITTEES will discuss Bar
lows invention with war and navy
department officials Monday.
Barlow said he was asking to
demonstrate the explosive, by ex-
ploding mines Of. It in a field Of
animals. It was assumed that he
had asked the committee for per-
mission to 30 demonstrate and that
the committee would discuss 1t with
military authorities.
Senator Gerald p. Nye, Republic
can, North Dakota, at whose sug-
gestion, Barlow testified, said the
explosive was so devastating 1t
would give any nation an. "incom-
parable advantage IN, war time" Its
defamation, he'said, "utterly destroys
everything within miles,"
"Never In Is years." he said, "have
I seen q Senate Committee so Inn
pressed" =
Barlow Presents Plans
Barlow presented to the committee
affidavits, photographs and de-
scriptions Of his experiments with
the explosive which he said COM
bined liquid oxygen and carbon.
He called IL the most deadly ex-
plosive known" + r
Senator Edwin G. johnson, DEM
ocrat, Colorado, moved to destroy
the committee record. He and others
were said to have considered the ex-
plosive SO destructive, they feared its
formula would fall into the hands
Of q foreign power.
Nye said the papers were placed
in q waste basket and burned In the
presence Of the committee despite
the objections by Senator A. B.
Chandler, Democrat, Kentucky, who
thought the records might be OF
value to the committee itself.
Barlow told reporters later that
the war potentialities Of liquid oxy-
gen were first realized when the
Germans bornbarded Barcelona dur
ing the Spanish Civil War. A bomb
smashed q huge apartment house, he
said, land killed hundreds of peo-
pie besides sending the worlds mill
tary experts into Juror"
Superior Method
Upon study, he became convinced
that a superior method Of using
liquid oxygen could be devised. The
German method, he asserted, was
dangerous to the user because Of q
too-rapid defamation.
After a long period Of "trial and
error" he said he had discovered
q method to prevent an explosion OF
the gases without q separate de-
tonator, making the explosive "ab-
solutely safe"
He said he could get no hearing
from American military authorities,
who told hi NIT was impossible to
use the mixture safely.
"They cannot be blamed for that,
he said, because the explosive does
things that are impossible by all
previous standards"
His explosive, Barlow explained, Is
for use In mines and not In artillery
shells. It's effect, he said, depends
entirely on the expansion Of gases
and has nothing to do with hurting
metal.
Is Explosive Expert
Barlow Is well known as an ex-
plosive expert. He obtained his en-.
cheering training In the Navy and
made his first aerial bombs while
with the Mexican bandit, Panchc
villa, in Mexico In 1914. In 1882 he
revealed plans for bomb he said
would destroy q city 100 miles away
by pressing a button. He offered II
to the United States free, but was
refused.
The United States used about
$50 100000 worth Of explosives o.
his design during the World War.
Barlow was said to have described
to the committee his proposed exper.
iment with living animals as follows
He would use 1000 pound aeria
home, 143 Euclid avenue on Satur.
day morning at $3.50 o'clock to st
Margaret's Church where solemn
,1nass NJ reniIieYn will hA celebrated