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Modern Warfare

Modern Warfare image
Parent Issue
Day
8
Month
January
Year
1896
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

A recent issue of the New York Journal had tliis very interestlng article f rom an interview wifch Mr. Edison : "TVitli war upon us we would not be long in findiiig the destroyera." So spoke Thomas A. Edison, in his laboratory at iJewcüyn Park, yeeterday. He was replying to the question : ''Do you beüeve American inventors, in the event of war with England, vould be able to supply some new engine of destruction that would overeóme the tremendous advántages ■nrhich the English seem to possess in their army and navy ?" "It would require but the ímpetus of o. war to bring forti such inventive genius as would astound the world. As it stands to-day a battle on laad need not be fought. A handfnl of men could sweep awny an ármy. The destructive power is found in electricity. ''"Water can be made more effect ive thao bullets. Por instance, if an engagement 6houUl take place or a fort be assaulted near a running stream, all that would be needed would be a dynamo and a hose. One man for the dynamo, one for the hose and one for general assistant - three men a!l to'.d. They oould charge that_ water with 5.000 volts, and it would sweep every thing living before it away Hke chaff. It would simply be a question of how far the water could be forced. ' The three men could hold a position iigainst an army. "Then, again, a city cou'd be surrounded with cab'es that would deal death to all who should attempt to cross them. They could be so successfully concealed that none wtou13 know until the work had been begun. "Another idea that suggests itself as we chat is the firing of electric cha.ins into the invading force. Tou could take chains of whatever length was desired and attach one end to the wires of the dynamo. The other end could be placed is the cannon with as light or heavy load as desired and fired into the ranks oi an approaching enemy. You could fend death to every living thing within reach, and keep the air. filied with chains Hke great snakes. Tliere are hundreds of other possibiüties that would feuggest themselves. ivhen once we reaüzed that wè were face to face with "war. "Our civil war was a halí-hearted affair. We were fighting agáinst ourselves. But God," eaid the wizard, Tising with shiniug eyes and outstretclied hand, "how different it would be -with a foreign power !" "I believe that the aerial torpedo furnishes ns with protection from hostUe war ships," replied Mr. Edison. "We are just beginning to understand how effectlve they are and how they can be improved . I have not the süghtest doubt that an aerial torpedo can be constructed that can be steered. The cost of construction would toe trilling- about $1,500 for each. Each torpedo could be set to explode at a certa-in time after being cut loóse from its ehip. Now, suppose 50 of these things were let lose at one time and sent out to sea with a 500-pound dyuamite torpedo lianging to it ! It would not be necesíjary to strüe a ship when dropped and exploded. The very {orce of the concuesion within two mi'es of a Iship would almost shiver her. "Why," he continued rapidly, "no fleet oí warships could possibly enter New York harbor, even il the defending poste ihad all beenfeduced. You can torpedo those waters eo thick-ly hat nothing afloat could navigate them. I think the present system is to run Unes of torpedos across the harbor and fire them by electricity as the oT}ects to be destroyed pass over them . This system can fce greatly improved upon, I think, in many ways. For instance, what's the matter with putting out a number o( structures on which a wheel oould be placed ? This, sunk to the bottom of the sea with a cable around it, would give you an endless cable that could be kept Ín motion just like tihe caWea I h ;t run the street raüroads. Torpedoes could be attaclied to these cables and run out as f ar or near the ehore as desirab'e. Xt slocation at any time of its travel could be traced just as readily as if they were stationary. The torpedo could be cut loóse and allowed to shoot toward tlie surface by some maguetic arrangement and wou'd discharge itself when the pressure of the water on its top was lightened. A few of those caíbles run out in various directions would make che harbor a mine of death. Nothimg afloat cou'-d live in it. Tliere Is nothing to prevent this being done to-morrow. So you see how quickly deíense can le found. "Electric power can be applied in bo many different ways that I am convinced it wlU furnisli the machines to de.'end this country against all foreign attack. Are we in advanee with eléctrica! app lances ? Beyond a question. Our officers from Anaapoüs and "West Point are wel! cquipped with information. I am (sometimes astonished tp find how well posted t.hey are in the practical workings of the great power. Iieut. Zalinski, who struck off and gave us the combmation of the pneumatic gun the dynamite gun, will certainly give us another engine of even greater poTver. "If there is a war with England, which I trust there will never be, you may quote me as saying there will be some remarkable things done by Americans. For myself, I will say that I will abandon a!l else and give my whole energy to the service oí my country. The dynamit gun sliould be taken up first. It should be experimented with more. It can be built so cheaply, and made so much more powerful. "With that in the Shape It can be put in, the greatest war vessels on the seas would have to keep a very respectful distante from a shore where one was planted. A veeel armed with a dozen would be a terror of the seasi "American inventive genius will soon supply vVhat the army and navy of the country lack." Messrs. K. S. Greenwood and E. S. Gilmore have disposed et their private car "City of Ann Arbor" to the Ann Arbor Railroad Co., who will, a f ter making some clianges, put the car into service as a regular sleeping car. A companion car is boing built at the Owosso shops. In the spring a through night train in each direction will be put on to run between Toledo and Frankfort, thus Jilling a long feit want of the traveling public Messrs. Greenwood & Gilmore have found the business a. paying one, and will probably have a larger and better car built to be ready for next summer's ness.-

Article

Subjects
Old News
Ann Arbor Courier