Rensselaer Democrat, Volume 1, Number 1, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 April 1898 — EDISON HAS A PLAN. [ARTICLE]

EDISON HAS A PLAN.

WOULD MAKE TORPEDO BOATS , PRACTICALLY USELESS. The Great Scientist Present# a Scheme of Action that Would Revolutionize Modern Warfare—North Dakota Kdttor Fatally Shoots a Cattle Thief. To Render Torpedo Roata Innocuous Thomas A. Edsop has made a discovery, or, rather, applied a principle that will revolutionize modem naval warfare. At present night and fog are the greatest enemies a war fleet Ht sea ean know. It is under cover of the darkness that the torpedo boats sneak tip to within hailing distance of the great ships and aim deadly blows at them. By day nothing is so feeble as a torpedo boat. It must get within half a mile of its mark ere it 'can •pit its venom, and this if cannot do. It Is as swift in flight and as harmless in offense as a rabbit. Its sides are so frail that tlie smallest rapid-firing gun will riddle it. When it was pointed out to Mr. Edison that many fears were felt on account of Spain's torpedo fleet, lie said it was easy to do away with their possibilities for harm. “I would suggest,” said he, “that in addition to the searchlights now employed canisters of calcium carbide; with a small quantity of calcium phosphite mixed in, hi' placed near the scoutlug boats or tired into the water at a distance from afnortnr. These canisters, being provided with buoyant chambers and water vents, would give off acetylene gas, and also spontaneously inflanimative phosphoretted hydrogen, which would serve to ignite continuously the acetylene gas. The result would he powerful lights, very cheaply produced, in great numbers over an area of several square miles. Any torpedo boat coming nearer than one of these lights would be thrown in silhouette, which, to the-eye, would he at least fifty times more powerful-than the small reflection from the light-absorbing surface of A torpedo boat illuminated by the most powerful electric light.” In a word, the light would be behind it, instead of tut tlie nearer side of it. Not only can the chemical combination be employed to keep torpedo boats away, as already shown, but canisters of it, being very light in weight, can he hurled for several miles from a pneumatic gun. Rich Montreal Mun Murdered. Dennis Clifford, n very wealthy citizen of Montreal, lias been killed, and Joseph O’Meara, for many yeans one of the brightest young athletes in Eastern Canada, and for several seasons the cover point of the Shamrock Lacrosse Club, is charged .with the crime. Clifford owned the store occupied by Mrs. O’Hare, O’Mea ra’s sister, and the stock was.seized for rent. Fearing that the bailiff might allow the goods to be removed, Clifford “ to watch all night. At a lute hour O'Meara was heard talking to him, and ahortly afterward Clifford was found on the balcony of his house dead. Clifford had lived there fifty years, ami his holdings are said to be worth about .$1,000,000, though he lived as would a man working for $1 u day.’

Kills Cattle Thief. O. M. Dean, editor of the Williams County Free Tress at Willisson, N. I>., shot and killed Hunk Schufelt, who attacked him when going from Grlnhell to his homd,, The exposure of cattle stealing t»y a gang of rustlers is supposed to Ik* the Cause of the affray. Dean was assaulted once before at the same plaice and dragged with a lariat rope, but this time he was prepared for trouble and defended himself successfully.