OCR Text |
Show NEW INVENTION PROTECTS ZEPPELINS An American with a Gorman name I is the designer of a system of defense fl against Zeppelin attack, which Ib be- I ing tried out in both London and Paris. Literally, Joseph A. StelnmeL: lj of Philadelphia would mine the air against the monster dirigibles, says g I the St. Louis Republic. i j When the war broke out and the I menace of the Zeppelin first loomed, British officials coldly rejected Steln- metz's plans to mine the London:fog against Zeppelins, but with a few f raids on Paris and English coast cities . 5 the Britishers hastily sent for the J ' plans and now are said to be ready to j give them a trial in case of another Zeppelin invasion. J Small hydrogen balloons carrying i high explosive bombs will fly from j v- every building of importance In Loh- i don and Paris, if the Steinmets plan is adopted in Its entirety. Tho bal- 1 1 loons will be held by a fine but strong R wire, weighing but four pounds to the ? j mile, and having a tensile strength 6f ! 120 pounds. The wires will be con- . trolled by windlasses. The Talding I airships, sighted by a lookout, will be permitted to come almost within range j of the hydrogen balloons. Then, when too late for the Zeppelins to turn back, the scores and hundreds of i bomb-carrying balloons will be releas- j , ed. As the Zeppelins are 900 feet J long, they would have a hard time in t escaping one or more of the bombs. Each bomb is surrounded by a ring j of hair triggers, and the slightest touch will cause an explosion which. j would undoubtedly ignite the gas , in j tho Zeppelin. The hydrogen balloons carry a number of hooks to be ensnared en-snared In the silken hide of the raid- ? er, thus insuring that the hair triggers on the bombs come in contact with j the gas bag. I The extension of the Steinmetz plan 6 contemplates a fleet of aeroplanes also t carrying several of the bombs sus- f peuded on a long wire. It would be I the object of the aeroplanes to get j above the Zeppelins and drag the lines I with the bombs directly across the huge bngs. i |