MARVEL OP THE FRAYS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1927, 9 December 1913, Page 9

MARVEL OP THE FRAYS.

OLD WARSHIP BLOWN UP ay WIRELESS; TEST OF MEW AGENT OF DESTRUCTION. Important secret experiments were in October carried out at Portsmouth to test' the value of i'-ravs, a wonderful new force, which was ' described in Tim Dominion recently. 'liie experiment is said to have had results ilmt will revolutionise naval science. The P-rays are tho manilestation of an invisible lorco wbich iSigno-r lilivi, an Italian engineer, claims to' have discovered while experimenting with electricity and light. 'i'hey arc described as electrical wavebeats, which can cause tho explosion of gunpowder and other unstable chemical compounds at almost any distance— 'wireless detonation." as it might be called, Italy has first option oil this momentous discovery; but the inventor had arranged with the British Admiralty that if Italy did not take up the monopoly ho would demonstrate its potentialities ut Portsmouth. This test of- tho new rays has now taken place, and all that Signor lilivi claimed for his discovery is said by tho Loudon ''Daily News" to have been more than justified. The experiment was mad© by the wireless experts of the H.M.S. Yernor Torpedo School, who operated tho rays from their Heating depot.

, Special precautions have been taken to prevent any news leaking out, but people on the shores of Stokes Bay, in the Solent, state that they saw a column of water, evidently from a submarine nunc, shoot up alongsido the hull or tho obsolete cruiser, Terpsichore. She quivered, and heeled over, slowly recovered her position, and then listed over on tho side upon which the explosion took place, indicating that the hull had beeu holedt and that a watertight compartment had filled. Tugs wero in attendance to take tile cruiser into harbour, and she lias been docked for examination. 'Tho result of this examination is being kept secret, and a'warning has been issued as to penalties under tho Official Secrets Act. It is said that tho rays wero directed on (lie obsolete vessels from a distance of esght miles. Under the hull of tho cruiser (several feet below the waterline) a mine well charged with explosives had been secured, and this mine was lircd by means oi' tho. new wireless agency. Explaining tho nature of his discovery to a ['Daily News" representative, Sigiior lilivi said about a year ago he began experiments with the object of transforming ordinary light into electrical vibrations, and he invented a special apparatus intended to change electrical energy into light. The first result was the formation of very short electric oscillations, wbich measured the fifteen-thousandth part of an inch. These short oscillations provoked resonance on all the metal objects in bis laboratory. This induced him to abandon the first object of his experiments, and h'o set out to find a practical application for what ho called "F-rays.-'' He succeeded in causing the explosion of ordinary cartridges, even when encased in paper, provided tlicy had metal caps. Then he projected tho rays igams-t a loaded revolver placcd- 3t)Cfeet away, and caused all the cartricWs to explode. He rapidly developed his discovery until ha was able to announce chat his apparatus would be callable of blowing up ships at sea from great distanccs.