GERMANY'S. LIQUID FIRE.

Taranaki Daily News, 18 May 1916, Page 2

GERMANY'S. LIQUID FIRE.

AUSTRAI TAN'S WONDERFUL INVENTIONS. ] FIRE SHIPS AND FIRE SQUIRTS. A NEGLECTED GENIUS. Ail article which was published by the Sydney Daily Telegraph on the man who sold liquid fire to Germany—the late Mr. Macgarrigle, Wamberal, near Gosford— caused Mr. George Z. Dupain, who knew th« extraordinary inventor intimately, to contribute the following interesting reminiscences:— I took a keen interest in his work, and happening to be at the time of meeting him studying subjects that he was interested in, there developed between us a certain intellectual sympathy. T was amazed at the versatility of this old man, and the scientific manner in wkich he tackled most of his problems. FIRE-SQUIRT SHIP. After dwelling on the virtue of his quick-drying cemejit, anti-fouling paint, patent boot polish, a tram ticket system, explosives and other things, he led ipe to his house, and showed me the plan of -a peculiar vessel, which looked like a man-of-war. It was very roughly drawn, for old Macgarrigle waa a bad penman; but as won as he began to explain matters I understood. This was what he called his patent fire-gquirt ship. It was built to carry a certain liquid below the w.iterline, and in every portion of the hull there were '-ound ball-shaped affairs, which he explained could not be pierced by any modern projectile, because they would sharply glance off. Indeed, the whole vessel seemed to be made in such a way that no portion was other than round. He had certain receptacles for enormous pumps worked by hydraulic pressure, an':! these pumps would throw a liquid up to three or four miles, and even more, according to their sue. Ho explained that a Dutchman had invented a pump to throw a liquid Ave miles; whether this was correct or not I never took the trouble to find out, but when old Macgarrigle had explained more detaik which I could not quite follow, he told me about his fire squirt. He pledged me to secrecv but I suppose my repealing it here will not matter* since the good old man is »dead, THE .! IQUID FIRE. He told me that he had found a chemical compound in Iri;.- young days which would take fire when it came into contact with the air. With further experiment he resolved this into a liquid form, preserving the same properties, and- then he accidentally hit upon applying it for war purposes. 'This liquid,_ ho explained, would burn a certain time, and when on fire its density was reduced, snd it would burn everything it *ame into contact with. A cob. stant stream of the stud would burn incessantly. Tts temperature was high enough to produce a dull red heat in either iron or steel, and if the pressure in the firing apparatus was increased it would shrivel up evciything it came into contact With. He went on to explain that it '".ould bo fired -in a modern shell, which, when it had burst, would spread this liquid everywhere. He became so enthusiastic over this invention, his eyes g!!ttered, and he paced his laboratory making convulsive gestures, -and saying that the nation who bought his invention would have the power of controlling the world, and

if necessary, of stopping war altogether, that I began to think the man was a maniac, and looked around for a method of es-ipe in ease he might go completely off his head. However, he calmed down, and I took oounge to qutstion him about this ghastly machine, even demanding that ho should"give me proof that what he said was true. He laughed in a diabolical maniw, and said "that if I eame up next evening ai dusk he would easily prove the truth ot his remarks. Well, I wont up. Furthermore, I took some_ friends. Macgarriglp did not object in the least. He took us outside on the slope of Mouri Pleasant, and made us all sit down at about ten yards distance from him. He disappeared for a while in the bush, and then came back witii what I imagined to be an old oildrum and an ordinary large garden spray. ! could rot see what he was doing because he tinned his back on us, but presently he held the spray up in the aix, and coo-eed. I saw him stand firmly as if to make an effort, then he quickly pressed ilie handle >;f the squirt, and a long stream of white fire shot out from the lmizz.e oi the sprav, and fell to the ground, there burning brightly for an instant, and then disappeared. The thing was done so quickly, and all was over in such a short time, that we were nonplussed. Then Mar.parriglo walked calmly toward us. and handed me the spray, saying at. the same time, "Well, what do you think of my. invention now?" He gave us then a lectnrette on the possibilities of the i;r<*-squirt. I examined the spray very carefully (it waa just light enough to distinguish objects at short ranged pulled cut the plunger, smelt it, and tried to seek any clue as to the nature of the stuff. When Macgariggle saw what I was doing he laughed heartily, ar-J said I wouldn't find anything iliPre. However, 1 noted that he had evidently screwM ofl the top of the spray when squirting the liquid, because lie had failed to put it back properly, and also that the leather plunger was slightly charred. X can-fully noted the place where the fin- had fallen, and took the trouVe to (.xr.mine it early next day, and, sure enough, all the herbage was burnt to carbon, and wherever the liquid had run only charred vegetation remained. I was astonished. I perceived immediately that his words were true, and the possibilities of his invention were so n.ightj as to make me temporarily shudder.

WHAT HF SOLD TO GERMANY. I became so attached tJ the old chap that I visited him every chance I had, and many a pleasant day I spent in his company. Once I paid him (l surprise visit,, but he wa: away, and I learnt that lie hid gone to Europe. I was acquainted the moment he returned, and it was then that he told me he had sold liis fire sqii'rt to Germany. He said that the BriU.-l: Government would not consider it and that the Commonwealth Government had ignored it, and I fancy he said that it had been turned down oy either the Italian or French Government. LV further said that lie had put all his ideas before the Germans, and tvcry one of them had been accepted; although he did not soil them everything. I am almost certain that he soli his quickdrving cement and anti-fouling uaint to Germany.