YOUNG AUSTRALIA.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1562, 8 March 1887, Page 1

YOUNG AUSTRALIA.

A would-be juvenile genius has forwarded the following unique epistle to the Victorian Defence Department:— " Address No. 6, Cambridge Terrace, Drummond Street, near Prince's Street, Carlton, January 20, 1887, Saturday. Dear Sir,- -I am a boy, 13 years old ; but 1 have very great engineering abilities. I have found out,, by always thinking, a dreadful weapon of war on land. I shall now tell you something about it. First, it is made of two road engines, and a platform extending from one to the other. On this platform the soldiers and canuon are to be placed, and protected by a wall in front of them (the soldiers), and the engines made so that they can keep up with the cavalry, and made very strong and durable, so that the soldiers caa run it up to the enemy and pour canister shot out of the cannon in their faces. If it will work it will blow the Russians to pieces. I have got another one, it is a land torpedo, and made to move by clockwork, and when close to the enemy to explode, and I reckoD, if you put about 301 b of dynamite in one, it will blow up over 1000 men, so that if the soldiers carried about 5000 they could blow up the entire Russian army, and completely cripple the Russian nation for ever. Call or send some officer next week, at night, because I am at work all day, and then 1 will show him or you the plans and specifications, and then you can get the machine made, because I haye no money to get it made. So come some time next week, for we are poing to move to Geelong soon.—l am, yours respectfully, (signed) Edwin Pokbkick."