A NEW SORT OF SENTRY.

Thames Star, Volume XIXI, Issue 3613, 26 July 1880, Page 3

A NEW SORT OF SENTRY.

In an American journal we see a de scription of a new invention which, shoulc it achiere all that is claimed for it, wi! certainly be bailed as a boon by al soldiers, such as those of Monaco, whos< principal duty consists in "sentry go.' It is a life-size automaton, which on beinf duly wound up, paces to and fro, rifle ot shoulder, in the orthodox sentry fashion In the interior, therejt is some sort o electric apparatus which administers i seTere shock to any one who meddles with the figure, and the mechanism h capable of adjustment to make the.pace of the automaton slow or fast at will The greatest difficulty met with by the inventor consisted in bringing the figure to a halt and right about turn at the end of the beat. Turing the earlier experiments it walked off at a terrible pace, " as if bound for the home of the setting sun," and we get a graphic description of how the owner, mounted on "a lively young mostang,'.' chased the flying sentry. It appears that even still this unruly soldier occasionally displays the same erratic tendency, bat the inventor is confident of his ability to overcome the turning diffitulty. The mechanism requires to be wound up every two hours, and as it can be lubricated in all parts by simply pour ing oil down its throat, no fear is entertained about rnst. As an additional precaution, however, the uniform will be made thoroughly waterproof, while the collar of the coat will be sewn to the neck all round, and the joining "dubbed" with India-rubber. SHch is the invention in its present aspect, hut we may fairly expect to see it receive alt manner of fresh developments as soon as success crowns the initial effort. For instance, bow much pleasanter would it be to the spectators to witness "six days' walking contests" and "sixty hours' swims " if the performers were not j endowed with human feelings. As the | great "Blower Brown," or the almost equally H** 4 ¥eston» R0 *58 Um PinK «""•£ the dismal cinder track, obviously half asleep and evidently in bodily torture, these "tests of human endurance, as they are called, excite anything but pleasurable feelings among many who witness them. But who would pity an automaton, if it became ever so travelstained and out of gear ? We trust, however, that no daring reformer will suggest the application of the new invention to the University Boat race. The famous Canadian sculler, Hanlan, has been compared, on account of the perfect finish of his style," to a beautiful piece of mechanism." But there would not be much interest in rowing matches were the boats manned with "patent automaton oarsmen."—Globe.' (