Великий военный синдикат

           Thisprojectilewasnot,intheordinarysenseoftheword,anexplosive,andwasnamedbyitsinventors,"TheInstantaneousMotor."Itwasdischargedfromanordinarycannon,butnogunpowderorotherexplosivecompoundwasusedtopropelit.Thebombpossessed,initselfthenecessarypowerofpropulsion,andthegunwasusedmerelytogiveittheproperdirection.Thesebombswerecylindricalinform,andpointedattheouterend.Theywerefilledwithhundredsofsmalltubes,eachradiatingoutwardfromacentralline.Thoseinthemiddlethirdofthebombpointeddirectlyoutward,whilethoseinitsfrontportionwereinclinedforwardataslightangle,andthoseintherearportionbackwardatthesameangle.Onetubeattheendofthebomb,andpointingdirectlybackward,furnishedthemotivepower.Eachofthesetubescouldexertaforcesufficienttomoveanordinarytrainofpassengercarsonemile,andthispowercouldbeexertedinstantaneously,sothatthedifferenceintimeinthestartingofatrainatoneendofthemileanditsarrivalattheotherwouldnotbeappreciable.Thedifferenceinconcussionaryforcebetweenatrainmovingattherateofamileintwominutes,orevenoneminute,andanothertrainwhichmovesamileinaninstant,caneasilybeimagined.Inthesebombs,thosetubeswhichmightdirecttheirpowersdownwardorlaterallyupontheearthwerecapableofinstantaneouslypropellingeveryportionofsolidgroundorrocktoadistanceoftwoorthreehundredyards,whiletheparticlesofobjectsonthesurfaceoftheearthwereinstantaneouslyremovedtoafargreaterdistance.