The New Death-Dealing "Diabolic Rays" Page 150

It is easily understood that the technical secrets of the work cannot be described. There are many reasons for this.

For instance, should the methods be patented, they will become, like radio receiving circuits, the property of every amateur who is willing to spend the time and money necessary to build an apparatus of the sort.

Within these limitations, however, an attempt will be made to show that the theories and explanations that have been advanced during recent weeks by many scientists for the death-dealing rays which we have created over and over again in our London laboratory are more or less based on false premises.

The first experiment shown to witnesses was that of stopping a gasoline motor.

A small one-cylinder engine of a motor bicycle, together with the back wheel of the bicycle, were placed on a table at one end of the room and the engine was started. The generating apparatus for the “ray,” about sixty feet away, was brought into action. One of the witnesses was told to give a signal at any time he wished. This had to be done by raising or dropping his arm, as the noise from the motor drowned out the human voice.

As he dropped his arm the invisible beam of the new ray was brought to bear upon the barking little engine,