CHAPTER XXV_The Romance of War Inventions A Description of Warships, Guns, Tanks, Rifles, Bombs, and Other Instruments and Munitions of Warfare, How They Were Invented & How They Are Employed

THE AERIAL LIFEBOAT

Balloons had not long been invented when the idea arose of a device by

means of which an aeronaut who found himself in difficulties might be

able to reach the ground in safety. In other words, the need was felt

for something which should play towards the balloon the part which the

lifeboat does to the ship.

The original idea of a parachute was even older than that, since we are

told of a man away back in the seventeenth century who amused the King

of Siam by jumping from a height and steadying his descent by means of a

couple of umbrellas. It was not, however, until the very end of the

eighteenth century or the beginning of the nineteenth that descents were

made from really considerable heights from balloons.

The usual arrangement then was to have the parachute hanging at full

length fastened below the basket, or tied to one side of the balloon in

such a manner that it could be detached by cutting the cords that held

it up. When the parachute was carried below the balloon basket the man

was already in the cradle or seat of the parachute ready to be dropped,

but when the seat was tied to the side of the car of the balloon the

aeronaut, when he wished to make a descent, first got from the car into

the seat, and, casting himself adrift from the car, swung out from under

the centre of the balloon so that when he was hanging clear another man

in the balloon cut the cords or pulled a slip-knot which set the

parachute free. There were different ways of doing this and when a man

was by himself he had to get into the sling of the parachute and, on

finding himself clear of everything, he would give a tug to a cord which

would release a catch holding up the parachute and allow it to drop to

earth.

The parachute, at the very first, was but a simple affair, being little

more than a circular sheet of cotton or similar fabric, but it was very

soon found necessary to make it _a bag_ or it would not properly hold

the air. Cords were attached at regular intervals all around the edge of

this bag, these cords being gathered together and attached to the edge

of a basket which carried the man. Sometimes only a sling was used, or a

simple light seat after the fashion of the "bosun's chair" upon which a

sailor is sometimes hauled to the top of an unclimbable mast, or a

steeplejack to the top of a chimney.

Thus, when it was dropped, the weight of the man, pulling upon all the

cords simultaneously, drew down the edge of the bag, which, catching the

air in its fall, acted as a powerful brake and reduced the rate of

falling to such an extent that if all went well the man alighted in

safety if not comfort.

As has already been remarked in another chapter, air, which seems to us

sometimes to be so exceedingly light as to have practically no weight

at all, really has weight and also the property which we call inertia,

by virtue of which things at rest prefer to stay at rest.

Now when this open air-bag, of considerable area, is pulled downwards it

causes a very considerable disturbance in the air. As it descends the

air inside and beneath it is first pushed downwards and compressed a

little, then it commences to move outwards, towards the edge, round

which it finally escapes to fill the slight vacuum in the space just

above the descending parachute. All this the air objects to do because

of its inertia. The parachute has to force it to act thus and in that

way it uses up some of the force of gravity which all the time is

pulling the man earthwards. In other words, that force, instead of

dragging the man downwards at such a speed as to dash him to pieces, is

so far employed in churning up the air that what is left only brings him

down quite slowly and ends with just a gentle bump. That is the

scientific explanation of what happens, although expressed in somewhat

homely language.

To anyone who thinks of this matter it will be clear that a relatively

heavy weight like a man, suspended from a parachute, is like a very

delicately poised pendulum, and consequently it is not surprising to

hear that the early parachutes oscillated very considerably from side to

side, so much so, indeed, that this oscillation became a decided danger,

for before the proper shape of the air-bag was found out they sometimes

skidded and even turned inside out. It was found, however, at quite an

early stage that this instability could be to some extent cured by

making a hole right in the centre or crown of the parachute through

which the air compressed inside could blow upwards in a powerful jet. At

first sight it seems as if this would much weaken the parachute and

cause it to descend too quickly, but quite a large hole can be safely

made, and to make such a hole is only the same thing as slightly

reducing the area and that can be easily remedied by slightly increasing

the diameter.

Reading of this many years ago, I have often been puzzled as to why the

presence of the hole should have this steadying effect, the explanation

given in the old scientific textbook from which I learnt it being

obviously very unsatisfactory. Of recent years, however, this subject of

parachutes has been very deeply studied by an eminent engineer of

London, Mr. E. R. Calthrop, the inventor of the "Guardian Angel"

parachute to which these remarks are leading up, and he has hit upon

what is undoubtedly the explanation. He says that the big jet of air

shooting upwards through the crown of the parachute forms in effect a

rudder which steers the parachute in a straight downward course, just as

the rudder guides a boat upon the surface of the water.

It is quite possible that thus far the impression conveyed to the

reader's mind is that the parachute and its use are very simple,

straightforward matters. One may be inclined to think that it is only

necessary to get a circular sheet of fabric, to fasten the cords to it,

to connect them to a suitable seat and then to descend from any height

at any time in perfect safety. If you make a model from a flat sheet of

cotton, then one made like a bag, and drop them with little weights

attached from the top window of your house you will see what funny

things the air can do. After having tried these little ones, you will

begin to suspect that the big parachute is full of waywardness: and, as

a matter of fact, until recent years, it has been very largely a

delusion and a snare. By its refusal to act and open at the right moment

it has sacrificed many lives. Although apparently so simple, there were

conditions existing and forces at work which for a century or more had

never been properly considered and investigated, and it is only now that

we have arrived at a parachute whose certainty of action and general

trustworthiness entitle it to be called the "lifeboat of the air."

The troubles with the older parachutes were two. First, although often

it opened quite quickly, and carried its load as perfectly as could be

desired, it sometimes had the habit of delaying its opening, and unless

the fall were from a very great height it was unsafe to take the risk,

indeed, it sometimes refused to open at all, and the poor parachutist

suffered a fearful death. It had to be carried in a more or less

folded-up state. Often it was hung up by its centre to the side of a

balloon, when it was very like a shut-up umbrella. Consequently the

power of opening quickly and certainly was of the first importance, and

the lack of that power and the uncertainty of its action were a very

serious defect. It has always suffered from an ill reputation as to

reliability.

The second fault lay with the cords. They would persist in getting

entangled. Everyone knows how a dozen cords hanging near together will

get entangled with each other on the slightest provocation. Such cords

if blown about by a strong wind would be much worse even than when

still, and if, as must often be the case with parachutes, they be coiled

up, we all know from our own experience that some of them would be

almost sure to get knotted and tangled together when, in a sudden

emergency, the attempt was made to pull them all out of their coils in a

second or two. Just picture to yourself what it means: a dozen coiled

cords all close together, themselves all coiled up in loops, suddenly

pulled. Something awkward appears almost inevitable. And the result of

even one rope going awry may be fatal, for it may prevent the parachute

opening out fully, probably giving it a "lop-sided" form incapable of

gripping the air effectually and consequently allowing the unfortunate

man to fall with a velocity which means certain death. This second cause

of failure to open, through entanglement of cordage, has happened in a

number of cases, with fatal results.

So much for the faults of the old primitive parachute. Now let us

consider for a moment the urgent need for a parachute which is free from

such faults. The man who goes up in a balloon on a Saturday afternoon

feels so sure of his "craft" that he thinks he needs no "lifeboat," yet

men in ordinary free balloons have been killed for want of them. The

spectators at country fairs no longer appreciate a parachute descent as

a great and extraordinary spectacle. But in warfare, with kite balloons

by the dozen, with dirigible balloons by the score and aeroplanes by the

hundred, the call for parachutes is urgent and irresistible. At all

events, Mr. Calthrop found an irresistible call to devote years of close

study, unceasing toil and considerable sums of money to the task of

perfecting an improved parachute which would always open and open

quickly, and whose cords would never get entangled. He has the

satisfaction of knowing that by so doing he has provided an appliance

that in the air is as reliable as a lifeboat is at sea, and that at all

times, and from every kind of aircraft, can be depended upon in case of

accident to save the lives of gallant airmen who but for his work would

be dashed to death. The Great War has taught us to regard life somewhat

cheaply. For years we were more concerned with taking life than with

saving it, yet surely to save the life of one's own men is equivalent to

taking the lives of one's opponents, so that even from the point of view

of warfare the saving of life may be a help towards victory. This is

particularly so when the lives saved are those of the choicest spirits,

and among the most highly trained. It has been reckoned that to make a

fully-trained pilot costs as much as £1500, so that to save but a few,

even in their preparatory nights on the training-grounds where so many

accidents happen, makes quite an appreciable difference in the cost of a

war, without considering the main question of the men's lives.

Many inventions arise through a man thinking of an idea and then seeking

and finding some application for it. Elsewhere in this book, I give

examples of such cases. Here we have an instance of the opposite, for

Mr. Calthrop found his thoughts strongly directed in this direction by

the death of a personal friend, the Hon. C. S. Rolls, one of the early

martyrs in the cause of aviation, not to mention others who shared the

same risks and in some cases the same fate. His interest thus aroused,

he first studied all the records which could be found relating to

parachute accidents, so as to ascertain, if possible, what were the

causes of failure. Then he commenced a long series of experiments with a

view to removing these causes. Improvement after improvement was tried,

unexpected difficulties were discovered and grappled with, the

kinematograph was called in to record the movements of the falling

objects, a task for which it is far better fitted than the human eye,

and after years of this there emerged the finished parachute, automatic

in its action, perfectly reliable and a true safeguard, which I am about

to describe.

The parachute's body consists of the finest quality silk carefully cut

into gussets of such a shape that when sewn together somewhat after the

manner of the cover of an umbrella, they form a shallow bag, parabolic

in section, of that particular shape which the material would assume

naturally were it perfectly elastic when enclosing its resisting body of

compressed air.

At intervals round the edge are fastened twenty-four V-shaped tapes.

These are only a few feet long and the lower end of each V-shaped pair

is attached to a long main tape. There are twelve of these main tapes,

and their lower ends unite in a metal disc from which is suspended the

sling and harness by which the man is supported.

[Illustration: THE "GUARDIAN ANGEL" PARACHUTE.

(1) Shows the airman in the harness by which he is attached to the

parachute. By means of the star-shaped buckle he can instantly release

himself. (2) Shows the parachute two seconds after the airman has jumped

from the aeroplane. In (3) he is seen nearing the ground.

(_By permission of E. R. Calthrop, Esq._)]

So the twenty-four short tapes form twelve V's to the points of which

are attached the twelve long tapes which support the man. The reason why

tapes are used in this particular parachute and not cords will be

referred to later.

In the crown of the silk body there is the usual hole for the purpose of

forming the air-rudder to steady the parachute in its descent.

And now we can consider the first great feature of this wonderful

invention and ask ourselves these questions: "By what means is it made

to open?" "What makes it more reliable than others?"

To answer that we must first see why the others sometimes refused to

open. In whatever way an ordinary parachute may be packed it must, when

coming into use, assume the state of a shut umbrella with a hole in the

top.

In this condition it is assumed that as it falls the air will find a way

in through the lower end and will blow the parachute open in precisely

the same way that a strong wind will sometimes blow out the folds of an

umbrella.

But, as a matter of fact, the loose folds of a parachute, when the edge

of the gussets is gathered in, are sure to overlap and enfold each other

more or less. Thus, when in the shut-umbrella state, it sometimes

happens that air which is inside can escape upwards through the hole

more easily than fresh air can get in from below. The parachute, in such

a state, is, let us imagine, falling rapidly through the air. The

result is just the same as if it were still and the air were rushing

upwards past it. And the upward rush past the top hole tends to _suck

air out_ through the hole faster than fresh air can find a way in at the

bottom.

This is the principle of the ejector, which engineers have put to many

uses. For example, the vacuum brakes employed on many large railways owe

all their power to stop a train to a vacuum caused by an ejector. There

is a short tube or nozzle, placed in the centre of another tube through

which steam blows. The action of the steam in the outer tube as it

rushes past the end of the inner tube drags after it the air which is in

the inner tube so effectively as to produce quite a good vacuum. And in

precisely the same way, the upward rush of air past the parachute, or

what is just the same, the falling of the parachute through stationary

air, can suck the air from inside the latter and create a vacuum in it

if the gussets gathered together at the mouth unfortunately overlap one

another and are thus locked together by the pressure of the air striving

to get in. Thus, instead of the downward fall causing the ordinary

parachute to open, as in most cases it will do quite well, the fall

under these particular conditions actually binds its folds together and

prevents it from opening. It is true this does not often happen, but the

risk is _always_ present at every drop, and this unreliability has cost

the lives of brave men and women, and the knowledge of this constant

risk has led others to write down the parachute a failure, by reason of

its known unreliability to open instantly. Even when it does open the

depth it falls before it opens is so variable, by reason of the fight

between vacuum and pressure, that it may be one hundred feet one time

and one thousand feet next time with the same parachute.

Now the "Guardian Angel" is designed so that those conditions cannot

occur. Its silken covering is first laid out on the ground and into the

centre is introduced a beautifully-designed disc of aluminium, somewhat

like a large inverted saucer, of exceeding lightness but of ample

strength for what it has to do. Then the silk body is pleated and folded

back over the upper part of this launching-disc and gradually packed so

that it occupies but a very small space upon the upper surface of the

disc. It is so folded that its edge comes in the topmost layer and also

in such a manner that on the tapes being pulled the silk unfolds easily

and regularly, flowing down as it were over the edge of the disc almost

as water flows if allowed to fall from a tap upon the centre of an

inverted saucer. After the folding is complete another aluminium disc is

placed above the packed silk body which shields it from the enormous air

pressure when it is being released from an aeroplane flying at top

speed. The upper and lower fabric covers are then superimposed and

sealed and the "Guardian Angel" parachute is ready for use.

The tapes, likewise, are folded up, in a special way upon the bottom

cover, which is sprung over the bottom of the disc. The bottom cover

with the tapes upon it, is pulled away by the weight of the airman as he

makes his jump to safety, and the tapes are so arranged that a pull

upon them causes them to draw out steadily and smoothly, almost like

water falling from a height.

If we regard the silk as forming a shallow bag inverted, we may say that

it is folded upon the disc inside out and the function of the disc is to

cause it to spread and enclose a wide column of air as it is pulled from

its folds. To commence with it is nothing more than so much folded-up

silk, but from the first moment of action it becomes a bag with a

wide-open mouth, for its open mouth cannot be smaller than the disc.

Therefore, from the first instant it begins to grip the air and the

ejector action never gets a chance to commence. The pressure of air

inside is from the very commencement of the fall greater than that of

the surrounding air. Moreover, the disc covers the hole until the

parachute is actually open, thereby making ejector action doubly

impossible.

The widely-opened mouth of the air-bag (I cannot help repeating that

term for it is so expressive) swallows up more and more air as the thing

falls rapidly, with the result that the air inside is instantly

compressed and the increasing pressure as the silk is more and more

fully drawn out causes it to expand until the whole is fully extended

like a huge umbrella. The instant compression of the enclosed column of

air is what causes it _always_ to open automatically.

When once it is pointed out it is easy to see what a difference the

presence of this disc makes. It is so simple that it cannot fail to act

and having once produced that open mouth all the rest is due to the

action of natural forces which can be absolutely relied upon. The

ordinary parachute with its hopeless irregularities has, in fact, been

converted into a machine whose action can _never_ fail.

The disc is fastened to the balloon or aeroplane and is left behind when

the parachute falls, having done its work.

And now let us consider the tapes. As has already been remarked, a

series of coiled cords cannot be relied upon to pull out straight

without possibility of entanglement, but a tape, if folded to and fro

like a Chinese cracker, will invariably do so. So packed tapes have been

substituted for coiled corded rigging, with the certainty that they

cannot be entangled in the fiercest air current.

And now we come to another interesting feature. The man is not suspended

directly from the small disc to which the tapes are attached but by a

non-spinning sling which contains a shock absorber. This latter consists

of a number of strands of rubber and it is owing to its action that the

aviator who trusts his life to the parachute suffers little or no shock;

even when the instant opening of the parachute begins to arrest his

fall. And not only does it save him from shock, but it also avoids the

possibility of too great a stress coming suddenly upon the parachute or

its rigging of tapes.

The aviator himself is attached to the parachute through the

shock-absorber sling, by means of a harness which he wears constantly

throughout his flight, so that in the event of trouble he only has to

jump overboard and the parachute automatically does the rest. This

harness consists of two light but strong aluminium tubular rings

through which he places his arms, combined with a series of straps which

can be so adjusted that the stress of carrying him comes upon those

parts of his body best adapted to bear it.

This improved parachute is the only one which is capable of being used

instantly and without preparation for descent from an aeroplane flying

at top speed. It is easy to see that it is one thing to drop from a

stationary or nearly stationary balloon and quite another to dive from

an aeroplane at one hundred miles per hour. The latter is equivalent to

suddenly trusting oneself to a parachute _during the strongest gale_. It

has been found, by experiment, however, that high speed is no bar to the

use of this parachute since it only causes the parachute to open a

little more quickly than usual, which means that it can be used with

safety from an even lower height.

Under the worst conditions this wonderful parachute can be relied upon

always to open and carry its load at a height of only one hundred feet,

and its use is safe in all circumstances when dropped from two hundred

feet above the ground. After it has once got into operation and taken

charge of affairs, so to speak, the man descends at the rate of only

fifteen feet per second, which is just about the same as dropping from a

height of a little over three feet. In other words, he will arrive on

the ground with no worse bump than you would get by jumping off the

dining-room table.

But suppose that there were a wind blowing: would not the parachute come

down in a slanting direction and then drag the man along? Or may he not

alight upon a tree or the roof of a house, only to be pulled off again

and flung headlong? Quite true he might, were not proper provision made

for such occurrences. Embodied in the harness is a lock which can be

instantly undone, by a simple movement of a lever in the hand, and by

its aid the man on touching earth or on alighting upon anything solid

can release himself instantly, after which the parachute can sail away

whither it will, but he will be safe and sound.

What Mr. Calthrop has accomplished by the invention of his "Guardian

Angel" parachute may be summarised briefly by saying that he has reduced

the minimum height from which a parachute could be dropped from two

thousand to two hundred feet, and that he has made it possible to launch

a parachute, with the certainty of safety, from any kind of aircraft

flying at the slowest or highest speed of which they are capable.

* * * * *

You are only a boy now, but when in years to come you are quite old and

have grey hair you may become a Member of the Air Board and--who

knows--it may become your duty to decide that this great invention shall

be always used on the training grounds to save the lives of the young

men, not yet born, who are then learning to fly. During the War, one was

killed every day, 365 in a year, many of whom might have been saved had

more "Guardian Angels" been in use.

INDEX

Acetone, 36, 57, 58

Acetylene, 58

Aeroplanes, types of, 285, 286

Air-raft equipment, 89

Alcohols, 49, 50, 51, 52, 55, 139

Aluminium, 157

Anchors for floating bridges, 80

Anti-aircraft guns, 119

_Aquitania_, s.s., 197

Armourer, 17

Austrian heavy mortars, 111, 114, 117

Bamboo, bridges made of, 87

Basic steel, 101

Becquerel, H., 40

Benzene, 35

Bessemer, Sir Henry, 93, 98, 99, 100, 102

Blast-furnace, 94, 95

Boilers in warships, 176

Breech-block of guns, 131, 132

"Brennan" torpedo, 219

Calthrop, E. R., 300, 311

Canet, Gustave, 129

Canvas boats, 86

Carbolic acid, 35

Carbon, 28, 50, 94, 98

Carbon in steel, 106

Carbon monoxide, 95

Carriages of guns, 116

Cast iron, 96, 97

Catamaran bridge, 90, 91

Caustic soda, 22, 23, 24

Chloride of lime, 23

Chlorine, 18, 19, 21, 23, 52

Chloroform, 59

Clerk-Maxwell, Professor J., 243

Coal dust explodes, 29

Coal tar, 34

Contact-firing mines, 65

Copper, 147

Cordite, 36

Cotton explosives, 32, 33

Countermining, 63, 73

Crucible steel, 104

Curie, Madame, 41

Detonator, 37

Diastase, 55

Diesel engine, 178, 236

_Dreadnought_, H.M.S., 194

Driving-band on shells, 142

Dynamite, 31

Electricity, positive and negative, 20, 21

Electrodes, 19

Electrolysis of salt, 18, 19

Electrolyte, 19

Electrons, 42

Electroscope, 43

"Elia" mines, 70

Ethane, 51

Ether, 58, 59

Explosion, force of, 30

Field guns, 108, 114

Flotilla leaders, 189

Fractional distillation, 35, 57

French field artillery, 108

Froude, William, 203

Fulminate of mercury, 37

Glycerine, 25

Gravity, action of upon shells, 122, 123, 124

"Guardian Angel" parachute, 300

Gun-cotton, 32, 33

Gunpowder, 27, 30

Gyroscope, uses of, 216, 234

Helium, 42

Hertzian waves, 243

High explosives, 36, 138

High-explosive shells, 137

High-speed steel, 105

Hop-pole bridges, 88

Horse artillery, 108, 114

Howitzers, 111, 114, 115

Hydrostatic valve, 68, 217

Hydroxyl, 52, 53

"Interference" of waves, 241, 248

_Invincible_, H.M.S., 196

Ionogens, 20

Ions of common salt, 19

Iron ore, 93

Kieselguhr, 32

Ladysmith, guns at, 109

Launching a ship, 211

"Limit" gauges, 140

Line-of-battle ships, 191

_Lion_, H.M.S., 197

Lyddite, 35

Machine guns, 115

Magnetic detector, 257

Malt, 55

Marconi, 248

Methane, 51

Methylated spirit, 54

Mine, submarine, 63 _et seq._

Mine, subterranean, 61

Mortars, 111, 112, 113, 114, 118

Naval guns, 112, 120 _et seq._

Naval shells, 136, 137

Nitrate of potassium, 30

Nitro-benzene, 35

Nitro-glycerine, 26, 31, 32

Nitrogen, action of, 26, 30

Observation mines, 65

Oil fuel, 177

_Olympic_, s.s., 197

Organic substances, 26

_Orion_, H.M.S., 193

Parachutes, 297

Paraffins, 51

Periscope, 225, 233

Petrol engine, 181, 182

Phenol, 35

Picric acid, 35

Pig iron, 95, 97

Poison gas, 23

Pontoons for bridging, 77

Propellants, 36, 125, 138

Radio-activity, 41

Radium, 39 _et seq._

Rays from radium, 41, 42

Reeds, bridges made of, 85

_Repulse_, H.M.S., 192

Rheumatism and radium, 47

Rifling in guns, 143

Rolling mills, 98, 139

Salt and explosives, 18

Saltpetre, 27, 29, 30

Scott, Sir Percy, 109

Sea-planes, 287

Shell-steel, 146

Shrapnel shells, 137, 144, 145

Siemens steel, 102, 103

Sights for guns, 133

Smokeless powder, 31

Soap, 25

Sodium, 18, 22

Soluble seal used in mines, 72

Spinning action of shells, 142

Stability of aeroplanes, 293

Steam-engines, 170

Steel for guns, 126

Sulphuric acid, 31, 32, 150

Suspension bridges, 83

"Tanks," 276

Telephone used in telegraphy, 266

Tin, 152, 153

T.N.T., 35

Toluene, 35

Torpedo boats, 184

Trajectory, 122

Trench mortars, 118

Trestle bridges, 80, 83

Tri-nitro-benzene, 35

Tri-nitro-phenol, 35

Tri-nitro-toluene, 35

Tungsten, 105, 153

"Tuning" wireless telegraph apparatus, 255

Turbine, steam, 17

Uranium, 41

"Whitehead" torpedo, 215

Wire-wound guns, 128

Wolfram, 153

Wood spirit, 57

Wrought iron, 97

_Wyoming_, U.S. battleship, 195

X-rays, 42, 43

Zeppelin _v._ aeroplane, 46

Zinc, 149, 150, 151

PRINTED BY WILLIAM BRENDON AND SON, LTD., PLYMOUTH, ENGLAND. 1917

_Great Classics for Little Children_

THE CHILDREN'S ODYSSEY

TOLD FOR LITTLE CHILDREN

BY PROF. A. J. CHURCH, M.A.

_With Fourteen Illustrations. Extra Crown 8vo, 5s._

"A really charming volume in all respects. No writer has done work of

this kind so well since Kingsley first set the fashion in his

masterpiece, _The Heroes_."--_Guardian._

"The stories could not be told more simply and directly, or in a way

better fitted to delight and interest children, than they are in this

charming book. We are delighted to see the book embellished with

Flaxman's exquisite illustrations. Greatly daring ... they have been

coloured in simple colours, like those of classical wall paintings. The

effect is quite excellent."--_Spectator._

THE CHILDREN'S ILIAD

TOLD FOR LITTLE CHILDREN

BY PROF. A. J. CHURCH, M.A.

_With Fourteen Illustrations. Extra Crown 8vo, 5s._

"What need nowadays to praise Prof. Church's skill in presenting

classical stories to young readers? This is a capital example of the

cultured, simple style. A delightful gift-book."--_Athenæum._

"Prof. Church has written as good a book as can ever be produced for

English children from the literary treasures of Greece. The

illustrations are worthy of the writing."--_Sheffield Independent._

"With delightful simplicity of style Prof. Church retells the story of

the Siege of Troy so that it ceases to be 'history,' and becomes an

engrossing narrative. The handsome volume has a dozen excellent

illustrations."--_Dundee Courier._

THE CHILDREN'S ÆNEID

TOLD FOR LITTLE CHILDREN

BY PROF. A. J. CHURCH, M.A.

_With Fourteen Illustrations in Colours. Extra Crown 8vo, 5s._

"Professor Church has probably done more than any other man living to

bring the classics of Greece and Rome within the comprehension of young

folks. He has a simple style that must be the envy of writers for

children."--_Dundee Advertiser._

"A delightful gift-book."--_Athenæum._

SEELEY, SERVICE & CO. LIMITED

* * * * *

THE ROMANCE OF ANIMAL ARTS & CRAFTS

DESCRIBING THE WONDERFUL INTELLIGENCE OF ANIMALS REVEALED IN THEIR WORK

AS MASONS, PAPER MAKERS, RAFT & DIVING-BELL BUILDERS, MINERS, TAILORS,

ENGINEERS OF ROADS & BRIDGES, &C. &C.

BY H. COUPIN, D.Sc., & JOHN LEA, B.A. (CANTAB.)

_With Thirty Illustrations. Extra Crown 8vo., 5s._

"Will carry most readers, young and old, from one surprise to

another."--_Glasgow Herald._

"A charming subject, well set forth, and dramatically

illustrated."--_Athenæum._

"It seems like pure romance to read of the curious ways of Nature's

craftsmen, but it is quite a true tale that is set forth in this

plentifully illustrated book."--_Evening Citizen._

THE ROMANCE OF INSECT LIFE

DESCRIBING THE CURIOUS & INTERESTING IN THE INSECT WORLD

BY EDMUND SELOUS

Author of "The Romance of the Animal World," _&c._

_With Sixteen Illustrations. Extra Crown 8vo, 5s._

"An entertaining volume, one more of a series which seeks with much

success to describe the wonders of nature and science in simple,

attractive form."--_Graphic._

"Offers most interesting descriptions of the strange and curious

inhabitants of the insect world, sure to excite inquiry and to foster

observation. There are ants white and yellow, locusts and cicadas, bees

and butterflies, spiders and beetles, scorpions and cockroaches--and

especially ants--with a really scientific investigation of their

wonderful habits not in dry detail, but in free and charming exposition

and narrative. An admirable book to put in the hands of a boy or girl

with a turn for natural science--and whether or not."--_Educational

Times._

THE ROMANCE OF THE ANIMAL WORLD

DESCRIBING THE CURIOUS AND INTERESTING IN NATURAL HISTORY

BY EDMUND SELOUS

_With Sixteen full-page Illustrations. Extra Crown 8vo, 5s._

"Mr. Selous takes a wide range in Nature; he has seen many wonders which

he relates. Open the book where we will we find something

astonishing."--_Spectator._

"It is in truth a most fascinating book, as full of incidents and as

various in interest as any other work of imagination, and, beyond the

pleasure in the reading there is the satisfaction of knowing that one is

in the hands of a genuine authority on some of the most picturesque

subjects that natural history affords. Mr. Selous' method is strong,

safe, and sound. The volume has numerous illustrations of a high order

of workmanship and a handsome binding of striking design."--_School

Government Chronicle._

SEELEY, SERVICE & CO. LIMITED

* * * * *

THE ROMANCE OF MODERN ELECTRICITY

DESCRIBING IN NON-TECHNICAL LANGUAGE WHAT IS KNOWN ABOUT ELECTRICITY &

MANY OF ITS INTERESTING APPLICATIONS

BY CHARLES R. GIBSON, A.I.E.E.

AUTHOR OF "ELECTRICITY OF TO-DAY," ETC.

_Extra Crown 8vo. With 34 Illustrations and 11 Diagrams. 5s._

"Everywhere Mr. Charles R. Gibson makes admirable use of simple

analogies which bespeak the practised lecturer, and bring the matter

home without technical detail. The attention is further sustained by a

series of surprises. The description of electric units, the volt, the

ohm, and especially the ampere, is better than we have found in more

pretentious works."--_Academy._

"Mr. Gibson's style is very unlike the ordinary text-book. It is fresh,

and is non-technical. Its facts are strictly scientific, however, and

thoroughly up to date. If we wish to gain a thorough knowledge of

electricity pleasantly and without too much trouble on our own part, we

will read Mr. Gibson's 'romance.'"--_Expository Times._

"A book which the merest tyro totally unacquainted with elementary

electrical principles can understand, and should therefore especially

appeal to the lay reader. Especial interest attaches to the chapter on

wireless telegraphy, a subject which is apt to 'floor' the uninitiated.

The author reduces the subject to its simplest aspect, and describes the

fundamental principles underlying the action of the coherer in language

so simple that anyone can grasp them."--_Electricity._

THE ROMANCE OF THE SHIP

THE STORY OF HER ORIGIN AND EVOLUTION FROM THE EARLIEST TIMES

BY E. KEBLE CHATTERTON, B.A. OXON.

AUTHOR OF "SAILING SHIPS AND THEIR STORY," ETC. ETC.

_With 34 Illustrations. Price 5s._

"One of the most instructive and intelligent treatises on sea-life that

it has yet been our lot to peruse."--_Syren and Shipping._

"There is not a doubt about this volume being the best of its kind yet

published."--_Dundee Courier._

"Absorbingly interesting and highly instructive."--_Liverpool Daily

Post._

THE ROMANCE OF MODERN ASTRONOMY

BY HECTOR MACPHERSON, JUNIOR

_With 32 Illustrations & Diagrams. Extra Crown 8vo. Price 5s._

"We can conceive no book better adapted than this handsomely got up and

beautifully illustrated volume to attract the young, and even older

people to the study of the sublimest of sciences."--_Edinburgh News._

"Described in popular language, yet with a thoroughness which will give

the reader a surprisingly complete grasp of the subject."--_Christian._

"An ideal book for presentation, as indeed all Messrs. Seeley's Romance

books are."--_Eastern Morning News._

"An excellent compendium of the most interesting facts in astronomy,

told in popular language. Great care has evidently been taken to secure

accuracy. The illustrations are exceedingly good."--_The Athenæum._

SEELEY, SERVICE & CO. LIMITED

* * * * *

Stories by Prof. A. J. Church

"The Headmaster of Eton (Dr. the Hon. E. Lyttelton) advised his hearers,

in a recent speech at the Royal Albert Institute, to read Professor A.

J. Church's "Stories from Homer," some of which, he said, he had read to

Eton boys after a hard school day, and at an age when they were not in

the least desirous of learning, but were anxious to go to tea. The

stories were so brilliantly told, however, that those young Etonians

were entranced by them, and they actually begged of him to go on, being

quite prepared to sacrifice their tea time."

_Profusely illustrated. Extra Crown 8vo, 5s. each_

The Children's Æneid

The Children's Iliad

The Children's Odyssey

The Faery Queen and her Knight

The Crusaders

Greek Story and Song

Stories from Homer

Stories from Virgil

The Crown of Pine

Stories from Greek Tragedians

Stories of the East from Herodotus

Story of the Persian War

Stories from Livy

Roman Life in the Days of Cicero

With the King at Oxford

Count of Saxon Shore

The Hammer

Story of the Iliad

Story of the Odyssey

Stories from Greek Comedians

Heroes of Chivalry and Romance

Helmet and Spear

Stories of Charlemagne

_Extra Crown 8vo, illustrated, and other sizes_

3_s._ 6_d._

Last Days of Jerusalem

The Burning of Rome

The Fall of Athens

Stories from English History

Patriot & Hero

2_s._ 6_d._

The Chantry Priest of Barnet

Heroes of Eastern Romance

Three Greek Children

To the Lions

A Young Macedonian

2_s._

Heroes of Eastern Romance

1_s._ 6_d._

Heroes and Kings

Greek Gulliver

Nicias

Story of the Iliad and Æneid

To the Lions

1_s._

Story of the Iliad

Story of the Odyssey

Story of the Iliad and Æneid

6_d._

Last Days of Jerusalem

Story of the Iliad

Story of the Odyssey

Stories from Virgil

SEELEY, SERVICE & CO. LIMITED

* * * * *

A Catalogue of Books for Young People, Published by Seeley, Service & Co

Limited, 38 Great Russell Street, London

_Some of the Contents_

Adventure, The Library of 12

Bedford Library, The 2

Church, Stories by Professor 3

Giberne, Books by Miss 6

Heroes of the World Library, The 8

Marshall, Stories by Miss Beatrice 9

Marshall, Stories by Mrs. 9

Missionary Biographies 10

Olive Library, The 10

Pink Library, The 11

Prince's Library, The 11

Romance, The Library of 13

Royal Library, The 12

Russell Series, The 12

Scarlet Library, The 14

Science for Children 14

Sunday Echoes 2

Wonder Library, The 16

_The Publishers will be pleased to send post free their complete

Catalogue or their Illustrated Miniature Catalogue on receipt of a

post-card_

SEELEY, SERVICE & CO. LIMITED

* * * * *

CATALOGUE OF BOOKS

_Arranged alphabetically under the names of Authors and Series_

AGUILAR, GRACE.

THE DAYS OF BRUCE. With Illustrations. Extra crown 8vo, 2s. (SCARLET

LIBRARY.)

ANDERSEN, HANS.

FAIRY TALES. With Illustrations. 1s. 6d., 2s., and 3s. 6d. (SCARLET

AND PRINCE'S LIBRARIES.)

ALCOTT, L. M.

LITTLE WOMEN AND GOOD WIVES. With Illustrations. 2s. (SCARLET

LIBRARY.) Also LITTLE WOMEN, Extra crown 8vo, 1s. 6d.; and GOOD

WIVES, Extra crown 8vo, 1s. 6d.

ARABIAN NIGHTS' ENTERTAINMENTS. With Illustrations, 1s. 6d. (PINK

LIBRARY); 2s. (ROYAL & SCARLET LIBRARIES); 3s. 6d. (PRINCE'S LIBRARY).

BALLANTYNE, R. M.

THE DOG CRUSOE AND HIS MASTER. With Illustrations by H. M. BROCK,

R.I. Extra crown 8vo, 2s. and 2s. 6d.

BEDFORD LIBRARY FOR BOYS AND GIRLS, THE. A Series of books describing

the Adventures, Bravery, and Resource of Soldiers, Sailors, and others

in all Parts of the World. Sq. Crown 8vo, with many Illustrations in

Colour, 3s. 6d.

DARING DEEDS OF FAMOUS PIRATES. By Lieut. E. KEBLE CHATTERTON,

R.N.V.R., Author of "Sailing Ships and their Story," &c. &c.

DARING DEEDS OF HUNTERS AND TRAPPERS. By ERNEST YOUNG, B.Sc.,

F.R.G.S., Author of "The King of the Yellow Robe," &c. &c.

BERTHET, E.

THE WILD MAN OF THE WOODS. With Illustrations, 1s. 6d.

BLAKE, M. M.

THE SIEGE OF NORWICH CASTLE. With Illustrations, 5s.

BOISRAGON, Major ALAN M. Late Royal Irish Fusiliers.

JACK SCARLETT, Sandhurst Cadet. With Coloured Illustrations. Extra

crown 8vo, 5s.

BROCK, Mrs. CAREY.

DAME WYNTON'S HOME. A Story Illustrative of the Lord's Prayer. With

Eight Illustrations. Crown 8vo, 1s. 6d.

MY FATHER'S HAND, and other Stories. Crown 8vo, 2s.

SUNDAY ECHOES IN WEEKDAY HOURS. A Series of Illustrative Tales.

Seven Vols. Crown 8vo, 3s. 6d. each.

I. The Collects.

II. The Church Catechism.

III. Journeyings of the Israelites.

IV. Scripture Characters.

V. The Epistles and Gospels.

VI. The Parables.

VII. The Miracles.

WORKING AND WAITING. Crown 8vo, 5s.

BROWN LINNET.

THE KIDNAPPING OF ETTIE, and other Tales. With Sixteen

Illustrations. Crown 8vo, 5s.

BUNYAN, JOHN.

THE PILGRIM'S PROGRESS. With Illustrations. Extra crown 8vo, 2s.

(SCARLET LIBRARY).

CARTER, Miss J. R. M.

DIANA POLWARTH, ROYALIST. A Story of the Life of a Girl in

Commonwealth Days. With Eight Illustrations. Crown 8vo, 3s. 6d.

CHARLESWORTH, Miss.

ENGLAND'S YEOMEN. Crown 8vo, 2s. 6d.

OLIVER OF THE MILL. With Eight Illustrations. Cr. 8vo, 2s. 6d.

MINISTERING CHILDREN. 1. Olive Library. Crown 8vo, cloth gilt, 2s.

6d. 2. Scarlet Library. Crown 8vo, cloth, 2s. 3. With 4

Illustrations. Cloth, 1s. 6d.

MINISTERING CHILDREN: A SEQUEL. With Illustrations. Cloth, 1s. 6d.

Also with Eight Illustrations. Cloth, 2s. and 2s. 6d.

THE BROKEN LOOKING-GLASS. Crown 8vo, 1s.

THE OLD LOOKING-GLASS AND THE BROKEN LOOKING-GLASS; or, Mrs. Dorothy

Cope's Recollections of Service. In one volume. With Eight

Illustrations. Crown 8vo, 1s. 6d.

CHATTERTON, E. KEBLE.

THE ROMANCE OF THE SHIP. With 33 Illus. Ex. cr. 8vo, 5s.

THE ROMANCE OF PIRACY. Many Illus. Ex. cr. 8vo, 5s.

CHURCH, Professor ALFRED J.

"The Headmaster of Eton (Dr. the Hon. E. Lyttelton) advised his

hearers, in a recent speech at the Royal Albert Institute, to read

Professor A. J. Church's 'Stories from Homer,' some of which, he

said, he had read to Eton boys after a hard school day, and at an

age when they were not in the least desirous of learning, but were

anxious to go to tea. The stories were so brilliantly told, however,

that those young Etonians were entranced by them, and they actually

begged of him to go on, being quite prepared to sacrifice their tea

time."

THE CHILDREN'S ÆNEID. Told for Little Children. With Twelve