Death Ray Machine Is Invented by Cleveland Scientist (Sep, 1934)
Filed under: Impractical — @ 2:02 am
Source: Modern Mechanix ( More articles from this issue )
Issue: Sep, 1934
| Buy on Ebay
Source: Modern Mechanix ( More articles from this issue )
Issue: Sep, 1934
| Buy on Ebay
Death Ray Machine Is Invented by Cleveland Scientist
REPORTED to have tremendous military possibilities, a successful death ray machine is said to have been invented, after lengthy experiments, by a Cleveland scientist.
A partial description of the machine’s construction and operating principles was recently offered at a session of the National Inventors’ Congress at Omaha, Nebraska.
Privileged witnesses to demonstrations of the machine declared that experiments were successful to a startling degree. Dogs, cats and rabbits were killed instantly, their blood turning to water as the ray was turned upon them. It is reported that the machine has been suppressed by the government until such time as it may be needed as a defensive weapon.
Either pre-emptive propaganda, given the way Europe was already shaping up by 1934, or a nice little bit if misinformation to disguise what they may ‘at the time’ have genuinely thought had possibilities.
The illustration shows somebody holding what appears to be a common-or-garden X-ray tube…
Comment by Richard — January 27, 2008 @ 3:14 am
More than likely a poor cover story for what someone maight have stumbled across as Radar.
Comment by wally — January 27, 2008 @ 3:34 am
Entirely plausible Wally – it wouldn’t take a radar transmitter long to blatt a rabbit!
Comment by Richard — January 27, 2008 @ 7:11 am
The phrase “their blood turned to water,” combined with the complete lack of science in the article, makes this sound like a hoax.
The tubes look a bit like X-ray tubes, but not especially rugged or powerful ones.
Comment by MC — January 27, 2008 @ 7:50 am
I dunno, doesn’t Ivan Stang live in Cleveland?
Comment by sputnik — January 27, 2008 @ 1:51 pm
I actually have two of these machines on my property and have not had any troublesome neighbors for years.
Comment by Barry Berlin — January 27, 2008 @ 2:00 pm
It tells you right in the article what happened to it. “the machine has been suppressed by the pentagon until a time when it is needed.” They were simpler times back then and probably just told the outright truth in the article.
Tesla invented the original death ray and the concept is very simple, no more complicated than the technology in a microwave. What is that machine he is working on. Wow that thing is huge.
Comment by aztrozon — January 27, 2008 @ 3:16 pm
aztrozon
Why have you come to my planet?
Comment by Firebrand38 — January 27, 2008 @ 4:53 pm
So the government is suppressing dangerous technology but photos are ok?
The inventor appears to be Dr. Antonio Longoria. http://blog.modernmechanix.com.....death-ray/
Comment by Eamon — January 27, 2008 @ 7:51 pm
If this was an actual story, the scientists name would be stated.
Comment by JJ — January 27, 2008 @ 9:19 pm
There are several articles on the Time website from 1934-39 relating to this inventor and providing slightly more detail:
http://www.time.com/time/magaz.....74,00.html
http://www.time.com/time/magaz.....91,00.html
http://www.time.com/time/magaz.....01,00.html
http://www.time.com/time/magaz.....64,00.html
It seems by 1939, even Time had lost patience with the Death Ray inventor
Comment by Slade Winstone — January 28, 2008 @ 1:32 am
Slade
Excellent work. It was definitely Longoria.
aztrozon
It would be hard for as you say, “the pentagon” to suppress this work since ground wasn’t broken on the Pentagon unitil 1941. Maybe that knowledge was suppressed as well.
Comment by Firebrand38 — January 28, 2008 @ 4:58 am
Zzzzaaapppp!!!
Where’s the kaboom? There was supposed to be an Earth shattering kaboom?!?!?!
Comment by gl3nk — January 28, 2008 @ 9:40 am
Because he didn’t have an Iludium PU-36 Space De-Modulator!
Comment by Firebrand38 — January 28, 2008 @ 9:50 am
Oh this man killed cats; how rich of him. Maybe he came back to life as a mouse; we coan only wish.
Comment by KA Turner — March 16, 2008 @ 9:15 pm
I want to see a fight to the death between this man and prof. Harry May, with his equally unlikely death ray. It would make a fantastic film..
Comment by Oliver — March 30, 2008 @ 5:06 pm
A death ray using a Coolidge tube? What did it do? X-ray them until they glowed in the dark?
Comment by Eliyahu — May 15, 2008 @ 11:53 am
BY SENDING A LIGHT PHOTON THRUE A T.V. YOU ARE CREATING A DEATHRAY THAT IS KILLING PEOPLE IN THE 5TH DIMENSION! THE MODULATED FREQUENCY IS BLOWING THEM UP ANGD CREATING EXPLOSIONS STOP PLEASE THE USE OF LASER LIGHTS UNESSECARY CELL PHONE USE AND MODULATED SYGNALS… G.F. OHIO 1934
Comment by samuel j.p. licon — March 18, 2009 @ 9:29 pm