The Howling Terror Mystery

[GNC]

Anyone hear this documentary on Radio 4 tonight? It sounded so ridiculous I thought it had to be a spoof, but having checked the names on the internet it seems to be true. Basically it was an invention using compressed air and a "trumpet" to amplify sound to deafening levels, which caused great consternation in turn of the century (19th-20th) Britain. It was nicknamed the Howling Terror by the newspapers, but never really caught on. The documentary included a demonstration of some surviving equipment which still worked and sounded hilarious.

 

[Melf]

i spose hg wells knew about this machine? and used it for the fighting machines

 

[Andy X]

Have just posed a link in the Wacky Inventions thread. Only took a mere decade

 

[GNC]

Thanks, I'd totally forgotten about this.

 

[Andy X]

The documentary's great fun. Listened to it again over Christmas