Black smoke

In H.G. Wells's classic science fiction novel The War of the Worlds, the Black smoke was the secondary offensive weapon of the Martians. This weapon was used by the Martians as a means of chemical warfare. It was either delivered by means of a tube-like launcher carried by the Martian Fighting Machines, or spread by the Martian Flying Machine. It was used to great effect in the evening of Day Three of the invasion in the London Offensive.

Related Topics:
H.G. Wells - Science fiction - The War of the Worlds - Chemical warfare - London Offensive

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The black smoke was a poisonous gas used to eliminate groups of humans remotely, especially artillery crews, before they could fire. Any human breathing this deadly smoke was killed almost instantly. The smoke was disabled by contact with water. After the smoke had done its job, the Martians would dispel it with jets of steam, leaving only a residual black powder. The Martians may have used this also to avoid unnecessary destruction of buildings in cities such as London.

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Wells specified that the black smoke consisted of an unknown element that showed three green lines in a spectrum analysis. This element combined with the argon in our atmosphere to form the deadly gas.

Related Topics:
Spectrum analysis - Argon

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