Jack the Ripper Tech

[YankeeSergeant]

Bertillon system

If I remember correctly (And I may not) the Bertillon system was being used experimentally in France in 1888 but had not crossed the channel into Great Britain. Black JAck Ketchum was executed in1901 and his last words supposedly were "Let 'er rip!" to the hangman. Be careful what you wish for. You might actually get it.

[sdreid]

The ultimate human speed record in 1888 was a steam locomotive that had achieved 82 miles per hour. In 1893, another steam train hit a claimed 112 mph.

[sdreid]

The closest Jack had to cable television was the pantelegraph which could transmit a single still photographic image via a telegraph line. It would have been possible to separately send each frame of Le Prince's movies then assemble them into flip book moving images and there's Jack's (silent) TV of a sort.

[sdreid]

I think some of those kits were production motor units made to be added on existing conventional bicycles.

[sdreid]

There were even some motor driven bikes in the 1880s although they were mostly home built kit affairs. The first production motorcycles weren't built and sold until 1894.

[sdreid]

Thanks Edward. I knew it was there for some time and think someone received that sentence in something like the 1840s although it was not carried out.

Yes Detective, a bicycle escape might have been an option. That has long been my theory on how Luard could have pulled off the murder of his wife.

[Edward]

That fellow sentenced to death in N. Ireland was named William Holden and it was actually 1973. He was reprieved later in the year.

The last people executed on British soil were a couple of chaps hanged in Bermuda during 1977.

A source I have says the death penalty wasn't totally abolished in all British overseas territories until 2002.

This former overseas territory still has it, at least in most states.

Heck, even though it had not been employed for a long time, in England, sentencing a convict to being “Hanged, Drawn and Quartered” was still on the books until 1870.

Edward

[Defective Detective]

Funny, funny thread.

What about bicycles? Were they common enough that the Ripper could both have had one and not been entirely out-of-place?

[sdreid]

Thanks Maurice. Yes, it looks like the horse lobby was pretty successful in suppressing the fledgling steam bus business in England. It does appear that the vehicles were a little better accepted on the Continent.

The whole thing reminds me of the U.S. movie theaters in the 1960s when they were trying to put the squelch on pay TV.

[The Grave Maurice]

It doesn't look like it, Stan. http://www.petergould.co.uk/local_tr...l/steambus.htm says this:

Harsh legislation from 1861 onwards virtually eliminated mechanically propelled vehicles from the roads of Great Britain. The Locomotive Act of 1861 imposed speed limits on 'road locomotives' of 5mph in towns and cities, and 10mph in the country. Four years later, the Locomotives Act of 1865 (the famous Red Flag Act), reduced the speed limits to 4mph in the country and just 2mph in towns and cities. In addition the act required a man bearing a red flag to precede every vehicle and at the same time gave powers to local authorities to specify the hours during which any such vehicle might use the roads. It effectively killed development of the mechanically propelled omnibus for some 30 years, although from 1879 street trams were authorised under licence from the Board of Trade.

Steam never lacked its proponents and in 1873 they managed to secure the introduction into Parliament of the Locomotives on Roads Bill, intended to remove some of these restrictions but fierce opposition led to its withdrawal. There were changes to the legislation introduced under the Highways & Locomotives (Amendments) Act of 1878, but these did nothing to encourage the development of mechanically propelled transport, although the need for the pedestrian preceding road locomotives to carry a red flag was removed.

It was not until the internal combustion engine achieved a modicum of success on the Continent that public opinion against mechanically propelled vehicles began to change, and, in 1896, the Government passed the Locomotives on Highways Act. This removed the most stringent restrictions and sanctioned a maximum speed of 14 mph, although this was later reduced by the Local Government Board to 12 mph. The Act came into force on the 14th November 1896 and from that date the mechanically propelled bus took a giant step forward.

Experiments with steam vehicles restarted. In 1899 a double-deck steam bus built by E. Gillett & Company of Hounslow was licensed for use in London, although it was basically a horse-bus body, seating 10 inside and 14 outside, mounted on a steam lorry chassis, with a light awning to protect potential passengers from soot and steam. In the event no regular service was operated with the vehicle.

[sdreid]

Does anyone know if there were any steam powered busses operating in London at the time? I have read that there were some in England starting as early as the 1830s. If so, Jack could have used them for a "quick" getaway.

[Abby Normal]

I can imagine some 1880s computer geek setting up a program for a Bertillon version of AFIS, ABIS if you will, on the Babbage Analytical Engine.

it was Lord Byrons daughter

[macknnc]

There were both hot air and light gas balloons as well as some primitive airships that could have been used as a platform.

There is far too much hot air mixed up with this case already!!

[sdreid]

I can imagine some 1880s computer geek setting up a program for a Bertillon version of AFIS, ABIS if you will, on the Babbage Analytical Engine.

[sdreid]

Sorry about the tardy response Joel. I don't know if it was St. Kitts but from what you said that sounds like a promising bet.