“Izixhobo Zokutshabalalisa” Kudala Zisaziwa
“Abantu abangendawo basoloko bequlunqa iindlela zokucinezela nokuqhatha abanye abantu.”—UHorace Walpole, umbhali oliNgesi wenkulungwane ye-18.
UKWAKHIWA kweenqwelo-moya kuye kwabazisela amaqithiqithi abantu. Noko ke, amazwi kaHorace Walpole aye angqineka eyinyaniso. Kude kudala ngaphambi kokuba kwenziwe iinqwelo-moya abantu babesele becamngca ngeendlela zokulwa ngazo ezimfazweni.
Ngowe-1670, malunga neminyaka eli-100 ngaphambi kokuba kwenziwe ibhaloni yokuqala, uFrancesco Lana owayengumJesuit waseItali wathi, “uThixo akanakuze avumele kwenziwe umatshini wokutshabalalisa ofana nalowo, ukuze kuthintelwe intlekele enokubangelwa koko.” Noko ke, walek’ umsundulu wathi: “Asikho isixeko esinokunqabiseka xa kukho oomatshini abanjalo, ukuba banokusuka bahlasele bengabhungisanga. Amakhaya neenqanawa nazo ziya kuhlaselwa ngendlela efanayo . . . Inqwelo-moya inokutshisa inqanawa nabantu abakuyo ngeentolo-mlilo neebhombu.”
Xa kwafika iibhaloni ezihamba ngomoya oshushu nehydrojini ngasekupheleni kwenkulungwane ye-18, uWalpole woyikisela ukuba ngokukhawuleza “zazinokutshabalalisa abantu abaninzi.” Njengokuba kwakulindelekile, ngasekupheleni kowe-1794, iibhaloni zehydrojini zasetyenziswa ziinjengele zomkhosi zaseFransi ekuhloleni imikhosi yotshaba nasekuthumeleni amajoni. Iibhaloni zasetyenziswa nakwimfazwe Yamakhaya yaseMerika nakwiimfazwe eyayiphakathi kwamaJamani namaFrentshi ngowe-1870. Kwiimfazwe ezimbini zehlabathi zenkulungwane edluleyo, iibhaloni ziye zasetyenziswa yimikhosi yaseMerika, amaBritani, amaFrentshi namaJamani, ukuhlola imikhosi yeentshaba zawo.
Iibhaloni zasetyenziselwa ukubulala kwiMfazwe Yehlabathi II ngumkhosi waseJapan xa wawuhlasela iUnited States ngeebhaloni ezingama-9 000 ezazixhotyiswe ngeebhombu. Iibhaloni ezingama-280 ezazineebhombu zahlasela uMntla Merika.
Imilo Yasemoyeni Yayilindelekile
Ukususela ekuyilweni kwayo, inqwelo-moya yayijongwa njengesixhobo esinokusetyenziswa emfazweni. Ngowe-1907 UAlexander Graham Bell, wathi: “Ligcuntswana labantu elaba namanakani endlela iMerika eyayiza kuyiguqula ngayo indlela yokulwa iimfazwe ehlabathi jikelele—ndithetha ngenqwelo-moya zokulwa emoyeni.” Kwakuloo nyaka mnye, iThe New York Times, yacaphula uCaptain uThomas T. Lovelace esithi: “Kwiminyaka nje emibini nemihlanu ukususela ngoku, amazwe angoongalo-nkulu aza kuba neenqwelo-moya zomkhosi ezitshabalalisayo kanye njengokuba enamaphenyane amancinane eemfazwe.”
Kwiinyanga nje ezintathu emva koko, oonyana bakaWright bakrwecwa yiU. S. Signal Corps ukuba bakhe inqwelo-moya yemfazwe yokuqala. Inqaku leNew York Times likaSeptemba 13, 1908, lachaza isizathu sokuba umkhosi ufune le nqwelo-moya lisithi: “Ibhombu inokuphoswa kwisikhephe ize yonakalise sona neinjini yaso.”
Wayechan’ ucwethe okaBell, iinqwelo-moya “zatshintsha iindlela ezazisiliwa ngayo iimfazwe zehlabathi.” Malunga nowe-1915, abenzi beenqwelo-moya bayila imipu ezitshintshayo eyayiza kusetyenziswa ziinqwelo-moya. Emva koko kwenziwa iinqwelo-moya zokubhombisha ezaya zisiba nkulu ngeMfazwe Yehlabathi II. NgoAgasti 6, 1945, inqwelo-moya ebizwa ngokuba yiB-29 yabetha isixeko saseJapan iHiroshima ngebhombu yeatom yaze yasishiya siyingqushu nabantu aba-100 000 itshoba lilel’ umbethe.
Kwiminyaka nje emibini ngaphambi koku, ngowe-1943, uOrville Wright ngasese, wathi le ndlela zisetyenziswa ngayo iinqwelo-moya zomkhosi ziyenza intliziyo yakhe ibe lihlwili. Wathi, kwiimfazwe ezimbini zehlabathi, iye yaba sesona sixhobo siyingozi. Kuye kwenziwa iimissile ezisebenza ngelaser neebhombu ezintsonkothileyo ezinokusuba ubomi babantu abaninzi njengokuba ‘uhlanga luvukelana nohlanga.’—Mateyu 24:7.
[Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 22, 23]
1. Iibhaloni ezazineebhombu zaseJapan ezazingenabantu
2. Iibarrage ballon
[Inkcazelo]
Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, FSA/OWI Collection, LC-USE6-D-004722
3. IB-29 Superfortress
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USAF photo
4. Istrike Frighter F/A-18C Hornet
5. F-117A Nighthawk Stealth Fighter
[Inkcazelo]
U.S. Department of Defense