The Camden weekly journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1853-1861, 1855-06-12
The WAYS of a Bombshcll:

TO- A column Of white smoke rushing up into
the air expands into concentric rings; then
follows the heavy, dull report, like the beat OF
some giant drum; and, then comes the shrill
scream of the shell as it describes its fatal
curve and descends with prodigious velocity,
increasing rapidly every Instant, till it explodes
with the peculiar noise Of. ga blast" just as it
reaches the ground. At least it ought to do
so but to-day watched the shells, one after
another, aud only two out of three burst prop.
erly, though the range and fight were beauti-
fully accurate. The Russian fusee are bad,
but their artillerymen are not to be excellcd
when their practice is undisturbed. 1t was
Interesting just as the man of pleasure in
LucretiuS liked to see the sea rage when he
was on board ship-to look at the shell drop
ping, and to see our active little allies scampcr
ingaway to their cover, and adju ting themselves
ITO the closest possible connexion with mother
earth, till the hurling masses had gone BY them.
ANY man with moderate confidence and expe-
rience may despise round shot at long ranges
tif he only sees the guns from which they come
discharged. Well, we won't say despise ex
aclly, but at all events" evate" But shell
is diaholicaI invention, which none can regard
as it approaches without a certain degree OF
snisgiving that triangular piece of jagged
iron may he whizzed through his internal econo-
my at the shortest possible notice afterward.
Il It is sent from gun, it fizzes and roars
through the air and sends its fragments before
it, the cone Of dispersion, which is the neat
phrase used by the learned militant to imply
the direction of the hits Of SHE'LL Tor i,s con
tents, when it is filled with bullets, &c. being
in the direction the she'll has taken from the
gun, and the fragments being propelled with a
portion of the velocity of the shell at the mo.
ment of explosion. If it be discharged from
mortar, it whistles gently and delicatey giving
squeak aud roar now and then as it rises
to its greatest elevation, and then rushing
downward with shriler whistle toward the
point, its fragments are projected all around
radially, aud are propelled merely by the force
of the bursting charge. a man behind bomb
or at the side Of it is justas likely to be hit as
man before it. WHEN it bursts in that way;
whereas the pieces from 4 shell from guu in
nearly every instance fly forward, SO that a
person behind it or outside Of the limits of the
cone Of dispersion is safe. Unless the sllellor
bomb bu s,s in trout Of y body Of men in the
air, a very considerable degree of safety may
be attained by the men throwing themselves
Hat on.the ground, inasniu:h, as the pieces OF
she'll Which bursts on the earth fly upward
from the point where they encounter the maxi
mum resistance - II ..
OF course ii a bomb burst over man on
I The ground, or IT. ashcl expIodes in the air IN
frort Of man. there is no great safety gained
by his throwing himself down beyond the con-.
sequeut reduction Sof the amount of vertical
exposure. his little digression is all apropos
ST the condnct of iur allies which have just
mentioned; aud is, made in order to explain the
rationale of their proceedings. 1t is rather an.
unpleasant reflection whenever one IS discuss
ing the range Of a missile, and is perhaps ex
claiming, .There is asplendid shot," that it
may have carried miseryand sorrow into some
happy household. The smoke clears away,
the n,get up, they gather around one that
moves not, or who. is racked with mortal ago
ny; they bear him away, a mere black speck,
and a few shovel :fulls of mud mark for a lit
ttle time the resting ptoe of!thc poor soldier,
whose wife, or mother, OR children, o.: sisters,
are left destitute Of solace, save memeryHand
the sympathy ;2uf their counsry Que, such
little ssIreck j watched to, day, and saw quietly
deposited on the ground'inside atfenck Who
will tetthe inmates of that desolate cottage il.
Picatdy or.Gascony, or Anjou, know Of their
bereavement e However, there goes another
SHE'LL and it does n'ahing but kupckup cloud
oE snow and dust.-gamp Cor. London Times
TElEGRspH Across THE. 0cEA4:-Its would
appear from. the New York Evangelist, that the
praeticabiIity Of laying "a submarine. wire, from
one continent to the other, is about to be tested
Two; ;eoinpanies, one American other English
have unitedin the work The directors Of the
company are. .busily engaged, and in three months
from: NE present: time, it is contemplated that
the ;Sfd world and the new will be within a
week shsil Of each other, by line being com:
p1etsd to ST. Johns, New Foundlsnd aud with.
Iinfhree years the two kemispheres will be in
Fcsfnmunication, by asmire extending acrosss1he
ocean. =, ~. 5s 3. : ss.'1e
Coop ADv1cE.--G Guard against vanity, Never
tletit bea question whether this, or that opinion
|slould attract attention to your person. Look
loaly for The eyidence--fo follow the highland be
content with the reflection, that you have deser-
tyed, whether gouhaye gained, or not, theaap.
lpfob basioh Of yonf fellows. Wisdom will >e9ehtu.s
Eally jasssfed of all eher children. The tn
fdaPhs Of vanity are short -those OF truth ever:
lasting. Aera,esH onag agsnth:ss. sd. IS II
; .sTsS = ~. ~ 20 - sa,sss y d e -