Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1863-10-29
GREEK F1RE.--sHELb AND SHOT.

The statements which have been Published
respecting some ncendiary shells statpd to have
been thrown into Charleston, b, Gen, Gilmore,
seem TO hayo set the whole country in a blaze
of excitement. According TO a very common
mode Of romancing adopted by letter-writers,
these shells have been denomnaed Greek
Fires" but there is no resemblance whatever
between them and the genuine Greek Fire OF
ancient times. 1t is related that the former
was discovered in 66O, by a Greek engineer
named Canacus, who in lHot year destroyed a
large fleet of Saracen vessels with il; and it
afterwards became terror to the whole Ma
hommedan races. 1t is described TO have con
sisted Of resin, sallpeler, sulphur, pitch and
camphor mixed with turpenline, and made into
balls with flax. 1t was igntrl, then fired from
arrows, or thrown by javelins on board the Sar-
acen vessels. when they were engaged with the
Greeks in the hand to hand contests of those
days The compound was very inhammiblp,
| but its chief danger consisted in being capable
/ of burning in water. Tradition CONVEYS tXag-
/ gerated ideas respecting its destructive effects.
/ 1t would not produce much fear, nor very for
mdube results. on board ot modern war ves-
sells. The iucendiary shells now called Greek
Fire were first brought to public notice during
/ the Crimean war, by J. M,lntu,h, who IN ide
experiments wilh them at .>hoehurN ness. Eng
| land. and sci iniiammable materials ou fire at a
distance of 500 yards. 4 patent was secured
! tor the invention in 1850 aud the composition
is described in the specification as follows: " |
| hI diaphragm shells with napkthu, mixed with
phosphorus and bisulphde Of carbon, having a
Lurs'ing charge sufficient to open the she'll,
When fired, the bursting of these shells seal
ters ihe contents in all directions. and the show
er of inhan mable material falling among the
troops ignies spontaneously, causing their i'm
mediate hlsorganization. Fired into shipping,
these shells bursting on the deck below, scatter
the infamnable material, aud the spontaneous
combustion which results causes injury TO the
crew, who are driven oveIboird. and the vessel
itself is speedily consumed. Fired into hat-
bors, dockyards and towns the result is alike
destructive ard decisive"
A little volume forwarded to us by Captain
j. Norton, from Rl>herville, England 1860,
contains the following description OF lis incen.
diary she'll for Infantry; "a lraden ,ie she'd
is first nearly ti.leI with hi>ulphiIe oi carhnn,
then small bits Of phosphorus are dronpcI into
ii. and the mouth of the she'll is then closed
with II cork projecting like that OF a bottle. A
leaden shell thus chal ged and adapted TO the
/ military rifle wall continue 10 burn ton ten mil-
utes, with an intense ii mc which cannot he rX-
tingu>hrd with water" Srch are the de>crip-
tions of the modern incrndia,y shells called 10y
some pcis ms Greek Fire. As phosphorus
was unknown to the ancient Greeks, of cuurN.
il is sheer nonSrus. to credit them with the in
vcn'inn Of ihi, fire. Thus far, such inccndiar,
shells seem to have produced but little mischief
An officer Of the United States artillery latcl,
informed Us tha, he had made experiments an,
found them of no utility owing To 'he inilam
m ,hle liquid being much scattered when thu
shells burst. He believed that If Il considerable
quantity OF the iniiannnble liquid Could be hel'
together and thrown into one place, ii wnui'
prove destructive, but this co,.il not be elirci,t
with any of the incendary shells which he ha'
tried. For producing des,rucii.e results b,
setting wooden vessels buildings and oihc
combu>tible materials on fire, red-hot shot ar,
more to he depended upon than liquid fire
shells. The modern method of producing >ucs
shot, is to fll shells with moien iron. then iir,
them from the guns. a small cupola has been
put up ON one of The English iron-clads fo
melting pig-iron, thus to fill shelI> but aEaiuS
: ormor. clad vessels, of course such shot wouI'
be useless, as they would Spattcr against iro'
plates like balls OF clay.-ScientUc american.