The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1870-07-23
THE EXPLOSIVE RnLLEr

The last and most destructive of the
death-dealing projectiles, the explosive bull
let, designed by Pertuiset, and executed BY
a French artisan in the celebrated firearms
factory Of Devisme, is described in the last
number of the Army and Macy Journal
Externally quite similar to the original
Mimic, a cylind mass of lead,
it is discovered by an unscrewing of it's
length about midway, to be internally q
magazine of illuminate. The explosi ye
compound-dynamate powder, condensed
powder, or whatever it may be--has an ex-
PloSlVe force SIX times that of gun-powder.
Experiments which lave been made under
the patronage Of the Prussian, Russian
and Austrian governments.a nd last BY our
own war department, demonstrate not only
its effectiveness, but the singular proper
ties its inventor has given TO it. Being
gwen the distance Of the target, its density,
the quantity Of charge in the gun and the
same of the ingredients constituting the
Projectile," be has established a most exact
relation, by accurate calculation, between
the force necessary to explode the projec-
tile and its penetration before subsection to
this pressure. Thus the magazine can be
so constituted that the passage of the bull
let through sheet Of paper will explode it,
or so that the severe impact of iron or hard
wood is needed for such a result 1t is
comforting to be assured that ball which
would not explode in the body of soldier
or of horse, if not at very limited dis
lance, would explode in the more resisting
body Of an ammunition wagon.
Though NJ. Pertuiset is the inventor of
the particular missile to which our attention
has been drawn, by singular propriety of
circumstances Prince Pierre Napoleon, the
bette noire Of the Bonsparte family, appears
to have been its inspirer. From a little
pamphlet, badly translated from an essay
on explosive projectiles written by the
Prince, we are not surprised to learn that
its author entertained the idea quite num-
Der of years ago, and even applied to De
visme to make him gun Of a particular
calibre, suited to hollow projectile of COP
per, or Of an alloy Of lead and anthony
The fact Of Devisme declining to produce
the arm defeated the Princes purpose.
The ethics Of slaughter are defined in no
recognized code, but there is a pretty gen
eral accord among nations that explosive
bullets shall not be used in small arms.
Our readers have not forgotten the conven-
ton into which, at the instance Of Russia.
the prominent nations of Europe entered
year or two ago. During our own war
there was an occasional suggestion Of such
missiles being used, but we prefer to be-
lieve that the few cited instances were al
together imaginary. We know that an in
ventlon Of this nature-whether Pertuiset's
or not we are uncsrtsin-was offered to the
cOnfederates and declined, on the score of
pure sentiment, by board Of examining
officers; and, if our memory is not at
fault, the Internal missile was considered in
a similar spirit by our war department.
AT q recent trial eff Pertuiset's projectile,
made by the ordinance department at WASH
lngton, the purpose of experiments seems
to have been to demonstrate its utility in
exploding caissons, artillery wagons, etc.
The q shots, made at all sorts Of targets,
proved the excellence Of the illuminate for
such purposes. We are very sure that no
civilized government will be disposed to
adopt an explosive missile for any other
purpose. Despite the partisanship of Prince
Pierre, in letter to his imperial cousin,
Napoleon rejected it at once.
A NEW PHoToMETER.-A photometerp
invented by M. Nagant, is based upon the
formation Of a column Of liquid, partially
opaque, which may be drawn out until II .
length is such that the light from an illumi-
mating body ceases to be visible through the
liquid. The length of the column, which
obscures the light, starting from
the point where the column is thinest, gives
a measure Of the intensity of the light IN
der examination.