Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-07-26
WEAPONS OF WAR.
Ericssen's Invention for Numbering
Men.

Washington Special.
Some interesting experiments are about
to be made showing the use to which
dynamite may be put in naval warfare
If half Of what the inventors claim is
true it would seem as though Mr.
Chambers new steel million dollar vessels
with be worth Just about their weight
in old iron when they are completed.
\ gun that can plaot hundred
pounds of dynamite against the side of a
vessel a mile away and blow her into
smithereens, promises to prove danger
Gus element in naval practice. There are
several experiments about to be tried
which promise this result. One of these
is the creation of Captain Ericsson. the
famous inventor who gave the nation the
Monitor when it was so much needed and
probably turned the trembling balance in
favor of reunited country. Another is
by Jersey City inventor, who promises
large results.
He has been here some weeks explain
ing his invention to the Navy Department
and arranging for test. This is to take
place off Sandy Hook within a short
time, and the result is looked forward to
with a good deal of interest. The plan is
to load a shell with large quantity Of
dynamite of the most vigorous quality.
and throw this against the side of yes
sci with sufficient force to explode it. TO
give this projectile sufficient force, how
ever, to carry 1t very long distance and
insure its explosion, TIE inventor applies
several principles which are Ofthemselves
very important.
First, he places his powder, which is to
drive the shell within that article. This
he aTranges in successive LAYERS, and by
various degrees of fineness and closeness
of packing, he so arranges that instead of
exploding all at once, as does the ordinary
charge.Of powder, it will explode in sue
cessiye flashes as the shell travels along
the length of the gun. 1t is claimed that
by this system much greater speed can
be had for the proiectile, and of course it
can be thrown a much great distance and
with greater accuracy. Still another i'm
provement is a plan by which it is pro-
posed to do away with the vent of the
gun.
The inventor processes to ''t0uch OFF,
his charge of powder by electricity. He
says that by this he will prevent the loss
of a considerable percentage of the force
of the powder.
Ericssen's invention is a small boat.
which Is to run mostly under water. car
rying a novel gun, which is said to be
able to throw a submerged torpedo dis
lance of several hundred yards. The gun
is TO be located some ten feet below the
surface of the water. and il is claimed
will project the torpedo shell a distance
Of some 400 yards through the water
against the side of a vessel with sufficient
force to explode the load of dynamite it
carries. The torpedo which it is to shoot is
about twenty-five feet long and eighteen
inches in diameter. 1t is filled for nearly
three feet from the tip with dynamite,
from the explosion Of which nothing in
its immediate vicinity could escape.
When the gun is loaded the gunner as
cends to point above the water and gets
his aim by aid OF what is known as a flag
pin," and fires his gun with battery. 1t
is claimed that the torpedo will slip along
under the water without making a rifle.
and the first thing the doomed vessel
knows she is knocked into cooked hat.
\ test has been made which shows that
the gunner can hit within a foot of the
spot arrived at, which is considered quite
sufficient as to accuracy. The vessel,
Ericsson says, can be operated without
difficulty, even ii the whole deck above
water is shot away, as that portion is not
essential to its management or accuracy.
These novel instruments, combined with
the ''multicharge gum" promise a reYO-
luton in gunnery and torpedo service.