St. Landry democrat., 1884-05-10
A NEW APPLICATION.

1
Navy May Cope Successfully With TIL
Most Pretentious-D Dynamite Bombs Fire
from Ordinary Cannon-Good Bye Iron
Clads.
NEW YORK. April g.
For the first time, dynamite bomb wa
successfully thrown from an ordinar.
cannon. The place selected for the tria
OF this new projectile-a trial which, it Ii
claimed, marks.a red-letter day in the his
tory of modern warfare-Was long, low
swamp back of Greenville, N. j. little
group Of men hung about an ordinary
cannon, pointed up the salt marsh. TIC
the left lay Newark, and to the right
Morris Canal. Another group of men
stood on bridge across the canal about
a block from the cannon, looking at the
first crowd through feld-glasses. Mr..
F. II. Snyder, the inventor of the
proiectile, exhibited the cannon,
an ordinary four-inch, twelve poun-
der, from Governors Island It was
loaded with one and one-half pounds of
powder. Next, a wad made of round
disks of leather, with spiral springs
separating them, held the powder in
place. Then the projectile itself was
put in place. 1t looks much like a
very large cartridge-ab foot long
and four inches in diameter. Five
pounds of dynamite were stored in the
upper end of the projectile and the
lower end slides into case contain
ing a rubber cushion full of holes.
The dynamite represented the bullet of
an ordinary cartridge, and the cushion
was In the place occupied by the powder.
This rubber cushion was the secret of
the invention Through it the dyna-
mite is thrown from the gun without ex-
ploding.
UNDER ORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCES
the shock of the exploding powder would
ignite the dynamite before it left the gun,
but this cushion counteracts the effect Of
the shock, and the bomb is fired without
feeling the sudden blow as the powder
behind it explodes. The cannon was
loaded, and long wire attached to it
leading to the bridge. The men who be-
fore had occupied places on the
bridge moved to hill several blocks
further away. A bald-headed man, with
q blue cont hid behind boat with his
fingers in his ears. There was only room
for one there, and his companion, with |
his silk hat grasped firmly in his Hand,
went scudding swiftly up the tow path
of the canal A third spectator strug-
gled, ankle deep, in cistern marsh.
'tAre you all ready?' sang out the man
at the wire. Every one on the bridge tried |
to get behind his nefghbor as the word
was given. A puff of smoke, a loud re-
port, and the rubber buffer and the wad |
were seen to drop hundred yards away.
4 second later shower of earth few up
nearly a mile distant. Where the shot
struck the earth was soft and, as ex-
Dected, the dynamite did not explode. A
party of men sent to dig up the missile,
after digging down six feet, gave up for
;he evening. Next projectile for naval
warfare was shot across the water, This
was of wood, brass capped, four feet
ong, shaped like cigar, and at the lower
end had four wings of steel, placed pre-
;iseIy as the feathers of an arrow.
The theory was that the shot
would strike the water, rlcochet,
Ind, skipping over the waves,
DEAL DESTRUCTION
% the most powerful vessel. a young
nan brought The missile on his shoulder
md placed it gingerly by the side of the
Mr.. Snyder unscrewed the
'ointed end and put in more dynamite.
again the word was given, and the bomb
vent skipping over the bay toward New
rk. The wooden part broke, however,
Q the rotary motion expected to be gwen
vas not shown. 1t had been intended to
ecoYer the projectiles that had been fired
nd explode them afterWard, but as one
vas too deep in the marsh and the other
D the water, the dynamite in the dinner
all was touched off instead. Explaining ,
is invention Mr.. Snyder said, 81 have
cen working on this for two years. A
VENT -pound projectile, sufficient TO an
ihilate the most powerful vessel. can be
lade for $40 less than the cost of an or !
mary shell. The invention of this rub
er seems simple, everyday thing, but ,
nat is its beauty The experiments
'ere made by the Dynamite Proiectile
ompany, of No. 206 Broadway The
government will try the shells at Sandy !
look in few days.