Madison times. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1884-1???, 1884-06-28
Dynamite III Warfare.

ptJNetii OIts l1dlnllton anu w aus
worth, yesterday presented an air
of animation. Nearly half a hun
dred gentlemen in tall white hats
and new spring suits crouched be-
hind the solid masonry on one side
Of the fertilization, watching with
curious gaze the actions of man
clad in soldiers dress. The soldier
was Lieut.. Zalinski, and he was
engaged III charging long brass
air-gun with dynamite. The spec
tators were gentlemen from the
city, who had been invited TO wit
ness the first attempt at firing
large charge of dynamite.
A thin cylindrical brass tube six
inches in diameter was filed with
the grayish-lvoking explosive,
which was pressed down until
seventeen pounds had been put in.
Then cap was screwed on the top
and the missile was ready for the
gun. A score of gentlemen stood
about the gun examining the Curl
GUS construction, when Lieut.. Zal-
inski stepped up tenderly carrying
the projectile.
"This," said he, touching the
shell, contains seventeen pounds
of dynamite, sufficient to"-, but
the remainder Of the sentence was
left unfinished, for the soldier
found himself talking to the gun.
his audience had disappeared.
The weapon was loaded, pointed
towards Fort Hamilton, half mile
distant, and a string attached to the
trigger or valve admitting the air.
There was hasty scrambling for
places remote from the gun, a good
natured oath as two or three white
hats were crushed, and then from a
place of safety, somebody pulled
the string. There was a cracker
like report as the projectile rose in
the air, curved gracefully downward
and dropped upon the gravel close
to the waters edge. A huge cloud
of sand, smoke and gravel shot in
. a thick, funnel-shaped column into
! the air, sprinkling the sea with
rain of pebbles, and a deafening re.
port came rolling across the water
: The seventeen pounds of dynamite
had done its work and large Gel.
lar had been scooped out where the
shot struck. The gentlemen came
from their hiding-places, examined
the cellar with feld-glasses ant
pronounced the shot q good one.
While steam was being gotten W
for the next shot the visitors wan
dered about the deserted fort
whose grass grown hagstones. ant
rust-eaten iron gates, slowly falling
to pieces, gave little evidence Of it,
once warlike character. The damp
vault-like guard-room, where dur
ing the war hundreds Of Confoder
ate prisoners had carved Their
S names on the granite walls, hat
, been captured by the flowers, ant
butercups and daisies sprang from
0 every crevice in the stonework
! hiding the names of long-forgottel
soldiers.
The gun required some time t
r charge, and a little child amused it
self throwing stones at piece o
I driftwood. It's grandfather trieC
to hit the same mark, another gray
beard followed suit, and in twC
minutes fifty dignified gentlemen
were wildly trying to hit the piece
of floating bark. Two Wall stree
brokers were especially anxious t
shine as marksmen, and the con
test narrowed down to a question
of skill between these two. From
4 wagering dollars on the result they
went to betting s. on every throw
> Twenty others took sides, and fo
, a time nearly 500 changed hands
!, on each throw. When the gun wa
at last pronounced "all ready
the young broker had lost s65.
6 The same care in getting SAT-
. place was exercised, and at the sig
nal the shot took the same heaven
ward course. 1t fell short of tn
= mark about ten feet, dropping int
u the water with report that mus
. have frightened fish far out at sea
!. A great cloud Of water few upwar,
o and dropped fountain-like upol
d the beach and sea. The shore wa
a sprinkled with wet sand and mu,