The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-05-01
A Mem AffLiUAriuN.

An American Invention Whereby q Puny
Navy May Cope Successfully With the
Most Pretentious- Bombs Fired
from Ordinary Cannon-Good Bye lron-
Clads.
NEW YORK, April 9.
For the first time, a dynamite bomb was
successfully thrown from an ordinary
cannon. The place selected for the trial
of this new projectile-a trial which, 1t Is
claimed, marks q red-letter day in the his
tory of modern warfare-was long, low
swamp back of Greenville, n. j. A little
group of men hung aboat an ordinary
cannon, pointed up the salt marsh. To
the left lay Newark, and to the right
Morris Canal. Another group of men
stood on bridge across the canal about
block from the cannon, looking at the
first crowd through ield-glasses. MIR.
T. II. Snyder, the inventor of the
projectile, exhibited the cannon,
an ordinary four-inch, twelve poun-
der, from Governors Island. 1t was
loaded with one and one-half pounds OF
powder. Next, 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 Ike
very large cartridge-about 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 q 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 fred without
feeling the sudden blow as the powder
behind it explodes. The cannon was
loaded, and a long wire attached to it
leading to the bridge. The men who be-
fore had occupied places on the
bridge moved to a hill several blocks
further away. A bald-headed man, with
a blue coat 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 third spectator strug
gled, ankle deep. in cistern marsh.
"Are you all ready?" sang out the man
at the wire. Every one on the bridge tried
to get behind his neighbor as the word
was given puff of smoke, loud re-
port, and the rubber buffer and the wad
we're seen to drop a hundred yards away.
A second later a shower of earth flew up
nearly mile distant. Where the shot
struck the earth was soft and, as eX-
pected, the dynamite did not explode. 4
party of men sent to dig up the missile,
after digging down six feet, gave up for
the evening. Next proiectile for naval
warfare was shot across the water. This
was of wood, brass capped, four 1eet
long, shaped like cigar, and at the lower
end had four wings of steel, placed pre-
ciseIy as the feathers of an arrow.
The theory was that the shot
would strike the water, ricochet,
and, skipping over the waves,
DEAL DESTRUCTION
to the most powerful vessel. A young
man brought the missile on his shoulder
and placed it gingerly by the side of the |
cannon. Mr.. Snyder unscrewed the
pointed end and put in more dynamite. |
Again the word was given, and the bomb
went skipping over the bay toward New
ark. The wooden part broke, however,
so the rotary motion expected to be given
was not shown. 1t had been intended to
recover the projectiles that had been fred
and explode them afterward, but as one
was too deep in the marsh and the other
in the water, the dynamite in the dinner
pail was touched off instead. Explaining
his invention MIR. Snyder said, 81 have
been working on this for two years.
twent; pound projectile, sufficient to an
initiate the most powerful vessel, can be
made for $40 less than the cost of an or
binary shell. The invention of this rub
Der seems a simple, everyday thing, but
that is its beauty" The experiments
were maze by the Dynamite ProjectiIe
Company, of No. 206 Broadway. The
Government will try the shells at Sandy
Hook in few days.