The Hawaiian gazette., 1886-10-12
rSan Francisco Post.1

Inc recent dynamite prOlecule expert
ments that have been conducted by Lieu
tenant Graydon at Fort Point have
created a great sensation among mill
tary men, and already the European
Governments realise that the present
system Of warfare viii soon undergo a
complete revolution The enormous ex-
plosive power Of dynamite has always been
recognized, and ever since its discovery
military men on both continents have
busted themselves IN trying to solve the
problem Of firing shells loaded with dyna-
mite, but until quite recently their efforts
have been fruItess. Lieutenant Graydon,
whose wonderful invention has recently
been tested, was seen by a Post represen-
tatIve lately, and gave the following
account Of his explosive shell:
Ny experience with dynamite dates
from the time OF therecent Franco Chinese
war when / was in the employ of the Chi
nese Government. At that time I contrived
and operated a dynamite loaded torpedo
that proved so effectual in keeping the
French fleets out Of the Canton river that
1 was complimented by the Chinese Gov
eminent for my new invention and thanked
for the service / had rendered 1t.
Soon after conceived the idea that a
fired from the style of gun now in use and
1 set about to perfect my plans. From the
first / have kept the modus operandi of
the affair an entire secret and have taken
no one into my confidence. I have not
even sketched a diagram on paper but
have kept all the details in my head Ny
first experiments were made at Temescal
with an inch and quarter gun of my own
construction. and were so. successful. and
/ was so confident OF my ability to fire
dynamite with safety, that / next projected
il from a shoulder rife. This was near
the Giant Powder Works at West Berke
ley. The next experiments were with a
three inch rifle at the Preside. and during
the last two weeks [ have fred fifty-eight
shots from a four and one-half-inch Rod
man gun, with a twenty-five pound shell.
loaded with sixteen ounces Of dynamite
and three and one-haH pounds OF ordinary
black powder In ali my experiments with
tins dangerous compound, / have never
had an accident and / am sure that [
never will have, for l have the firing Of it
under perfect control"
What destruction Is q shell fired from
a four and one-halfinch gun capable of
doing2"
- If a shell of that size should strike the
Palace Hotel it would be blown to atoms
and if one should fall within the Enclosure
Of the fort at Fort Point, 1t would be so
wrecked as to be unit for duty
An eIghty-ton gun fires shot weigh
ing about 2.2O0 pounds, and as a shell that
size would safely carry between 300 and
400 pounds of dynamite, 1t is needless to
say that no ship can ever be built to with
stand the shock of its explosion. With
my appliance, an eightinch converted
rifed gun VIII sink any man-of-war now
afoat. and it would be Just as demoraliz-
ING to coast Notifications. 4 solid shot
fired e,om one Of the finest guns in the
English service viii pierce a wall com
posed of y inches Of solid iron or ISinches
Of steel, backed by three feet Of oak tim
Der that Is held in position by nine inches
of metal That makes wall over five feet
in thickness. Ii a dynamite proiectile
should strike that barrier it would be
about as effective as a board fence. In
fact an armor that would withstand
dynamite shell would be impracticable"
Then the use of war ships would be
dispensed with altogether"
Not exactly that, but the invention will
dc away with the use of the cumbrous
men-of-war now owned by almost every
nation, and viii restrict the service to the
cruisers only Dynamite multiplies the
destructive force of a shell about eighteen
times. That is, it is eighteen times more
destructive when in motion than at rest.
A 100-ton gun can be fired accurately for
2 distance of eleven miles, and in event of
war with any foreign power whose vessels
were armed with dynamite projectiles, the
ship could lie ten miles at sea, far out of
reach of the guns of Fort Point, and drop
shells into the city, each of which would
destroy an area of not less than a square
mile
"This morning l received cablegram
from the French Government, asking my
terms for selling the exclusive right of the
invention to it, but l can assure you they
cannot buy it. As soon as l obtain the |
patent from Washington expect to go to |
Europe, where 1 will take out letters |
patent in every country. 1t may seem i'm |
proper for me to say it, but feel confident |
that my invention will revolutionize mod |
ern warfare within few years"
Lieutenant Graydon has been in the |
United States naval service for twenty-twod
years, and served for three years in Grants |
campaign during the war. He is gradu-
ate Of the Naval Academy, and while he is
the inventor of most destructive weapon,
be Is a very unassuming gentleman We |
may add that Lieut.. Graydon is cousin
of Professor Alexander of Honolulu.-ED.
GAZETTE.
The Variety of Lloyds' Risks.
2 ~,