The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1886-01-06
ZALINSKFS AIR GUN.
IL Sends 100 Pounds of Very High ENpIO-
sive Two Miles Through the Air.
New York sun

New York sun.
The steamboat John Z. Moore carried rew-
fix Pasha. the Turkish Minister the Chinese
Minister. several foreign Consuls. and many
other persons down TO Fort Lafayette yes
terday to witness experiments with the new
pneumatic gun in throwing a high explosive
through the air. The gun consists of a
wrought iron tube lined With brass. II is
sixty feet long and has an eight-inch bore.
Air at a pressure of 1000 pounds to the
square inch is let into the tube behind the
proiectile, to force it from the tube. The
projectile consists of a brass tube, fortv-tive
inches long filled with the explosive. nitro
gelatine At one end is cap shaped like
rifle bullet and at the other a six-foot wood
en- tail that serves to keep the projectile end
on, like an arrow. The whole weighed 2O9
pounds. The charge is exploded by min
ute electric battery in the front end, which
becomes active when the projectile plunges
under the water.
The spectators stood around and charged
proiectiles while Lieutenant ZalinSki eN-
planned their structure and then went out
on the south side of the old fort where the
gun is. 1t was supported at an elevation of
about thirty degrees by frame work.
Under the frame work were eight long iron
cylinders which contained compressed air
\ proiectile loaded with sand was hOisted
up and showed into the breach OF the tube,
which was then closed. Then everybody
looked intentlv at the muZZle of the gun
while the Lieutenant gave half turn to a
crank. With a shrek that could be heard
two miles away. the arrow-like prOiectle
climbed up toward the clouds, and finally
dropped with a splash into the water two
and quarter miles down toward the old
buildings at the Quarantine Islands.
4 second sand shell was sent off, and then
the company vent on the boat and were car
ried over to place near where the projec-
tiles struck the water, in order that they
might the better see the wreck of nitro
gelatine she'll. Two shells, containing fifty
pounds each. were first fired. followed by
one containing 100 pounds. The spectators
could plainly trace the flight OF each. The
first disappeared without leaving any other
trace than was left by blank proiectile.
The second one went down in like manner,
and when everybody was thinking ~ At TINS
one a'sO had failed to explode the surface of
the water became covered with foam. The
shell. it was explained had exploded in the
mud about eighty feet below. Then, aftera
long wait, the puff of frozen Vapor from the
mouth of the gun indicated that the shell
with 100 pounds of the explosive was on
its way. 1t came along with a wabllng
fight until it plunged into the water only
a few hundred yards astern OF the little
steamboat. The water closed over it. but in
an instant column OF spray rushed 100
feet straight up in the air, while the waves
danced for fifty feet around. y dense cloud
of yellow smoke rose in the midst of the
sprav report like that of big cannon
was heard, and then the water became quiet
again. 1t had been demonstrated that 100
pounds of the most powerful explosives
could safely be hurled two miles through
the air by the force of compressed air, and
then fired under water at the moment de-
sired by the gunners. The shell that failed
to explode will be recovered.