Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-11-11
YiTRO.GLYCERINE.
a San Franeiscan's Experiments with IL
in Explosive Shells.
N - I'EN3s1 . t1H1N1E5F
is. f. Bulletin. November 1otb.


Is F. Bulletin, November 10th.l
The efforts which are being made 10 use
dynamite and nitro glycerine in warfare
will undoubtedly at some time be success
ful. Already we have had in this city ap-
parently successful experiments with shells
loaded with dynamite, and the invention
of Lieutenant Graydon is now, it is report
ed being brought to the notice of all the
great European Governments. In Lieuten-
ant Graydon's experiments dynamite only
was used, which has far less explosive
strength than nitro.glycerine which is its
explosive constituent The principle upon
which Lieutenant Graydon's success rests
is simply to protect the stick OF dynamite
from conclusion until the shell hits the
mark or is exploded by means of fuse.
In the shells loaded by him the dynamite
was protected by soft cushions within the
she'll which enabled it TO be handled with
comparative safety; and as the free end of
the stick was at the point of the she'll there
was little if any danger of explosion within
the gun or at any time before the dis
charged shell struck solid object or was
exploded by time fuse.
But another invention in death-dealing
shells has just been made, which, if as per-
feet as its inventor claims it to be, will
make great change in methods of modern
Smolianinoff, a Russian resident of San
Francisco. He has shown his plans to
Major General Howard, who says that the
invention is worth looking into. Lieut..
Henry L. Harris, First Artillery, says; " If
the chemical theory advanced be correct,
and the mechanical details of construction
carefully adjusted. | see no reason to doubt
that what the inventor claims could be es-
tablished as fact"
Lieutenant A. Shaker, also of the First
Artillery, speaks as follows "The theory
is very ingenious, and if it can be worked
out practically there is no doubt that it
would cause great changes in the science of
warfare"
The invention is, as has been stated above,
ingenious, and is based on pure chemistry.
Mr.. Smolianinoff claims to have discovered
LIQUID with which nitro-glycerine may be
mixed, the resulting mixture being abso-
lutely non-explosive. But by adding an
ether chemical compound, the nitro-glycer-
inc is liberated in its original state, and is
capable of being exploded. This being, as
it is claimed, the case, it only remained to
construct n shell 50 that the necessary pro-
cess for the Liberation of the pure nitro
glycerine could be made possible. Mr..
SmoianinOf has therefore constructed a
double shell, the inside one containing the
non-explosiVe mixture of nitro glycerine
and the other chemicals, and the outside
shell containing the chemical which. when
mingled with that in the inner she'll will
liberate the pure nitTo-glycerine. This
separation renders the shell perfectly safe
to handle or transport An ingenious
method of causing the two mixtures to
unite makes the shell effective. In the
inner and outer shells there are openings
which in a certain position come opposite
each other, so that the interior Of the two
shells communicate with each other. By
slipping the outer shell up q short distance
the openings do net coincide, and the COM
munication is closed. A shell loaded has
these openings closed in the manner indi-
Gated, and until placed in the gun are Sc
cured so that one shell cannot move upon
the other; but when ready FOR use, the
binding screws are loOsened.
The explosion of the powder which elects
the shell from the cannon forces the inner
shell or tube into the outer shell so that the
opening between the two coincide, thus en-
abling the two mixtures 10 intermingle,
the rotary motion OF the proiectile lacilita-
ting the mixure This admixture of the
two fluids cannot take place before the
shell has left the gun, and therefore there
is no danger of explosion until an obstacle
is met with, when the freed ni'ro-glycerine
explodes. The she'll can also be arranged
to explode with time fuse. 1t is also pos
sible to make shells in which, after the
manner of Internal machines, the two
liquids shall not be intermingle until GER
tain time has elapsed, and then to be ex-
ploded. The plans for the construction of
the she'll are simple and are apparently per-
feetly adapted to the end IN view. Only
practical test of the invention can, how
ever, determine its availability as pro-
jectile.
RHEUMATISM thirty years of age withers
and dies when 81 Iacnhs OIL is anrlied