Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-12-25
THE NEW NAVAL TERROR.
1t VIII Have an Explosive Energy {
3,400 Pounds of Dynamite.


There is now approaching completion
for the United States Government YES
sci which, it is predicted, will exercise as
potent an influence in revolutionizing ma
val warfare as did the famous Monitor.
Unlike the Monitor, however, which in
her build presented features of entire nov
city, the so-called Dynamite cruiser"
Vesuvius, owes her Importance to the
weapons which she carries and to their
capability for the projection of aerial tor
pedoes charged with enormously powerful
explosives.
| 1t is not difficult to conceive that hos
tile vessel approaching our coasts and en-
countering the dynamite cruiser may find
herself in very disagreable situation
True, she may open fire at range much
/ greater than that over which the dyna-
mite shells can be projected, but the low,
raft-like craft, coming bow on toward her,
/ at the rate of twenty-three miles an hour,
and showing breadth of but 265 feet,
offers target exceedingly difficult to hit.
If the deck of the dynamite ship be pro-
! tected by curved turtleback shield of
steel five inches in thickness, as is contem-
plated in future construction, shot and
she'll fred ut right angles may easily
glance fror. it. To reach the hull with a
movable submarine torpedo of the White
head type is even more difficult still The
range of such a torpedo is only about 800
yards, so that the dynamite ship could
come within easy firing distance and be
enabled to throw her projectiles long be-
fore the torpedo could be effective.
If the enemy's iron-clad awaits the at
tack motionless she will necessarily have
but few minutes, after sighting her op-
| ponent, to do fatal injury. If she aG-
vances this period viii necessarily be short
| er still. The moment the Vesuvius finds
herself within 1900 yards of her mark she
can launch 800 pounds of nitro-gelatine,
the explosive energy of which equals that
Of about 3, 400 pounds of dynamite, or more
than ten tons of gunpowder, and this can
be repeated every two minutes; or, if the
guns be discharged singly, a 600-pound
shell can be fired every forty seconds. 1t
is not at all improbable that after few
of these projectiles had exploded in her
immediate vicinity there would be no
iron-clad. The foregoing represents the
capacity of the particular weapons of the
Vesuvius for projecting the large amounts
of explosive noted. Shells containing
smaller quantities can be thrown over
much greater distances, the range of
prolectile containing 200 pounds of nitro
gelatine being mile and half, and that
of one containing 100 pounds of the same
substance, two miles. The rapidity of fire
| depends upon the construction of the gun,
which is practically huge revolver. By
| Increasing the number of chambers in the
rotating breech mechanism it is possible
TO fire even the heaviest shell three times
per minute.
Lieutenant Bradley A. Fiske of the navy
has recently discovered wonderful appli-
cation of electricity, which will prevent
the effects of the ships motion upon the
gun.
Possibility of controlling the range of
the proiectile with nicely renders it prob
able that the dynamite ship will play an
entirely novel loie in an attack upon a
harbor protected by fixed submarine tor
pedoes-that Is, she may destroy torpedoes
by torpedoes. One hundred pounds of
nitro-glycerine under water will, it is said,
destroy torpedo cases and blow up torpe-
does existing any where within radius
OF fifty feet. The ship, on arriving off the
harbor entrance known to be studded with
explosive mines would anchor herself and
proceed to drop shells at regular distances
of 100 feet apart in longitudinal and later
nal directions. 1t is claimed that in this
manner she could clear of torpedoes a
channel thirty-three feet wide at the rate
of a mile an hour, and advancing into the
passageas fast as she renders it safe to do
SO could soon blast her way to position
from which her shells could be thrown di-
rectly into the city or Park
BenjdlaiR IN the Forum