The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-02-06
G.AYDoN,s DYNAMITE SHELLS.

Complete Success of Three Experiments
Further Tests To BE Made.
Special to the Indianapolis Journal
WAsHINGToN, Feb. "a report so the War
Department on the trial of dynamite shells made
last December at Sandy Hook but which was
withheld from the public until few days ago.
is attracting a great deal of attention here
among army and navy officers and others, and
some go SO far to say that the success attend
ing this last demonstration and successful ex-
pertinent Of a similar character lays the founda-
ton for complete revolution in the system of
modern warfare. Shells charged with ordinary
powder. such as it supposed could only be
used heretofore, to be laid aside and dyna-
mite shells to be used in the annihilation of
armies, the reduction of forts or the
crippling of fleets The thing accom-
pished ct Sandy Hook, as shown
by the report of the board of ordnance officers
Lieutenant Colonel Mordecai. Major Farley aud
Captain Greer-was the total wreckage of
wrought-iron semi-circular turrel, eighteen feet
wide, ten feet high and four inches thick, made
of two seven-inch plates. by three dynamite
shells fired from a seven-inch Ames rified gun.
The shells were of steel, weighed one hundred aud
twenty-five pounds, and were charged with two
and two thirds pounds of dynamite. The problem
which seems to have been successfully solved In =
this and former experiments of firing with safe
ty proiectiles charged with dynamite. is accom-
plished by method of charging shells with dyn-
amite. the invention of j. w. Graydon. of In
dianapolis, formerly lieutenant in the navy.
His invention consists not only in firing dypa-
mite shells from modern guns or cannon with
full service charge of powder and with no dan
ger of premature explosion of the she'll
from heat or shock. but also securing the entire
range desired and penetration into the objecs
struck, before the dynamite explodes-penetra-
ton being absolutely necessary in order to OBJ
tain the full destructive power of the explosive.
Three demonstrations Of this invention have
thus far been made by order of General Sheri-
dan-two at San Francisco, in the summer Of
1884, and the third at Sandy Hook. The exper-
iments at San Francisco were conducted by Gen.
eral 0. o. Howard. and were intended merely
todemonstrate that shells charged with dynamite
could be fred from cannon without premature
explosion After fifty eight dynamite shells had
been successfully fired out of three inch and
four and half inch siege gun from the Bresidio
grounds into the hills across the Golden
Gate the board of officers conducting the
experiment expressed the opinion in their report
that the two principal causes or apprehension of
danger. .heat and shock had beer completely
guarded against. General Howard then recon-
mended further experiments with larger guns,
and out of this recommeD dation grew the Sandy
Hook demonstration, with seven-inch Ames
gun and I22-pound shells The San Fran cisco
experiments had proven that dynamite shells
could be fred from common cannon with safety,
and at Sandy Hook it was intended to prove that
Graydon's method of charging dynamite shells
possessed still another important merit-that of
obtaining penetration before explosion. The
effect of the three shots fired there is minutely
described by the board in their report Two OF
the shots were glanciDg shots, and not point on
SHOTS as desired to test penetration ut
they penetrated the front plato several inches,
and caused mareed wreckage, the first tearing
off the iron roof weighing fifteen tons and
throwing 1t {. distance of twenty five feet, as
we'll as bursting bolt heads and separating
plates several inches. The third shot. point
on" shot, completely wrecked side of tbs
turret, penetration through the front plate be-
ing effected before the shell exploded. piecs
of the front plate, weighing nearly two tons,
blown distance of eighteen
feet, the plates were still further
separated, while both were badly
cracked The board, in their report. substanti
ate the two main points claimed for the inven-
tion by saying ''Shells charged with dynamite
by Lieutenant Graydon were successfully fired
from the gun, and serious damage was inflicted
the turret, this being especially the case in
the third round, when penetration and disrupt
i've effect were combined" Other experiments
will soon be made with the largest guns in the
service. and with twelve-inch rihed mortars
throwing 625 pound shells, and with the Hotch-
kiss revolving cannon, to still further test the
merits of this method of charging shells
with dynamite .