Omaha daily bee., 1888-08-13
WAR ARMS AND AMMUNITION.
Newly Invented Implements For
Human Destruction.
HELLS OF TERRIBLE POWER
Iron-Clad Vessels Blown 10 Atoms BY
a Single Shot--Boiler Plate
Pierced BY Rife
Balls.



BEE. The investigations by the house and
senate committees on naval and military
affairs aud appropriations INTO the question
Of providing for coast defenses, war ships,
etc, have had the effect of developing
great deal of interesting Information in re-
gard to improved war arms and ammunition.
The most interesting exhibit was made by
General Hurst, of Mississippi, before the
house committee on naval affairs the other
day The general exhibited a ncwly-iu-
vented reinforced cartridge, which he pro
poses to introduce in the side arms, rifles
and field pieces of the army and navy. In
the first place, the cartridge starts out on the
principle that there should be three times as
much powder in weight as lead or steel, steel
missiles being used instead of ordinary lead.
For the purpose of overcoming the rebound or
"klckn new principle is brought into requi-
sition. One-third of the powder Is exploded
behind the ball, and when the missile gets
about four or five inches from It's starting
point the two-thirds of the charge of powder
is exploded. Thus the resistance which is
usually encountered in starting the missile is
overcome and the two-thirdS charge of pow
der adds additional force in moving the ball
by its being on the move before the heavy
discharge of powder occurs. General Hurst
showed that he can shoot with the common
army rifle steel ball through an inch of
solid steel plate, and that without obstruction
the ball would be forced a distance of four or
five miles. He proposes to shoot large
missile from "a field piece distance of twelve
or fifteen miles, and to make it penetrate six
teen or eighteen inches of steel plate dis
tanCC of three or four miles and he will shoot
a steel ball from sidearm q distance of three
miles
Lieutenant Zalinski's dynamite shells have
been described heretofore. These are fired
from mortars and cannon distance of from
two to four miles, and the explosion will de-
stroy the most nearly invulnerabe ship or
breastwork ever made; and it is improbable
that Il ship or breastwork will ever be con-
structed that can withstand the force of
these shells.
Lieutenant Graydon has also invented a
shell which can be fired a longer distance,
and it is said with greater security and ac
curacy than the Zalinsh invention. Lieu
tenant Graydon's shells are loaded with "a
composition of his own invention, which is
said to be more destructive than any dyna-
mite. Walls of boiler plate and steel /
two feet thick have been destroyed
by the Graydon missile. Congress
proposes to appropriate 100000 for the
purpose of manufacturing some of GraydOu's
inventions, and giving them thorough test.
The exhibition will probably be conducted in
the vicinity of Hampton Roads, Va, and
some old ironclads and monitors are to be the
targets. Lieutenant Graydon says he can
destroy any ship owned by the American
government at a distance of three or four
miles by a single shot.
The hrupp and Hotchkss guns have been
distanced by some of the most newly IN
vented implements for human destruction.
There have been exhibited before the house
committee on appropriations any number of
rifles, model cannon and torpedoes. One
torpedo is the invention of parties in Wash
lngton, and is in the form of screw, which
can be driven through the body of the heavi-
est mGn-of-War made.
One heavy gun which can be fired from
ship as well as the earth has thrown a shot
which penetrated forty feet into hard gravel.
Some models of eighty-ton guns which con-
sumo 32O pounds of power at each discharge
have been exhibited. Some of the targets
show that the implements to destroy them
have been almost supcrhuman in their effec-
tlveness. One-inch plates of steei to the
accumulated depth Of eighteen inches have
been penetrated by some of the terrific steel
missiles propelled by powder force. 1t is evil
dent that when congress finally makes pur-
chase of implements of defense in warfare it
will procure the best that genius and money
can invent and purchase. For the first time
in the history of congressional Investigation
of the subject of war goods some of the re-
ports made from committees to the house
and senate have illustrations of the inYen-
tons looked into. a document was, few
days ago, presented in the senate by Mr..
Plumb (Mass. Doc. No. 163), having thirty
five pages, and is profusely Illustrated with
cuts showing various guns and their work,
together with elaborate descriptions
~
A mans experience in any other place than
a legislative body serves him but slight ad-
vantage when he comes to congress. This
has been demonstrated especially in this
house. When the members of the Fiftieth
congress were elected ana sketches were be-
ing written of the new Legislators, it was dis
covered that about fifteen of the ablest
lawyers and doctors in the country were
elected, and it was anticipated that there
| would be Hoods of oratory and fountains of
l tT,tI,
| all of these men have been failures so far as
oratorical powers are concerned. They have
made efforts before committees and else
where to demonstrate their powers over men,
| and they have failed to elicit enthusiasm. A
| man may be an excellent lawyer and be
dismal failure as a statesman. He may be
| stump orator of high order and fail to arouse
| any interest when he speaks on the floor of
| the house.
| 1t requires peculiar ability to cut figure
! in congress. Sometimes men who are almost
! illiterate and have but slight fund of gen
| eral information make the most valuable
| members. Their energy and ealnestness,
together with their ConscientOusncSs elicit
| the sympathy and aid Of their fellow work
| crs. Personal influence and devotion to "a
| trust does everything. As a body the Fifth
| eth congress does not take as high rank,
| seen from the galleries by strangers and
| those who are used to sizing up men, rs did
some Of the congresses during the last ten
! years. II is probably because nearly all of
| the new memDers-and there are about one
| hundred and seventy-fve of them--who came
| in year ago last March, had very little eX-
pcricnce in public affairs.
~
Some new members on tho republican side
| of the house were very much surprised the
| other day when Mr.. StahlueCkGr of New
York, who is serving his fourth year iE con-
gress, was brought over from the democratic
| side and introduced to a republican who is
| in his third term. MIR. Stahlneclcr had some
| business with the republican and hesitated to
| transact it without knowing the gentleman
| he wanted to approach, and he therefore
asked one of his republican friends to for
| mGllY introduce him.
"Well, that simply takes my breath away"
said one Of tho new members who saw the
proceeding. "Tho idea Of couple of men
serving for four or five years on the same
! floor and not being acquainted is moustrou5."
After you have been here as long as |
have" said one OF the oldest members who
heard the remark, ''you win learn that there
are stranger facts than the one you have just
seen illustrated ] have been member OF
| this house for ten years, and can now look
| over on the democratic side and see faces
| that | have been looking into three, four, five,
-s.- 1 "a ly,,nt