The Osceola times., 1888-02-11
DYNAMITE SHELLS.

omciai Report TO the War Department on
The PracticabiIity of Dynamite shells
for War Missiles, Attracting Attention
Among Army and Navy Mon-The he
suits of Recent Experiments,
WASHINGTON, Feb 6.-An official report
TO the War Department Of the use OF the
dynamite shells in denomination made
last December az Sandy Hook, but when
was withheld from the public until a few
days ago, is attracting great deal oil at
tention here among army and navy OF
ficers and others, and some even go SO
far as 10 say that the success attending
this last aud other prior demonstratlons
and successful experiments OF simllar
character lays the foundation Tor
complete revolution in the system
of modern warfare. Shells charged WIN
ordinary powder, such as il was heretofore
supposed could only be used, are TO oe
laid aside and dynamite shells are 10 pe
used in annibilaton of arm les, the ruduc-
tion Of forts or the crippling Of fleets. Inc
thing accomplished at Sandy Hook, as
shown bv the report of the board OF ord
nance offlcers-Leutenan t-Colonel Morde-
cal, Major Farley and Captain Greer
was the total wreckage of a wrought IRON
circular turret IS feet wide, 10 feet high
and IA inches thick, made OF 2i-lncn
plates, by three dynamite shells fired
from an Ames' T-inch rife gun. The
shells were of steel, weighed 122 pounds,
and were charged with 1928 pounds of
dynamite.
The problem. which seems to have been
successfully solved in this and former ex-
periments, OF firing with safety pro1ectiles
charged with dynamite, is accomplished
by method of charging shells with dyn-
amte, the invention Of J. W. Graydon,
of indianapolis, formerly a Lieutenant In
the navy. His invention consists not only
in firing dynamite shells from modern
guns or cannon with full service charge
of powder. and with no danger Of prema-
ture explosion of the shell from heat or
shock, but also securing the entire range
desired and penetration into the object
struck before the dynamite explodes-
penetration being absolutely necessary
in order to obtain the full destructive
power OF the explosive.
Three demonstrations of this invention
have thus far been made by order of
General Sheridan; two at San Francisco,
In the summer Of 1883, and the third al
Sandy Hook. The experiments at San
Francisco were conducted by General o.
O. Howard, and intended merely to dem
onstrate that shells charged with dyna
init could be fred from cannon without
premature explosion. After fifty. eight
dynamite shells had been successfully
fred ont of and i1.2 inch guns from
the Presidio grounds into the hills across
the Golden Gate, the board ol
officers conducting the expert
mont expressed the opinion in their report
| that the two principal causes or appre
hension of danger-heat and shock-haC
been completely guarded against
| General Howard then recommended
further experiments with larger guns, an'
out Of this recommendation grew tn
Sandy Hook demonstration with a7-incl
Ames' gun and 122-pound shells.
The San Francisco experiments ha'
proven that dynamite shells could be fire.
from common cannon with safety, aud a
Sandy Hook it was intended to prov
that Graydon's method of charging
dynamite shells possessed still anothe
important merit, that Of obtaining
penetration before explosion. The effec
Of the three shots fired there is minute y
described by the board in their report
| Two OF the shots were glancing shot
and not "pont on" shots, as il was de
sired to lesson the penetration, but they
penetrated the front plates several inche
and caused marked wreckage, the frs
tearing the iron roof weighing iiftce
tons and throwing il a distance OF TWEEN
tv five feet, as well as bursting Dol
heads and separating the plates severa
inches. The third shot "point on" she
completely wrecked one side Of the tuI
ret, penetration through the front plat
being effected before the shell exploded
A piece of the front plate, weighin
nearly two tons. was blown distance o
eighteen feet; the plates were still fur
ther separated while both were badl
wrecked.
The board in their report substantiat
the two main points claimed for the in
ventiou by saying: ''Shells charge
with dynamite bv Lieutenant Graydor
were successfully fired from the gun, an
serious damage was inflicted on the tur
ret, this being especially the case in III
third round, when penetration and dis
ruptive effect were combined"
Other experiments will soon be mad
with the largest guns in the service, an
with l2-inch rifed mortars, throwing 81;
pound shells, and with the Hotchkss re
volving cannon to still further test tn
merits Of this new method Of chargin
shells with dynamite.