Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1888-12-18
POWERFUL WEAPONS.

Progress In the Production of Appliances
for Destroying Life and Property.
The investigations by the House and
Senate committees on naval and mill
tary affairs and appropriations into
the question of providing for coast de-
lenses, war ships, etc, have had tho
effect of developing n great deal of in
teresting information in regard to inn
proved war arms and ammunition.
The most interesting exhibit was made
by General Hurst, of Mississippi be-
fore the House committee on naval
affairs the other day. The General
exhibited newly-invented reinforced
cartridge, which he proposes to intro
duce in the side-arms, rifles and field
pieces OF the army and navy. In the
first place, the cartridge starts cut on
the principle that there should be
three times as much powder in weight
as lead or steel, steel missiles
being used instead of the Or
binary lead. For the purpose
of overcoming the rebound or
"lxiclS" new principle is brought into
requisition. One-third of the powder
Is exploded behind the ball, and when
the missile gets about four or five
inches from its starting-point the two
thirds of the charge Of powder is ex-
.ploded. Thus the resistance which is
usually encountered in starting the
missile is overcome, and the two-thirds
charge of powder adds additional forco
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 pro-
poses to shoot a large missile from
feld-piece a distance OF twelve or
fifteen miles, and to make it penetrate
sixteen or eighteen inches of steel plate
at a distance of three or four miles,
and he will shoot steel ball from a
side-arm u distance of three miles.
Lieutenant ZalinsSi's dynamite shells
have been described heretofore. These
are fired from mortars and cannon a
distance of from two to four miles, and
the explosion will destroy the most
nearly invulnerable ship or breastworlS
ever made; and it is improbable that q
ship or breastwork will ever be con-
structed that can Withstand the force
of these shells.
Lieutenant Graydon has also in.
vented a she'll which can be fred O
longer distance, and, 1t is said, with
greater security and accuracy than the
Zalinsli invention. Lieutenant Gray
don's shells are loaded with compost
ton of his own invention, which is
said to DE more destructive than any
dynamite Walls of boiler-plato ant
steel two feet thick have been dc
stroyed by the Graydon missile. Con-
gress proposes to appropriate $780,,
600 for the purpose OF manufacturing
some OF Graydon's inventions and Civ
) ing them II thorough test. The ex
hibitions will probably be conducted
in the vicinity of Hampton Roads, Va,
and some old iron.clads and monitor
are to DO the targets. Lieutenan
Graydon says be can destroy any shil
owned by the American Government a
distance of three or four miles by
single shock.
The Krupp and Hotchkiss guns hav
: been distanced by some of the mos
= newly-invented Implements for huma
destruction There have been ex
hibited before the House committee
: on appropriations any number of rifles