The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1889-02-04
SMELLING WITH DYNAMITE.
Further Successful Tests of the znlinski
Pneumatic Gun.
Prom the New York IIpmh

Further SucCessiul Tests OF inc Hhnhhhi
Pneumatic Gun.
Prom the New York Homld.
The official trial OF the dynamite gun
reported below, marks n new development
OF the contest that has been going on be-
tween guns aud armor since the latter was
first applied 10 war ships. II il likely To
be quite rs important a step m was the
creation OF the American monitor. The
gun planted six shots out Of eight inside
OF a rcclangle fifty feet vilo by ljj feet
long, at a distance Of "nc mile The accu-
racy thus shown would secure effective
action for ~ per cent OF the projcclilrs
frcl bursting them either al plunging
angle on the deck Of an enemy or under
her bottom.
To take in the practical effect of such
firing. let MS assume that tho Nc-uvlus
carrying three OF tnrsr guns gucs into
action with representative modern ship,
such ~ the Bcnhuw, ol 10000 tons, carry
ing two llO-tun aud ten siN-iuch brccch-
loading rifles, protected 10y n steel faced
compound nrinor fourteen inches thick.
Tho Bcnhnw has a speed ul sixteen knots
aud the Nceuyius speed NJ tNrhiy-unc
knots. The Bcnhuw could bring only three
guns To bear as they approached, bows on,
ono llU-iOn Tor sINlCcn-luCh guu AMI two
six-inch guns Accuracy Of lire by none
OF these guns can be expected outside oi
iourmilc range. while the Nc,uyius's
three guns would not bc available beyond
two miles. Hence Tor the time necessary
10 cover two miles the Ncsuyius would Ice
unable to reply 10 the Brnblw's fire. The
joint speed oi the Two ships would make
them cover this distance IN less than three
minutes.
Tur rNCuANUE ~ SHOTS.
Only Eve shots Ia an from the three
guns OF the lcnhoW could possibly bee
fired in that time, aud probably not moro
than three. The chance ol one NJ these
Shots striking would be- ,cr small. cspc.
cially when the rnpidly varying distance
and the ships motion ere considered
IL il reasonable a. cSpcct. therefore. that
the NcsuVius would arriyrd point whore
she could throw her $50 pound prrjcriilc
With almost mathematical accuracy. ~
means oi Lieut.. fiskc's angrlindcr, coup
led with his automatic electric device Tor
dischafgug tire pneumatic guns ut tho
precise angle and With the cNar air pres.
sure necessary 90 secure the desired range,
two oi her three guns could ouuch their
bolts ut the BcuhuW ut two miles aud thr
pounds OF dynmllc al one mlc distance.
The BenbOW's deck armur rs oi steel
only THREE inches thick. Tho ship las
a width of siNiy.cight iccl and length ui
$50, and her main battery istcn feet above
the water. Thus she present. % lofty mark,
with little protection from plunglng trr
on her deck. The Ncsuyiu,'s pruicctilcs
would descend with pitch Of from Is Ia
30 degrees.
WHAT Tur TEST sEENs 10 rHoNE
Yesterday experiments In the lower
bay In the earliest lie Of the gun, with lit
tie practice in aiming. show scycnty-Hyc
per cent Of hits ON a smaller target than
The EenboW. II would seem conclusive
that NJ least two oi the NtsuyIus's hults
would plunge upon the Bcnhow's deck or
explode beneath hcr hull. In either case
II h almost certain that the Brnbow would
either be Ia u sinkingcpndiiun ~ iliut her
interior would be- so wrecked ~ Ia put her
guns out oi action. Tho pneumatic guns
arc 10 be- fired once la every two minutes.
aud another discharge of the three iu the
NcsuVius would most likely wholly destroy
her antagonist.
OF courc, one hit 10y she'll from the
bcnbow might explode the uitfu-rclatinc
on board the Ncsuyus aud thus end the
combat tho other way, but the probabilities
OF such HIT are not one in twenty-five.
The two great features Of the pneumatic
gun arr thc accuracy ul iH shots aud the
' terrible effect OF the great muss OF vxpln.
give thrown hy H.