Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-01-20
ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DISPATCH, 4,

minor defects have to be remedled, when
the gun will again be tested.
ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE pIsPArcH.i
NEW YORK, January 19.-An official
test of the pneumatic dynamite gun, in
tended for the new cruiser Vesuvius, was
made to-day at Fort Lafayette. Captain
Zalinski conducted the experiments They
were not wholly satisfactory, but the fail
ures were due, it is said, to an imperfection
in the construction of the apparatus which
is used in firing the charge.
A good many people interested in the
gun and its object went down to the old
dismantled fort at the mouth of the Narrows
Two or three days ago several naval officers.
placed buoys north of Gravesend Beach to
mark the target for the new guns. The
buoys were so placed that the space included
by them was about equal to the size of a
small ship. 1t was stipulated by the War
Department that so per cent of the shots
fired should fall within the buoys.
Several experiments have been made dur
ing the past two years with an eight-inch
dynamite gun, but since then there have
been improvements in the structure of the
weapon, especially intended to secure the
hurling of heavier projectile than had
been used.
EXCEEDED THE REQUIREMENTS.
The Government acquisitions called for
three guns on the Vesuvius of ten-inch
bore, but in view of the fact that they also
call for long-range firing capacity and the
explosion of big charge of dynamite, the
officers of the Pneumatic Gun Company de-
termined to overstep the acquisitions and
furnish gun of Is inches bore. The ex-
periments of yesterday were conducted with
view to testing the new gun.
1t has become habitual to speak of this
new feature in warfare as Captain Zalinski's
gun, but as a matter of fact Captain Zalinski
did not invent it. The first suggestion of
throwing dynamite was made by NJ. c. Mel
ford, of Toledo. About five years ago he
constructed gun out of two-inch gas pipe
and rubber hose, which was designed
to 'hurl a few ounces of the ex-
plosive. Then his attorney at WASH
ington, W. A. Bartlett, elaborated the
idea and constructed four-inch gun upon
the same principle. The gun, which has
been heard of good deal the past two years.
an eight-inch bore affair, was constructed
upon ideas furnished by N. W. Pratt. 1t
had to be used with pressure of 1000
pounds to the square inch
ZALINsKI's INVENTIONS
In the making of the 15-inch gun several
men were concerned. chief among them
being George H. Reynolds, of the Delamater
Iron Works. Captain Zalinski was de-
tailed by the War Department to watch the
experiments of the company and make full
reports of them. In the course of his duties
he got interested in the gun, and devised
two or three features which helped to make 1t
practicable. The most important is device
to explode the entire charge in the projec-
tile simultaneously. This is effected by
connecting the forward point of the projec-
tile with the rear BY wire. The result is
that as soon as the shock explodes the
charge in front, the body of dyna-
mite at the rear is exploded
by means of the wire, which is made to con-
vey current of electricity. He also in
vented chemical device by which a shell
is certain to be exploded in the water if it
should fail to strike the target.
The directors of the company are lavish
in their praises of the captain. His study
has been directed toward a proiectile rather
than toward the gun itself. The projectiles
are not all of the same carrying capacity.
A TREMENDOUS CHARGE.
One that fits the bore of the 15-inch gun
can be loaded with 500 pounds of dynamite
and can be thrown two miles. Others are
so made that they can be fired with the
same accuracy, it is said and yetcarry only 200
pounds of the explosive. The she'll is made
of brass and is an elaborate affair that costs
to make and load $3.50. It is somewhat like
a cigar in shape, the pointed end having a
cap that insures the immediate explosion of
the charge when it hits solid body. From
the butt end rod projects which has a
four-fanged wheel, after the manner
Of the screw propeller of steamboat.
When the projectile is in the air this wheel |
revolves by force of the air resistance, and |
is intended to serve as guide in. keeping |
the she'll on its course, as the feathers on |
The entire length of the cannon is 10L feet. |
RESULT OF THE EXPERIMENTS.
1t was on the programme to fire one pro-
jectile of the full limit of the gun and six
others of 200 pounds capacity each. 1t was
about clock when the first discharge took
place. The report was somewhat like
the gasp of a gigantic bull, whose
skull has been cracked with an ak.
To secure accuracy the inventors
have learned how to gauge the elevation of
the gun and the pressure of air. The latter
feature is the more important, for the guns
on the Vesuvius are fixed so that there is a
limit to their elevation.
The first shot to-day fell exactly on the
mark. If ship had been there it would
have become firewood for residents of Grave
send. AS it was, the projectile, after de-
scriblng beautiful curve, fell into open
water between the buoys apd instantly ex-
ploded, sending up column Of spray at
least 200 feet.
About an hour later a second shot was
fred, which was fine failure. The first
shot had been big cartridge filed with $50
pounds of dynamite. The second was
smaller, but it held 200 pounds of tho ex-
plosive.
GENERALLY SATISFACTORY.