Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-12-04
A POWERFUL WEAPON
Will be Added TO- the Armament OF
United States WarShips
IN THE DEADLY EMMENSITE GUN.
Successful Tests of the New Explosive by
Naval Authorities.
THE ELECTIONS BILL TO BE PUSHED
lFRoM A STAFF CORRESPONDENT

WASHINGTON, Dec. 3.-The Ordinance
Bureau of the navy is still continuing ex-
periments with emmensite, the new high ex-
plosive invented by DR.. Stephen H. EN-
mems, and thus far the most satisfactory re-
suits have been obtained. A large number
of projectiles loaded with it have been sue
cesstully fired from powder guns without ac-
cident of any kind. 1t has been proven to
be insensitive to friction and impact and
only locally ignited by fame. 1t is unaf-
fected by large changes in temperature and
is not injured by freezing and thawing. 1t
looses very little strength even after being
repeatedly saturated with water and dried.
Anew Gun Under Way.
As result of the experiments thus far
tried, a special gun is now being built at the
Washington ordinance factory, designed to
throw projectiles containing 100 pounds Of
the explosive. The gun is made of steel,
and will differ from the ordinary service
gun in being shorter. 1t will be rather a
long rlfled mortar. The dimensions are such
as to avoid undue heating OF the projectile
in the gun, which might cause premature
explosion of the. bursting charge, and
range, fatter trajectory and consequent
greater accuracy than is possible with the
ordinary type of rihed mortar.
As soon as this special gun is completed
it will be taken TO the ordnance proving
ground down the Potomac river, and a
series of experiments will be made to deter
mine the capabilities of emmenslte. Il it
will do all that previous tests seem to indi-
cate, it is believed that the navy will be
furnished with new offensive agency of
tremendous power. 1t will tar surpass in
efficiency the pneumatic gun-cotton guns of
the Vesuvius, for they can only oe aimed
by turning the vessel, as they are built into
her hull, and, as their elevation cannot he
changed, the range can only be varied by
varying the air pressure in the gun. The
new gun can be handled as easily as the or
dinary service gun, and can be aimed with
as much accuracy.
Designed for Close Fighting.
Just what place these new guns will
occupy in the armament of vessels
WILDE determined when the experiments
at the proving ground have been
made. 1t is probable that they will
be mounted, at least upon all vessels
designed to fight at close quarters, such as
the Ammen ram, and perhaps the torpedo
cruisers. On such vessels the new gun will
doubtless prove most effective weapon, for
the explosion OF 100 pounds of eInmensite
on the deck of vessel would do a tremend-
Gus amount of damage, and it is possible
that the lorce of such an explosion, even
against heavy armor plating, might do
considerable harm.
DIR. Stephen H. Emmens, the inventor of
the new high explosive, passed through
Washington to-day on his way to the Mary
land copper district. where he is going to
look at the output of the Mines with the
view to purchasing ore for use at bis reduc-
ing works, at Emmens, Pa. II be finds it is
produced in, sufficient quantities ne will
make thorough inspection of the entire re-
gion.