The morning call., 1892-01-25
A NEW EXPLOSIVE.
Important Tests in Progress at
the PresidiO.
Local Capitalists Interested in the Experi-
ments-A Triangulation Survey Of the
HaIbor Being Made.

The Preside Of San Francisco is very
quiet garrison on Sundays. Nothing but
work Of strictly military necessity is done.
The guards are changed as on every other
day, and guard mounting. therefore, is
about the only spectacular soldering ex-
hibited.
Tie Sunday inspection ceremonies have
long been abolished at every military post
in the United States, and both officers and
men are glad that they can do what they
please when Sunday comes round
A QUIET GARRISON.
The Sunday quiet Of the garrison is, how
ever, more or less broken by the incursiOn
of visitors from town, who are welcome to
stroll through the place. The trees and
shrubbery and pleasant walks and the view
OF the entrance to the haTbOr are so pic
turesQue about the PresidO that hunQreds
Of people delight in the trip. The soldiers
they see are few. Such of the enlisted men
as 90 not come into town are to be found
lOunging about the barracks. The officers
in the garrison keep close to their quarters,
and the visiting civilians have the outside
grounds pretty much TO themselves. There
is a luXuriant growth of foliage everywhere,
and the people have come TO look upCn the
Preside as most entiCing pleasure park.
The crowd is orderly, and II is only on very
rare occasions that the guard is called upon
a
reservation.
FAMOUS BATTERY COMMANDER.
THE CALL reporter paid his respects to
General William NJ. Graham, the COM
mandant of the post, and was kindly re-
Celved 10y that accomplished officer Cen
eTal Graham is probably one of the best
artlleTsts in the army to-day, and In the
Army Of the Potomac ne won reputation
as a battery commander which at the time
gained him position that ranked him with
Hle best. For some years after the war he
was stationed with his battery IN New York
harbor. Ills light battery drills given Occa-
stonal,y il Prospect Park, Brooklyn, never
failed t. draw thousands Of spectators to
witness the highly efficient exhibition of
this arm Of the service. "Graham's Light
Battery going through its lightning evo-
lutiOnS was a sight that few people cared to
miss. The fact that the then Captain Gra-
ham had stll with him large proportion of
the veterans who had handled the guns
under the euemy's FIRE gave an additional
interest to the display. In the early seven
ties the war veterans were still young men
of ine physique and athletic proves.
General Graham had yesterday no news
OF an official character about any prepara-
tOns 1or war with Chile. He knew no
more about the matter than any other man
who read the published kilograms.
FOR FIRE CHART.
There was one thing, however, that he was
missIoned officers was out making triang-
ulati0n survey of the harbOr. The purpose
Of this work was preliminary to making a
chart to be used by the officers who may be
called upon to open fire upon an enemyS
fleet. The work is scientific in all its de-
tails. With the chart before him the CON-
mander of any battery will be able with
precision to make all allowances for the mo-
tlOn OF a ship so as TO anticipate her true
range. Iu the same sense that rifle shoot
II 10 ana for irofl Il
rectiOn OF wind aud effects Of light and
mirage in firing at a stationary target the
baI Dor artilleTymen will have to make al
lOwance for the rate at which movable
target like a ship may be under way. BY
their chart they can approximate the exact
position of the ship at the instant the
prOjectile is fired.
General Graham Says this triangulatiOn
has been done in other harborS of the
United States before, but this is the first
time that such chart has been prepared
for San Francisco. The work is being done,
however, irrespective of any prospect OF
immediate war with any nation
A NEW EXPLOSIVE.
During the week, by special permission
of the War Department, a party of San
Francisco gentlemen have been engaged ia
testing the merits Of new and very power
ful explosive at the Preside. General
Graham furnished the party with a 6-inch
100 FOUNDER ParTott gun, with shells and
the necessary powder. The ingredients of
this new explosive are kept a very carefully
guarded secret. Not even are the army Off
GERS taken into the confidence of the owners
Of the compound. Ordnance Officer Hamil-
ton witnessed the performance, but he does
not claim to be able TO do anything more
than indulge in sufmSeS
The experiments gave great satisfaction
TO all interested. Six shells were fired.
1lR point aimed at was on the bluffs on the
Marin County shore. The first shot was
TO find The range. One of the succeeding
five tumbed en- route-that Is, did not get
the rifle twist in the bore and fell short.
The other four struck the bluffs. and great
masses of rock were seen to break down
under the persuasive force.
The problem which the inventors of all
the powerful explosives are seeking to
solve Is to find one that will be safe TO han
die at the guns and be certain not to burst
the shell under the shock of the discharge,
while equally certain to explode the missile
when IL strikes its objective point This
includes the problem of a fuse to fire the
| detOnatOr at the moment Of impact.
The Parrot gun in the experiments made
last week was discharged by electricity.
The experiments will be repeated in a few
days.