St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-11-23
DYNAMITE GUNS IN WARFARE

Much has been said for and against
the use of dynamite in warfare between
civilized nations, and there has been
much hesitancy in adopting it except as
a substitute for gunpowder where forti-
fcationS are sought to be destroyed.
Public sentiment is opposed to the en-
ployment OF such destructive agency.
it was opposed to the use of Greek fire
in the War of the Rebellion and in the
Franco-German war, and was effect
i've in preventing the destruction of the
ships and cities of the enemy by such
barbarous methods. OF late years, how
ever, it has been extensively used in the
manufacture of torpedoes, both for Of
fensive and defensive purposes, and
seems to be gradually overcoming the
prejudice long entertained against it by
the ciZilizeG world. The United States
navy has recently been supplied with
dynamite guns whose destructive pow
ers are prodigious, but as yet their eff
fectiveness has not been tested in actual
warfare, and there are many officers in
the ordnance branch OF the service who
do not hesitate to condemn their intro
duction as calculated to add needlesSly
to the horrors of war, and as opposed to
all conceptions of civilized warfare.
1t seems likely that there will soon be
a practical test of dynamite in actual
warfare, from which the public may be
able to form a Judgment both as to its util-
ity and humanity. The new war steamer
fitted out in this country for service
against the Brazilian rebel force has
started for Rio de Janelro, and within a
few days at farthest will be put to the
test. She carries among her armamen
pneumatic dynamite gun of presumed
great power and effectiveness. If the
squadron under command of Admiral
Mello shall offer reslStance-which will
undoubtedly be the case-this gun will
be trained upon his ships. The results
will be watched with great interest by
naval and military men throughout the
world. A single shell from this gun,
exploded on board of an ordinary man.
of-war, is expected to shatter it to frag-
ments, destroying not only the vessel,
! but all on board of it.
There is, of course, much hazard in
the use of these guns to their possess
ors. A premature discharge of a CUR
would probably interfere somewhat
| with the usefulness of the gunners, a:
| well as the craft itself. Dynamite j:
not always to be depended upon.
has habit of exploding when least eX
pected, and its work is so effective as tt
leave very little room for criticism. IL
| fact, there are few left in its vicinit,
sufficiently collected to be able to pas
any criticism upon its work, fayorabl,
| or otherwise.
Perhaps the time and the field il
which the experiments with these gun
are to be tried could not be more favor
able. The Brazilian rebels are useles
lot. They seem to be unable to conduc
a commandment that inconvenience
their enemies, or to maintain blockad
that interferes with the freedom O
commerce. No one knows what the
are rebelling against or what their pul
poses are. 1t is doubtful if they them
selves know. 1t would be small loss t
the world at large if one of the bomb
from the dynamite gun should strik
each vessel of their fleet amidships an
scatter them over the ocean. The eN
pertinent that is to be tried upon ther
Will be of value to other people Of ia
more consequence than they, and upo
its results will depend the question {
the adoption of similar guns in the wa
fare of more civilized nations.