The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-04-23
HIoH EIPIosIrEs IN 70 Uxs
The Senate cor-,ttes's Propossl foS Es-
r,rImeuts with Tbern ~ Our Nsvy.

periments with Then ~ our NAVY
w%AssISaroN. April 2e.-one noteworthy
addition made by the Senate to
the Navy bill ns passed by the House Is an
item Of $50, 900 for testing methods OF throw
ing high explosives with ordinary velociticn
from guns On board ship. Some time ago Soc
Rotary Herbert. In q communication to tins
Speaker, requested Of the House such An ap'
preparation, but no provision was made for II
In tho annual supply bill.
The subject in important, and has engages
the attention OF the Ordnance Bureau Tor sew
eral years. Commander FoIeer In 1902 even
declared that "a decided revolution In the
character Of the armament OF vessels OF was
Is Imminent. Tho batteries Of naval vessels
will DO composed OF two classes OF guns; the
first. as at present, OF great length and power.
using armor- piercing proiectiles. and tho secs
ond. shorter guns of very largo bore and firing
proiectiles containing charges of powerful high
explosives. the latter being intended for U.S.
against the unarmored portions OF ships"
His successor, Capt. sampson, observes In
his last annual report that the only difficulty
In using high ex explosives as tho bursting charges
nj natS Sn'''f lie SPEAKS Of he idea whish he say.
IL common but fallacious," that the danger
denness with which they are startod Onward.
On the other hand. lie declares that the dams
ger In ordinary powder guns Is really due to
llt
sary to properly explode the shell. and nothing
is to be learned by firing shell loaded with
high explosives until IA suitable ahu saie deto<
nator is proposed"
Methods OF firing surh explosives safely now
await experiment. and It Is desired to have the
special authority OF Congress and the mcana
for testing them. 1t Ia commonly Thought
that some foreign countries have made COn-
siderable advances in the use Of high expio-
sives as the bursting charges OF shells: Ms
have lS4tned from iTGm time Fren ,S t bRs s on sE % %cT fos
years, and whatever the degree, OF success att
iained. 1T is at least sufficiently free from dan:
ger from conclusion. being, in fact. ,rnmmed
into the shell with a mallet. 1t can only be ex'
plodcd bv n special dctonator,.
England has experimental somewhat with
a similar material, called %lyddite, which
Italy has also employed. Austria's high OK.
has bellite. and there are other foreign ma.
teriale used in n similar way. sun. IL ap.
pears that in many cases either the amount 81
the material Is rather email. or else the veloc'.
ties are low. and that leads to the belief HAT
the. problem Of getting a high explosive which
will not explode by simple conclusion Is quits
different from procuring one to which lite de.
%tonator may be applied, and then be used in
large quantities and ut high yelocities;
In our own navy the problem has been pur-
sued in a somewhat different manner from
high hopes were entertained of the value Of
the pneumatic dynamite gun. and the great
which it still achieves, in throwing enormous
quantities OF the high explosives with safety,
naturally concentrated attention upoh y: IL
vius brought out the difference between, the
| naval and the shore use of this weapon. with its
| mortar.liku fire and low velocity, that reliance
ceased to be placed upon 1t for our ships. 81.
though it has it's admitted sphere In forts.
Another method Of using high exp, sires has
been that Of providing :! ecial projectiles fitted
with appliances that practically act as tnsh.
ions. Or. ~Justin's she'll, is one that hns thus
have the snyder shell. But b. sides these ex-
periments with the proioctIles and the propel.
ling power, we have also paid our share OF atten-
ton to the material for the bursting charge,
emmensite having achieved q good degree OF
promise.
1t would seem desirable that Congress should
agree to the. proposition to devote S5O,OOo 70
lions named. since success would be a matter
Of much Importance.