The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-02-11
The Execution Done by a
New PrOjectile.
Is the Invention of Gathmann
Of City of Chic ago.
Torpedo That Would Rend Gibraltar
and Blow Up War Vessels.


While ministers of foreign affairs and SEN
ators are talking about general arbitration
and the preachers and good people arc
looking 10 the early coming of the day OF
universal peace, the i.rentors and hard
headed and perhaps hard hearted men OF
affairs go on preparing for war rs II
| war were the chief end of man. An in
gcnious Chicago man namol Gathmann
has just had tested at Indian Head, on the
Potomac, few miles below the national
capital, u new projcctilc which promises ia
reyolutionize naval warfare and coast dc.
fense. Tho navy department people are
wild with delight over IL, and the naval
attaches of foreign governments are in a
huttcr OF excitement, cach being anxious
10 mako the earliest report 10 his govern.
ment concerning this wonderful American
invention.
Properties of Cur Cotton.
Leaving ont Il lot Of technicnlities, which
| do not understand very well and which
am sure my readers would not wish to
be bothered with, this new projectile is o
thin shell Of steel which contains charge
OF 400 pounds of wet gun cotton. The
wonder Is that so Thin n shell Of steel,
amounting TO no more than two or three
inches In thickness, win hold such an enor'
nous quantity of the high explosive.
But carefully note the description and you
win see why. First there Is n fuse which
is 30 arranged that 1t burns slowly and at
a given moment explodes shell of powder
and illuminate of mercury. The gases pro
duced thereby surround the shell and pro
tect it. The explosion of this shell gives
motion To the projectile without explod
ing the gun cotton with which the latter
is loaded. In fact, the gun cotton cannot
be exploded till the projectile strikes. As
long as 1t is In the gnA or flying through
space with no greater resistance than that
furnished by the atmosphere, it cannot
explode Wet gun cotton, you may or may
not know, can be handled with impunlty.
1t can only be exploded by very sharp de
tonation. Common powder does not ex
plode quickly enough to set il off. AT tho
mills where it IL made the workmen saw
IL up into sections with band saw The
refuse pieces they throw into the fire and
burn. Yet the explosion Of n couple of
ounces Of it would send the whole factory
TO kingdom come.
The momentum given to the unexploded
projectile is sufficient TO carry il six OF
eight miles. Whenever it strikesan object
no matter what that object Is, be il ship,
spar, fort or the water, the explosion
comes This is brought about by second
ary shell which is attached 10 the rear end
OF the projcctile. 1t contains gun cotton
and other explosives. The impact of strik.
ing causes oil the explosives in this second
airy shell to rush to the forward end much
as all the people i'm n railway car are
thrown to the front door when there Is
collision. The explosion Of the secondary
shell sets OF the 200 pounds Of gun cotton
In the main projcctile. Then what hap
pensY
A Terrific Conclusion.
Naval officers say the effect Of one OF
these explosions would be total annihila.
tion of any ship struck by the proiectile.
If one OF these shells strikes tho side of the
largest warship afloat, the vessel will be
lifted right out of the water and thrown
back into the sea broken all TO pieces. II
it alights upon the deck, it would break
the ship into fragments. II it hits SO much
as q mast or spar or bowsprit or anchor
chain, IL would mean the same If il
strikes the water within 900 or 300 feet OF
a ship, every life on board would be lost In
the concussion. II the ship were not torn
10 pieces, all the castings in her would be
broken all her machinery rendered useless.
Although the solid shots fred from our
10 and 10 inch rilcd guns are supposed &c
have 4 range of six or eight miles, actually
their effective range is much less. IL fired
at an enemy's vessel, u mile is rs great q
distance as would be economical Any
thing beyond this would be n simple waste
of ammunition. The vulnerable part of a
modern war vessel is about 30 feet perpen
dicularly and 100 feet in length, where the
machinery is. This Is the target at which
solid shot must be fired, the target which
Il must hit IL anything is to be accomplish
ed
The Gathmann shell, on the other hand
is an aerial torpedo, and IL s deadly IL il
strikes any part of the ship, any of its rig
ging or the water anywhere near. There
fore the target is many times greater, and
the range is thereby increased from mile
effectively 10 three or perhaps four miles.
A fatboat loaded with two or three of
these torpedo throwing guns could defend
any harbor in the world. No fleet would
dare come near them. Ii would be certain
destruction as soon rs they came within
range Naval officers say this shell, this
torpedo thrown through the air from any
modern gun of sufficient size, will revolu.
tionizc warfare both upon the sea and nj
the coast line
A Novel Sensation.
Gibraltar could not Withstand an on.
slaught from such torpcdoes. Cronstadt,
the citadel Of the Russians, would fall be.
fore the terribly destructive power of gun
cotton. 10 is calculated that half dozen
of these guns, carried In submcrging or
submarine ships, each equipped with just
enough motive power to enable IL TO creep
around n harbor or roadstcad. would he
sufficient % defend any city. They would
be equipped with "A gun platform 10 rise 30
the surface for firing, then submcrging out
OF harms way. The enemy could not reach
them. At each shot the enemy might get
the range. vat before he could send a shot
the torpedo throwcr would be under water
again. When 1t came up for the next at.
tack. Il would bc at another spot hun.
drcds Of rods away. Against such n de
fenso a. this no feet could operate for cv.
cry shot from the aerial torpedo would
mean the destruction of n $1,000 900 or
g.. 600. 600 battlcship or cruiser.
=. ~ 4.