Evening star., 1898-07-23
A NEW ENGINE OF WAR.
Possibly Revolution in Naval w,r.
fare and Coast Defenses.
From Ieslies' WpetIv
From Leslies' Week.,


On Monday, the 18th of June. the United
States dynamite cruiser Vesuvtus for the
first time was brought into active opera
t1oh at the entrance OF Santiago harbor.
IL nred three shells, each containing 200
pounds OF gun cotton. on the western head
land. at the entrance to Santiago. each
missile starting silently on it's destructive
Fight and creating a tremendous explosion
when 1t fell
No small amount of satisfaction is
evinced by the people in the fact that the
government is in possession of several
heavy dynamite guns to be used also In
coast defense. At Sandy Hook there are
two fifteen-inch guns and one of eight-inch
chliber These first named are fifteen
inches In diameter of bore, the very largest
cannon which the army has ready for
action. AT San Francisco there are three
guns OF the same big caliber, which
are so placed about three miles from the
city as TO assist materially in defending
that harbor. Dynamite guns are operated
upon an entirely different principle from
the ordinary powder guns. They have en-
gines and boilers and air compressors and
coolers, and all sorts of intricate ma
CT inery In house not far away by which
the pro1ectiles are fired. The dynamite or
gun cotton, or explosive gelatin or what
ever the explosive material may be, is con-
tained In the projectile only This proiec-
tile is called an aerial torpedo" by the
manufacturers. and Is exploded by means
OF fuse, similar to any powder guns
Dynamite or any other high explosive
cannot be used in an ordinary cannon be-
cause the powder would explode the dyna-
mite before it left the gun, therefore the
system of using compressed air came into
vogue as the only method Of throwing dy-
Mantle 70 any distance. The system is
popularity known Zalinskfs although
mat naval officer is not connected with the
manufacture of the projectiles or the guns
ihe air Is compressed and passed along
through various tubes before reaching the
gun, and is used at about one thousand
pounds pressure to the square inch, which
is much less than the power of powder.
Dynamite will be exploded at about five
thousand pounds pressure to the square
lnch. These guns are enormous affairs,
smooth bore, fifty feet in length made of
the best iron, In three sections, hanged and
bolted together. and supported on steel
carriage. The carriage is mounted upon a.
steel racing ring, so called, and the system
OF handling is by means of an electric
motor. As these guns are covered by
large number of patents, they are very ex-
pensive. costing the government many
thousands of dollars each. Fifteen men, in
relays, are required to work them.
The gunner stands upon a platform on
the left side of the carriage uses a fine
telescope sight. and when ali is ready he
pulls lever, which allows the compressed
air to enter the gun, and the discharge
takes place. These guns are all loaded at
the breech, and the projectile is handled by
separate carriage. The projectile is about
ten feet in length for the fifteen-inch gun,
and when charged with 500 pounds Of dyna-
mite, or gun cotton, weighs fully 1000
pounds. 1t is O steel tube composed of
walls three-sixteenths of an inch thick,
and has a spiral Vane at the rear. The
fuse is foot IN length and weighs twenty
pounds. This fuse contains two pounds
and half of dry gun cotton and few
grains of illuminate OF mercury as a deton-
ator. 1t is set to explode at impact or as
the gunner may desire as to time