The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-06-04
HAVOC OF A HOT SHE'LL
EFFECT OF THE EXPLOSION OF A
MISSILE ON A WAR VESSEL.
Interesting Article by the Cruiser
Wounds Caused by Pieces of Metal.

NEW YORK, June 3.-The following ar
ticle by Assistant Surgeon Raymond Spear,
on board the flagship New York, showing
the effect of the explosion Of a 14-centimeter
shell, appears in the Medical News
During the bombardment of San Juan
de Puerto Rico, on May IL, the New York
was struck once by 14-centimeter shell
at a distance of about $500 yards. The shell
came over the stern of the ship and struck
an iron stanchion three inches in thickness
which was broken short off at the point Of
contact. The shell went on for distance
of about fifteen feet and exploded in a
wooden boat, which was covered with can
vas. The boat was demolished, the lighter
planking being badly splintered and driven
downward and forward against an iron
steam winch. The oars in the boat were
broken, and one piece was driven forward
along the spar deck, but did no damage.
The canvas covering the boat was torn and
rent into Shreds by the force of the ex-
plosion and by splinters passing through it
and then caught fire, showing that canvas
under such conditions will not stop splin-
tiers.
THE shell itself burst into many pieces,
varying from the size of a pea to large
pieces weighing about five pounds. The di-
rection these fragments took was forward,
downward, upward and to both sides, Elany
of them going over the ships side, others
passing through the copper ventilators and
smoke pipes and doing but little damage.
The fragments that went downward and
forward struck about the port eight-inch
waist gun, where there were twelve men
stationed, killing one man and injuring sew
eral others. The man killed, Wiedemark,
was struck by piece of shell about two
inches square by one inch thick. 1t entered
the left side of his neck near the angle of
the jaw, severed the blood vessels, pro-
ceeded upward and backward into bis BRAIN
probably injuring the medulla, and lodged
under the skin just beneath the occipital
protuberance The man fell forward, losing
consciousness Immediately. His respiration
ceased as soon as he was struck. bet his
heart continued to beat feebly for about
five minutes, when all signs of life disap-
peared.
Another fragment of shell Of about the
same size struck man named Fettman on
the anterior inner surface of the left thigh,
about three inches above the knee and went
through the limb, taking backward and
downward course The femur was shattered
into numerous fragments and the muscles
were torn considerably in the track of the
wound. The effect of the missile on the
bone was peculiar in that the bone was not
length, but 1t was also pulverized, hundreds
of minute pieces Of bone being embedded
in the muscles. At the point of exit there
were shreGs of tissue protrudng from the
wound, showing that the ragged piece OF
steel drew muscular fibers and fasca along
with it. The leg was operated on and a
portion Of the femur resected; the splinters
and crumbs of bone were removed, the
fragments were trimmed off and wired to-
gether, and through and through drainage
established, the limb being up in a fenis-
trated plaster dressing. The wound at last
accounts, was healing by primary union and
there is every reason to believe that the
leg will be saved.
Another man was Struck in the left leg
by piece of shell about one inch long and
Its middle, on the outer side, went inward
and forward growing the anterior surface
or the t1bia. The fragments of bone were
taken out of the leg by the piece of shell.
There were several other minor injuries.
Pieces of shell struck several men, but did
no damage. One man felt something hot on
his breast, and on investigating found a
small piece of she'll that had burned its
way through his clothing and reached his
skin. The fragments of the shell were all
not, as was shown by burnt wood and can
vas. The men injured by the shell all said
they felt burning, singing sensation about
their wounds, and in some cases the cloth
ing was ScOrched.
THE shell received a great deal of heat
from the friction it incurred in leaving the
gun; some of this heat is lost through
radiation in its flight through the air, more
neat is developed on the impact of the
smell ana stu more energy takes the form
or neat when the missile explodeS making
the fragments hot enough to set fire to
WOOD. All OF the wounds made by the pieces
of shell were aseptic, but they all We're slug
glsh in healing, due to the lowered vitality
and burning of the injured parts"