The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-06-17
Has Given New Life 10 the National
Game In New York.
DYNAMITE GUNS BEING MADE.

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out almost hourly every day since hostili-
ties began and by h relatively small
crowds before the bulletin boards. Both
these phenomena are explained by the fact
that no one now fears bombardment Of
this port
This being the case, 1t Is not surprising
chat the engagement OF Adrian G. Arson
TO manage tho New York baseball team has
paused . revival of interest In the national
,xamo. II seems like the old days, when
s,1nost persons thought the United States
pould never, have another war, to hear the
possibility Of winning the pennant again
disoussed on the streets and the ferryboats
ond in the trains and cable cars. Whether
baseball enthusiastic here are In the main
t14pleased with New York taking up with
f Ghicaro's Ieavings is not clear. Probably
not e yet But should he win games
I there II no doubt that Arson will DO n
OF the most popular persons In this town.
1 He has always had the respect OF the New
York roofing crowd both on the bleach
aries and In the grand stand, and he did
< pretty we'll, everything considered, when
The appeared on the boards of . New York
fheator q Mr. Adrian In Charley Hoyt's
hasobell drama, ssThc Runaway Colt"
vRhould the New York's win the pennapt
under Anson's management, he will be q
f)ittle tin idol among the New York cranks
tnnd no mistake.
Powder Pneumatic Gums.
The activity 1t tho works Of the Sims
Dudley Defense company, where the new
tyne powder pneumatic guns arc being
turned u for the Cuban campaign, 10 In
tensc and almost continuous just now, the
works beik0 run at their full capacity 90
hours ont Of every "a, though IL Is highly
probable that not one New Yorker In q
thopsand knows such guns are being made
here It all.
judging from the reports of the execu-
ton done by weapons of this sort, though
Of an earlier type, In the hands of the Gu
bans, those lately and to be furnished to
the United States arc likely to be OF great
help In bringing the war to a speedy close.
In . recent conversation with o member
Of the 6ims-Dudley company encountered
great reticence rs to the number OF guns
vet 20 be furnished, but IL was freely adj
mitted that six had already been delivered
and that they were all mounted on field
carriages. They are capable of sending a
: l2h pound cartridge SO inches long and
Of 21< inches caliber from one to two
miles, and, the workmanship of the guns
being first class, II ia expected that they
can be used with great accuracy. some OF
those now being made will probably DO
furnished on naval mounts for use on ship
board, Though that was not admitted to
me.
Nobsrs Gelatin.
The ~oxplosive charge employed In the
cartridges Of the Sims Dudley gun Is gen.
orally supposed to be dynamite, but the
superstition II Dynamite Is al
together too unstable q compound to be
used In this way. In place of dynamite q
mixture known as Nobcl's gelatin, consist
ing Of gun cotton, nitroglycerin and cam
phor, IL used. This, while not 90 easily set
on Is dynamite by sudden shock, IL perhaps
q third more powerful, and the Merriam
fuse, with which the cartridges are fitted,
IL 90 perfect . continuance that failure to
explode 1t the proper time has never been
notsd whsn tests were being made. About
four pounds Of tho gelatin only Is con-
tanned In each cartridge, tho metal case,
directing vanc, ETC., Weighing the other
81 pounds, but nc one who has expert
mopted with ~nitroglycerin explosives
doubts the efficiency of q four pound
charge. IN fact, IL Ii said that u q guam
fifty Of opIatin will do quite as much dam
age In explosion as an 80 pound bursting
charge Of powder, and that the only ad-
vantage possessed by a powder gun Is its
greater f3nge. But In time the new guns
may have long range too.
In fact, Il q believed by the Sims-Dud
ley people thst their gun may completely
xevoluuopize artillery warfare, and there
is possibility that they are right. One
Of tho most interesting points about the
new arm as It stands Is the fact that each
discharge costs only about e35, while II
costs many times that sum TO project
GA An ~Ax~1l-- -. ~-x~y1.~ ~x~nxAv rhor0<
Of powder. The gun as ut present made
10 : much moro basinesslike appearing
arm than the type furnished to the Cubans
two or three years ago. Some of my read
en- will remember from descriptions and
~nswspapers cuts that tho Cuban guns ap'
pearod to have three b~arrels-onclong one,
6anked by two short ones. The new gun
has one long barrel, beneath which Is a
compressor Of half the barrels length, and
several Of the working parts that were ex'
posed In the old gun nro completely shield.
Cd from view in tho new.
The Pilots and the Boarding Ladders.
The pilots Of this port are now engaged
IN . rather spirited fight for better board.
ing ladders, and the prospect seem exceed
jngly favorable 20 their winning the same.
Victory in this matter will be well worth
celebrating, since they have been strug-
Cling for better ladders these many years.
To such OF my readers as do not under
stand tho term II may I've explained that
"ooardIng Ifddersf' arc let down from In
co1ming vessels when pilots are TO be taken
aboard. In the mature OF affairs this ladders
must DO Of rope, and the best OF them are
unsteady things to Chamber up, especially
whom lot down from q ship that stands 40
a. 20 fest out Of water. IL would be diff