The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-04-17

1t closes automatically by means of the
Rapieff valve. This amount of air can be
controlled absolutely, and can be fred st
will by the gunner. This alters the range
without changing the elevation of the
gun.
Another gun is the Zalinski dynamite
gun. In this projectile the value of the
new high explosives is demonstrated. Our
grandfathers who, in 1872, fired the old
fashioned cannon ball at our cousins, the
Britains, would have stood aghast. appall-
ed into surrender, could they behold the
loading of the Zallnsk dynamite gun.
This gun Is loaded with the highest known
explosive. The charge Is compressed INTO
an ncomprehensiby small space and Is
warranted not TO explode until 1t reaches
its full destination. Then 1t scatters de-
struction over a marveously large space.
Theoretically, every high explosive is
dynamite" But dynamite has long since
become a generic term, meaning every
thing that has any force superior to gun
powder. Gun powder never has been and
never will be high explosive. The most
valuable high explosive for use on water
Is gun cotton 1t can be pressed into
small, Misunderstanding little cakes and Is
impervious to water and atmosphere It
has 800 times the explosive power of gun
powder. Next 10 gun cotton comes forcite,
after which comes dynamite proper which
is made of nitro-glycerine and rotton stone
in proportion of one-fourth of rotton stone
to three-fourths of nitro-glycerine.
Touched to the tongue, dynamite has a
sour taste, and for a moment produces a
violent headache, which, however, soon
passes away.
In the present emergency, when such
guns as the zalinski and other high ex-
plosive carrying inventions demand con-
m Of DUN tfa rCra IA
and gun cotton, the greatest difficulty is
experienced in getting workmen. New
hands invariably get sick and the work is
left entirely TO the old experienced hands
who have become 'inoculated' to II.
Perhaps the most successful gun of all
Is the 10-inch coast defender at Sandy
Hook, which throws sixteen miles. This
gun is positively vaudeville performa ICE
in itself. 1t discharges its shells one al ter
another automatically with such rapidity
that five charges are sent into the air be-
fore the first one lands. The pride of the
Spanish navy, Cristobal Colon, would be
a sad plight indeed should our 1G-inch
coast defender turn her attention to her
while she Is steaming up the harbor. This
! gun Is fired by electricity, and can BIZ
managed by three men. Unfortunately, Il
is so large and so heavy and kicks" with
such force that 1t is hardly available
ABOARD snip,
That is the trouble with many of these
| guns. They are too powerful for the
mounts that carry them. An interesting
experiment was tried the other day of
the coast Of Virginia A big gun was
| mounted on mortar boat and from It was
fired one of the largest charges known tc
the navy. The experiment was made fol
the purpose OF observing the action Of the
mortar boat. AS the gun was fired the
backward motion of the boat was instan'
| taneous. Had IL been nearer the shore u
would have been thrown inland like tht
wreck OF a vessel upon sandy beach. Al
| II was 1t broke four Of the stoutest chains
which held II. and was only saved from
destruction by the depth OF the water
This, then, is another difficulty which Ia.
Iinsky and the other big gun inventors
have 10 look out for. Like Atlas, they
can move the world II they have a place
10 stand upon. They can shatter the face
| off the whole Of creation, but they musi
have place to stand upon-a platform or
| which TO mount the big guns.
c. $. Russell