Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-08-01
Local Matters.
DYNAMITE GUNS.
Information on Much Misunder-
IN stood Subject.
Work Of Maine Genius Which Is Likely 10
Revolutionize Warfare.
nJYIEyaHHy


to say that following the discovery of
dynamite, naval men promptly recog-
nized the fact, that if this industrial
giants strength could be made useful
in naval warfare, the annihilation
Of the fleet of an enemy was practically
assured.
A few experiments demonstrated.
however. that when shells We're
charged with dynamite the shock Of
the propelling charge exploded the
shell In the gun and killed men at the
wrong end of it.
This is not to be wondered at when
we remember that in the high pressure
rifle in use in our navy, today, carrying
a shell six inches in diameter and 80
inches long. with a range of nine miles,
the pressure eXerted by the propellnS
charge which gives the shell its ire
mendous initial velocity on the instant
of explosion, is 300 tons to the square
inch on the base of the shell.
overcome this certainty of premature
explosion of the shell. Cushions of
cork, rubber, ETC., were used between
the base of the shell and the propell
ing charge. This resulted in such loss
Of velocity that it was of no value.
Then many styles of compressed air
tod htn1 no
danger of bursting the shell in the gun
But few of them attained range of
more than one mile. At this distance
their enemy would be at their mercy.
but how to get there? A vessel armed
with guns of one or even two miles
range attempting to assail one of our
first-class battleships, that can place
10 and 13 inch shells just where they
please six miles away, would promptly
be sent to join the Spanish fleets at the
bottom of the sea before she could get
near enough to do any harm.
1t was left to a State of Maine man
engaged in mining in Nova Scotia a
with the high explosives in use, to
successfully overcome all danger IT
premature explosion and at the same
time lose nothing in velocity or range.
A high pressure rifle with range Of
two miles. carrying steel shells nine
sixteenths inch in diameter and three
hol
structed under his direction. The de-
vice to protect from explosion from
shock was a part of the shell instead
of the gun
These shells We're charged, some
with dynamite some with gun cotton,
coredite Qhe high explosive in use in
the English navy smokeless powder,
nitro glycerine 90 per cent. pure. and
even with pure illuminate of mercury,
the most sensitive of all explosives in
general use.
Another explosive of his own make,
was used, of something over eight
times the destructive energy of dyna-
mite. All these were successfully fired
by him at Halifax in the presence OF
English experts and engineers who
We're as much astonshed as it is pos
sible for an Englshman 70 be, and
its terribly destructive energy: it being
easy work for one of these small shells,
bursting on impact to break through
wall of 10 inches of spruce timber
faced with CB) three-eighths inch iron
plate. Subsequently a proposition was
made by the British admiralty to pur-
chase both the formula for the explo-
sve and the method of charging the
shells. No satisfactory terms have IS
yet been reached.
Our own navy uses wet gun cotton
as charge for shells, considering il
the safest among the high explosives
In dynamite, when exposed to 100
of temperature, or more, the nitro
glycerne has a decided tendency "a
separate from its absorbent, and run
out pure: then you have danger in
plenty, even when handled with ex-
IRENE care, and on ship board in
Southern ATTITUDES. below decks the
temperature often rises to 1902 or more.
so 1t is not likely that dynamite. as Al
present constituted will ever become
an important factor in naval warfare.
unless accompanied by some method
OF Keeping the temperature down to 90
or less. But for land batteries this OBJ
lection does not apply and by the above
mentioned methods of charging shells
no explosive yet invented but NAV be
used as safely as gunpowder.
1t is quite certain that high official.
in our navy have been made ac.
quainted with the method of charging
shells If not with the formula for max
ing the demon" explosive used in tho
Halifax experiments.
Mr.. and Mrs. Wallace PercivaI wen,
to Small Point, Sunday for weak,s