Rock Island Argus., 1898-07-16
MODERN SHRAPNEL.
DEADLY EFFECT OF THIS FEARFUL
IMPLEMENT OF WAR.
That Happens when . single Prejectile
Suddenly Bursts Into Two Hnndred Sep
arate Messengers Of Death-shells and
Solid Shot.

arate Messengers Of Death-shells and
Solid Shot.
The Improvements in modern guns
have embraced all calibers, from that of
the small arm firing projectile only
one-third Of an inch in diameter to tie
monster which sends solid piece of
steel 12 inches through and weighing
over half ton. Not only have the guns
improved, but also all their accessories,
especially powder and projectiles. The
smokeless powder of the present has
changed the conditions Of war almost
as much as modern armament.
Keeping step with these advances
have been those made in the various
classes of projectiles Even the smallest
of these, with its case hardened bullet,
is far ahead of the old fashioned lead
bullet used in the small arms of 30
years ago.
One of the most effective of modern
projectiles is the shrapnel. 1t is one Of
the forms of case shot, The others were
the old fashioned grape and canister. A
case shot may be said to be a collection
of missiles in a case, which breaks up
either in the gun or at some point in
flight, thus setting free its death deal
ing particles
As soon as the case is broken each Of
these particles goes on separate path,
and it's sorry day for the man struck
by one of them. All of these falling
upon piece of level ground would
mark out an irregular oval, whose area
varies with differing conditions. 1t has
been found that the best point to burst
the shrapnel is about six yards above
and so in front of the enemy.
Colonel Shrapnel of the British serv-
ice first invented shrapnel in 1903. This
early form consisted simply of spher-
ical shell filled with bullets and burst
ing charge of powder in the spaces be-
tween. This was a crude invention,
which scattered the fragments too much
and was liable to go off when not ex-
pected and not do SO when desired.
This form was improved upon during
our civil war, and the modern shrapnel
can be considered the most dangerous
Of all life destroying projectiles. 1t con-
sists Of three parts-the tube, the base
and the head. The powder charge is in
the base, which is firmly attached to
the body either by electric welding or
by screwing. Leading from the base
through the center of the body is tube
which is also filled with powder, which
is ignited by the fuse at the point of the
shrapnel and carries the fire to the main
charge. Between 200 and 800 bullets
rest upon diaphragm just over the
powder charge. These are held in place
by matrix of rosin which is melted
and poured upon the bullets when in
place. A skeleton case of cast iron con-
tanning receptacles for each bullet is
sometimes used instead of the rosin.
The head is put ON in the same man.
ner as the base, and when the fuse is
inserted the projectile is ready for use
Some shrapnels have the bursting charge
in the head instead of the base. The
fuse used is rather complicated, but the
United States has as good a one as
there is. 1t is time fuse and in actual
test has shown its reliability.
1t can readily be seen that one great
objection to the shrapnel is its high
cost. The fuse alone costs about 81. so.
The same gun is usually supplied with
three styles of ammunition-the solid
shot, the shell and the shrapnel. Some
batteries are also supplied with canister
for use at close quarters. The bullets
in the canister have wider dispersion,
because the case breaks up in the gun.
Canister was used to repel the famous
charge led by the Confederate general
Pickett at Gettysburg A perfect hail
Of missiles swept the slope leading up
to Cemetery Hill, against whose de-
structive effects human valor was Of no
avail.
The she'll is used to destroy inanimate
objects as well as animate ones 1t con-
sists of a hollow cast iron shell, with a
fuse and bursting charge of powder.
The famous shot fired during the cut
ting of the cables at Cienfuegos is q
good example Of its use. The Spaniards
having taken refuge in and behind
lighthouse, shell was fired by one of
our ships, which, striking it fairly,
burst and utterly destroyed the struc-
ture, killing many of the soldiers.
But against men in battle formation
the shrapnel is the more effective. 1t
sends a perfect shower of missiles which,
falling in the midst of a company,
would almost annihilate it. Many tests
have been made to show this.
Shrapnels fired from gun a mile
away in one instance and a mile and
two-thirds in the other were made to
strike board target one inch thick.
The fuses We're set off by the contact
and burst the projectile into 200 or 800
parts, each of which was capable Of
dealing death to any living thing in its
path. Screens were placed at indicated
distances behind the target. These may
be considered as representing battalion
of infantry in column of companies.
From the number of hits upon all Of
them the efficiency of shrapnel fire
against close order formation may be
Judged.
In one shot 152 hits were made by a
single shrapnel. In another 215 hits are
recorded, but these are not SO well scat
tered Imagine, then, the effect of a
we'll placed shrapnel upon group Of