The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-07-03
DYNAMITE HAS A BIG FUTURE

Written for the Sunday Standard
Washington. June FIT II exasperat-
ing that the Spanish fleet persists In re-
naming a phantom one. lille there
are so many problems ~ naval warfare
awaiting a olution True. We have sent
the Philippine squadron TO the bottom
OF Manila bay. but the destruction OF
that collection OF marine targets has
lone little TO help the naval designers
by practically testing the value OF their
numerous theories. We var Spanish
ships capable OF hitting back In a fairly
effective manner TO come on and give
the world a chance TO witness a feal
ava fight. There are SO many points
regarding modern hghting ships on
which navai men are at odds. The idea
In naval constructicn that looks force
full to-day may be weakened by an
event that axes place tomorrow. There
are mighty engines OF destruction In use
I'm the modern navies whose effective
ness Is practically INFESTED.
Theorizing on the effect OF the dyna-
mite guns OF our Nesuvius. the naval
men are brought face TO face with the
question: "Of use Is IL To spend
millions pm a battleshlp that may be
blown TO pieces by a single explosive
from this new demon OF the sea For
Il II a fact that one shot from the We
suvius landing fairly on the deck OF the
most strongly protected vessel afioat
would sink her as surely as though her
thick steel sides were match-boarding.
Even II the dynamite projectile from
the Vesuvius failed TO land nearer h
thirty feet of an armored vessel. the
force of the explosion would place the
vessel out Of action. dislocating her ma
chinery and rending her gun gear apart.
The Nesuvius has had an opportunity of
testing her dynamite gun ON station
airy forts during the recent lombard
ment by admiral SIMPSONS fleet. and
the result has been sufficiently appall-
ing 10 show that the dynamite gun il a
factor In naval warfare that seems like
ly To revolutionize warship construc-
ton In a way that has not been done
since the wooden vessels became obso-
lete.
And again the theorists. delving
deeper into the question. ask: Why
should not dynamite runs be extern
sively used IN land as well as scar
such a charge as one Of the three guns
Of the Nesuvius throws would annihi-
late a regiment OF men. These being
theories needing only opportunity To be
capable OF practical demonstration. h
OF modern means OF killing
men are turning confidently To the high
explosive as the war proJectile OF the
future.
NAI1A TAM NJ haNf WI
made by the board OF ordnance to test
the possibility Of using high explosives
in battle. In a reCent report II stated.
Experiments are nov In progress un-
der the auspices of this board with a
view TO discharging high explosives
from powder guns. The batteries Of
these guns that nave been erected at
Fort Hancock and Fort Scott. Ssn
Francisco. hav shown that these guns
are capable OF throwing 100 pounds OF
nitro-gelatine a distance OF i.sOo yards.
zoe pounds $500 yards and 500 pounds
.. 500 yards with great accuracy.
The board. however. has not aband-
the expectation OF some time be-
able 70 discharge aerial torpedoes
great capacity from powder guns.
and experiments with that END in view
will be continued"
In a government report OF expert
with shells loaded with gun cot
ton. II is stated: Believing that the
Of these substances. fired from
steel mOrtars. would BE- even
more conclusive than results obtained
from the eight-inch shell IL VAS pro-
posed TO hre three ounds each from
the mortar. The charge OF wet gun
was III pounds and the pro-
polling charge 40 pounds Of smokeless
powder. the resulting pressure being
600 pounds per square inch and esti- I
velocity i2.Oo0-foot seconds"
The awful enect u these projectiies can
D. imagined.
Another problem with which the nav
al authorities are wrestling Is that
wicked explosive. the torpedo. which
has proved such a miserable disap-
pO!ntment TO those who expected 80
much from II. Writing on This import
subject. a well-known naval officer
says: At present We are in face Of
that tremendous problem as 20 whether
the torpedo Is TO rise 10 the position
governing type. as the ram did. and
wRether, surprising opinion places A. in
position once held b. the ram. that
will Cs its true and lasting position. or
whether IL viii rise to power only TO
fan again. as the ram did 1t was ~ |