The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-09-25
NITRO GLYCERINf'S
PLACE IN WARFARE

The dynamite gun, so-called. that fires
guncotton, has been outdone. A weapon
that will discharge nitro-glycerine has
been perfected by William E. Prall, jr.,
of New York.
The new weapon Is built on the plan Of
the modern rifle and weighs only three and
O half pounds. 1t can be utilized as a
single-shot rifle, a repeating gun or an
automatic machine gun. In the latter case
the loading and firing is not accomplished
by using the recoil, as in the Maxim gun.
but by force Of the reaction occurring af-
ter the discharge is completed. and which
Is constrained to perform the same offices
that the hand does in operating the ordin-
airy repeating rifle. 1t IS capable Of firing
from thirty to fifty shots second and Is
fed automatically from a magazine very
similar to those used in the Krag-Jorgen-
sen rifles. The Prall gun has no recoil.
makes no flash and the explosive fired IL
| smokeless. The only report comes when
the cartridge strikes the object fired at.
Mr.. Prall is the first to invent gun
capable Of discharging nitro-glycerine.
His attention was called to the subject by
reading the accounts Of the work Of the
| Vesuvius, and he set to work to perfect an
Improvement, intending to present the Sc
| cret of his invention to the United States
government.
| The early close of the war interfered with
his purposes, and the weapon with which
he experimental on Saturday was a crude
| model Mr.. Prall's rifle has four-foot
| barrel made of bicycle tubing, only one
thirty-second Of an inch thick, and bore
three-quarters Of an inch in diameter. The
cartridge used is very much on the plan
Of a submarine torpedo 1t Is about three
inches long and intended to carry ono
ounce of nitro-glycerine and ten grains Of
guncotton. The rifle will carry more than
two miles, and at that distance Is capable
of blowing human being into atoms, tor
ing through a heavy brick wall or shat
tering granite. The effect of thirty or for
ty Of these powerful projectiles in Sec
ond's time can be imagined.
| Mr.. Prall and his helper, Augustin
| Greenese, journeyed to the wilds of Wee
hawken on Saturday, and a spot suitable
for safe experiment was soon found. As
| a point of attack Mr.. Prall selected a mass
of big bouders, such as are to be seen all
along the Palisades A picture of these
was first taken. so that the effect Of the
shot could be better learned. Mr.. Prall
fired only one shot and that caused his ar
rest The cartridge contained but eight
grams OF guncOttOn anu One-Quarter OF an
ounce of nitro-glycerine. He selected the
largest boulder as the objective point.
There was a loud detonation when the
cartridge exploded and the air was filled
with dust and pieces Of rock. piece
9x6x4 inches was splintered off the centra:
rock and large one next to 1t was cracked
in two places the entire length Of its sur
face. Every rock in the immediate locality
was Clipped.
That Mr.. Prall fired but once was due to
the gathering Of fifty to one hundred urch-
ms, whose assembling attracted tho at.
tention of policeman Bournemann. He
made an investigation, and, learning from
some of the boys that a gun had been dis.
charged, he arrested Mr.. Prall. Mr. Prall
was arraigned before Justice Simon.
charged with violating an ordinance. The
inventor told his story of his invention
and his purpose Of donating his secret 10
the government. But all evidence Of pa
triotsm was wasted, and the Justice im-
posed the maximum fine of s., which Mr..
Prall paid.-New York World.