The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-06-04
WHAT A SHELL GAN Do
Damage Inflicted by a Accent.
neter Projectile.
1T EXPLODED on THE NEW YORK.

Observations =: sde by Assistant Surgeon
spcar-Ont Man Instantly Killed and
Several 9th crs Woundcd-Nature of the
Misunderstanding shell Burns as
Well as Injuries - Fragments Go For
ward, Downward and sideways.
New York, June 4.-The following ar
ticle by Assistant Surgeon Raymond
Spear, on board the flagship New York.
showing the effect of the explosion Of
H-centimeter shell appears in The
Medical News: During the lombard
ment Of San Juan de Porto Rico on
May IL the New York was struck once
= a E-centmeter shell at a distance
If about $500 yards. The shell came
over the stern of the ship and struck
an ir-c 81" chion three inches in thick
ness, which was broken short off at
the point of contact. The shell went on
for a distance Of about fifteen feet and
exploded in a wooden boat, which was
covered with canvas. The boat was de-
molshed, the lighter planking badly
splintered and driven downward and
forward against an iron steam winch.
The oars in the boat were broken and
one piece was driven forward along tie
spar deck. but did no damage. The
canvas covering of the boat was torn
and rent into shi eds by the force Of the
explosion and by splinters passing
through It, and then caught fire, show
ing that canvas under such conditions
will not stop splinters.
Burst into Many Pieces.
The shell itself burst into many pieces,
varying from the size of a pea to large
pieces weighing about five pounds. The
direction which these fragments took was
forward, downward, upward and to both
sides, many of them going over the
ships side, others passing through the
copper ventilators and smoke pipes and
doing but little damage The frag-
ments that went downward and for
ward struck about the port eight-inch
waist gun, where there were twelve
men stationed, killing one man and in
juring several others. The man killed,
Wiedemark, was struck by a piece Of
shell about two inches square by one
inch thick. 1t entered the left side of
his neck near the angle of the jaw, sew
cred the blood vessels, proceeded up
ward and backward into the brain,
probably injuring the medulla, and
lodged under the skin just beneath the
occipal protuberance. The man fell for
ward, losing consciousness Immediately.
His respiration ceased as soon as he
was struck, but his heart continued to
beat feebly for about five minutes, when
all signs Of life disappeared.
What Another Fragment Did.
Another fragment of shell Of about
the same size struck man named Fett-
man on the anterior inner surface OF
the left thiFh. about three inches above
the knee and went through the limb,
taking backward and downward
course The femur was shattered into
numerous fragments and the muscles
were torn considerably in the track OF
the wound. The effect of the missile on
the bone was peculiar in that the bone
was not only splintered for about three
inches Of its length, but IL was also
pulverized. hundreds Of minute pieces
Of bone being imbedded in the muscles.
At the point Of exit there were shreds
of tissue protruding from the wound, |
showing that the ragged piece or steel |
drew muscular fibers and fascia along |
with IT, The leg was operated on and |
a portion Of the femur resected. the |
splinters and crumbs OF bone were re-
moved. the fragments were trimmed |
of and wired together. and through and
through drainage established, the limb |
being put up I'm a fenestrated plaster |
dressing. The wound at last accounts
was healing by primary union, and
there Is every reason to believe that the
leg will be saved. Another man was
struck in the left leg by piece OF shell