The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-06-04
Effect OF SHELL EXPLOSION.
STORY OF WHAT FOLLOWED THE
STRIKING OF THE NEW YORK.

came over the Stern of the Ship and
Eirst Broke of an Iron StanchiOn
three Inches in Thickness-The en-
went on Fifteen Feet and ExpIOd-
ID in n wooden BOat-Burst Into
,,ieces From the Size of a Pea to
oucs weighing Five POunds-The
E0ect on Men who Were Struck.
New York June S-The following artI-
.,s nv Assistant Surgeon Raymond Speer
or hoard the flagship New York, showing
,n- effect of the explosion of a 14-CM
stsu. appeared to-day in the Medical
News:
During the bombardment of San Juan
H. Porto Rico on May z, the New York
mas struck once by 14-CM shell at a
distance of about $500 yards. The shell
.4rne over the stern of the ship and struck
an iron stanchion three inches in thick
ness which was broken short off at the
roint of contact. The shell went on for
q distance of about fifteen feet and
,laded in a wooden boat. which was COW
cred with canvas.
The boat was demolished, the lighter
thanking being badly splintered and driven
downward and forward against an iron
steam launch. The oars in the boat were
broken and one piece was driven forward
atong the spar deck, but did no damage
n The canvas covering of the boat was torn
n and rent into shreds by the force of the
.vrlosion. splinters passing through it, and
n then caught fire, showing/that canvas I'M
der such conditions will not stop splin-
ters.
The she'll itself burst into many pieces,
varying from the size of a pea to large
pieces weighing about five pounds The
n direction these fragments took was for
ward, downward, upward and 10 both
sides. many of them going over the ships
side. other passing through the copper
venulators and smoke pipes and did but
little damage.
The fragments that went down and for
ward struck about the port S-inch waist
gun. where there were twelve men sta
toned, killing one man and injuring sew
eral 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, severed the blood vessels, pro-
ceeded upward and backward into has
brain.
The man fell forward losing conscious
ness 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 disap~
peared.
49,, II, III,
same size struck man named Fettman.
on the anterior inner surface of the left
thigh, 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 it was also pulverized,
hundreds OF minute pieces of bone being
embedded in the muscles AT the point of
exit there were shreds of tissue protrud-
ing from the wound, showing that the
ragged piece of steel drew muscular flbers
and fascia along with it,
The leg was operated upon and por-
ton of the femur resected, the splinters
and crumbs of bone were removed. the
fragments were trimmed off and wired to-
gether and through and through drainage
established, the limb being put up in
frustrated plaster dressing. The wound
at last accounts was healing by primary
union, and there is every reason to be-
lieve that the leg will be saved.
Another man was struck in the left
1ap nv nia Of CHI al, In ~
one-haf inch by one-haIf inch qx15x15) 1t
entered the leg about its middle on the
outer side, went inward and forward
growing the anterior surface of the tibia
The fragments of bone were taken out of
the leg by the piece of she'll
There were several other minor injur-
les Pieces of shell struck several men,
but did no damage
'One man felt something hot on his
breast, and on investigation found small
piece of shell that had been burning it's
way through his clothing and reached his
skin. The fragments of the shell were
all hot as was shown by the burnt wood
and canvas.
The men injured by the shell all eaid
they felt a burning, singing sensation,
about their wounds. and in some cases
clothing was scorcned."
BUSY DAY AT CHICKAMAUGA.