Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1898-08-16
MODERN .SHRAPNEL.
DEADLY EFFECT Or THIS FEARFUL
IMPLEMENT OF WAR.

arate Messengers OF Death-sheil' and
Solid Shot.
! The improvements in modern guns
have embraced all CALLERS, from that OF
the small arm firing pro]ectlle only
one. third Of an inch in diameter TO the
monster which sends solid piece OF
| steel ~ inches through and weighing
over half a ton. Not only have the guns
improved, but also all their accessories,
especially powder and projectiles. The
/ smokeless powder Of tho 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
ef 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 tie 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 collection
of missiles in a case, which breaks up
either in the gun or at some point i'll
fight, thus setting free its death deal
ing particles.
As soon as the case is broken each Of
these particles goes on a separate path,
and it's sorry day for the man struck
by one Of them. All Of these falling
upon a 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 80 in front of the enemy.
Colonel Shrapnel Of the British serv-
ice first invented shrapnel III 1903. This
early form consisted simply Of spher-
ical shell filled with bullets and a 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 60 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 a tube
which is also filled with powder, which
is ignited by the fuse at the point Of the
shrapncl and carries the fire 10 the main
charge. Between 200 and 500 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. y skeleton case of cast iron con-
tanning receptacles for each bullet is
sometimes used instead Of the resin
The head is put on in the same man
her 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 rs good one as
there is. 1t is time fuse and in actual
test has shown its reliability.
1t con readily be seen that one great
objection to the shrapnel is its high
cost, The fuse alone costs about g. 50.
The same gun is usually supplied with
three Nyles 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 \ perfect hail
of missiles swept tbs slope leading M
to Cemetery Hill, against whose de-
structive effects human valor was of no
avail
The shell is used to destroy inanimate
objects rs we'll as animate ones 1t con.
slsts Of hollow cast iron she'll. with a
fuse and bursting charge of powder
lhe famous shot fired during the cut.
ting OF the cables at Cienfuegos is a
good example Of its use The Spaniards
having taken refuge in and behind a
lighthouse, shell was fred by one of
our ships which, striking it fairly.
burst and utterly destroyed the struo.
ture. killing many of the soldiers.
But against men in battle formation
the shrapnel is the more effective. 1t
sends perfect shower of missiles which. /
falling i'll the midst of a compapv. /
would almost annihilate it. Many tests
nave been made to show this.
Shrapnels fired from a gun a riIa /
away III one instance and mile and !
two-thirds in the other were made 70
strike board target one inch thick.
ine fuses were set off by the contact
ana burst the proJectile into 200 or 300 /
parts each of which was capable of
dealing death to any living thing in its
lath' Screens were placed al Indicated
Instances behind the target. These NAV
pe considered as representing battalion
o. INFANTRY IN column of companies
rom the number of hits upon all of
tnem the efficiency of shrapnel fire
against close order formation NAV bs
judged ''' Do
In one shot l52 hits were ma6e Inv
single shrapnel. In another els hits are
recorded, but these are not SO we'll sc,t.
'erea' imagine, then, the effect Of q
wen placed shrapnel upon croup of
men such as is here represented
Inc reader can readily understand
y 'ny wars are now waged at greater
distances and why hand to hand CON.
lic's are almost unheard of-New
! ork Herald. " -->e"