The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-06-03
IHE BURSTING OF A SHELL
It's Effects Described BY Surge on OF
the New York.
DNE SAILOR KILLED BY A FRAGMENT
Respirntio Ceased at Once, but the
Heart Continued TO Heat for
Five Minutes.

New York, June 2.--The following article
>y Assistant Surgeon Raymond Spear, on
board the flagship New York. showing the
infect Of the explosion OF a He. NJ"
Dhell, appeared today in the Medical News:
fDurng the bombardment of San Juan de
Porto Rico on May IL the New York was
3truck once by nc. NJ. shell at dis
lance Of $500 yards. The shell came over
he stern OF the ship and struck an iron
Dtanchion, which was broken short off at
he point Of contact. The shell went on for
y distance of about fifteen feet and explod-
ID in a wooden boat. which was covered
With canvas The boat was demolished. the.
ighter planking being badly splintered and
Driven against an iron steamwinch. The
3ars in the boat were broken and one piece
kus driven forward jalons the spar deck
but did no damage.
4 The canvas covering the boat was torn
IND rent into threads by the force OF the
Explosion and by spinters passing through
and then caught fire, showing that cam
las under such conditions will not stop
3plinters.
III The shell itself burst in many pieces
varying from. the size of n large piece
weighing five pounds. The direction these
fragments took was forward downward.
inward and to both sides. many OF hem
&oing over the ships sides. others passing
Through the copper vcntilaors and smoke
lRipes and doing but little damage The
fragments that went downward and for
ETard struck about the port in the waist
xun, where there were twelve men sta
Honed killing one man and iniuring several
|@thers.
q The man killed. Weidemark. was struck
" piece OF shell about two inches square
I ont he I..f, ala.
~ his neck near the angle of the law sew
'9red the blood vessels proceeded upward
10 backward into his brain, probably ill.,
3nring the mednla and lodged under the
&kin Just beneath the occipita protuber-
Ance. The man fell forward losing con
|Aclousness Immediately. His respiration
ceased as soon as he was struck. but his
4eart continued to beat feebly for about
I've minutes, when all signs of life disap
scared
u Another fragment of shell of about the
anne size struck a man named Fettman
~ the anterior inner surface of the left
Righ. about three inches above The left
nee and went through The limb. taking i.
backward and downward course. The fe
nnr was shattered into numerous frsg-
|H ents and the muscles were torn consid-
Xaoiy' The effect of the missile In bone
as peculiar in that the bone was not
10y spilntered for about three inches OF
~. &c ~ Jul IL NdS pulNeTlHeu, hundreds
minute particles of bone being imbedded
n the muscles
III AZ the point of exit there We're shreds
IA tissue protruding from the wounds
Ahowlng that the ragged piece of steel drew
muscular fbers and fascia along with IL
me leg was operated on and portion of
nc iemur and the splinters and crumbs
~ bone. removed. the fragments we're
Fimmed off and wired together and through
End through drainage established, the Limbo
4elhg put in fenistrated plaster dressing.
ne wound at last accounts was healing
~ primary union and there is every reason
pe!ieve that the leg will he saved.
Ahother man was struck in the left leg
" a piece of shell about one half inch ~
4ne-h inch. 1t entered the leg about H.,
nidile on the outer side. went inward aud
ErWaru' growing the anterior surface of
ne tibia. The fragments of bone were
ENen out OF the leg by the piece OF shell.
mere were several other minor injuries.
u Pieces of shell struck several men. but
&id no damage. One man felt something
|9ot on his breast and on investigation found
small piece Of shell that had burned Its
$ay through his clothing and reached his
kin- The fragments OF the shell were all
4ot' as was shown by burnt wood and can
&as; The men Injured by The shell all
aiu tney feIt burning. singing sensa-
on about their wounds. and in some cases
Pc clothing We're scorched. The shel Ie-
iVed a great deal of heat from the fric-
on 1t inc,rs in leaving the gun; some OF
pls neat is lost through radiation in its
ignt through the air: more heat is de-
Xeloped in the lmpace of the shell and still
ore energy takes the form of heat when
Pc missile explodes. making the frag-
ents hot enough to set fire to wood All
NJ the wounds made by the shell were asey-
nut they all were sluggish in healing.
ue 10 the lowered vitality and burning of
Pc injured parts"