The San Francisco call., 1898-02-03
THE SHELLS
 EXPLODE
 TOO SOON Light Artillery Sup piled With Poor
 Ammunition. Sensation Created by the Discovery of a Lot of Flimsy Shrapnel. Firing Tests at the Presidio Con- ducted by Lieut.. Rabbit of the Ordnance Corps. THE HARBOR DEFENSES. Orders From the War Department to Hasten the Work of Mounting
 the New Guns.
THE HARBOR DEFENsEs.
Orders From the War Department to Hasten the Work of Mounting
 the New Guns.

A genuine sensation was created in army circles of this department yester- day. Tests of shrapnel shells were made by Lieutenant E. B. Rabbit of Benicia Arsenal. Twenty shells were fired and fifty per cent of the ammuni- tion was found to be wholly worthless. The f1imsy shrapnel was supplied by the American Ordnance Company of Washington and must have been ac- cepted by some one of the gilt-edged society men on staff duty at the na- tional capital.
 The first definite intelligence that some of the ammunition supplied to troops of this department was defec- tive came to the knowledge of General Shafter last November and was report ed by the officers of the light batteries of the Third Artillery. The firing tests at Redwood City revealed the exist ence of defective shrapnel One of the shells fired during the Redwood prac- tice burst in the bore of the field gun The fragment, nearly half the size of the Whole projectile, was sent to Gen. eral Shafter He reported the facts to the chief of ordnance at Washing ton, D. C., and urged investigation.
 A few days ago orders were issued directing that Lieutenant Babbitt of Benieia Arsenal proceed to the Pre- sidio and there test the shrapnel. Tn obedience to orders Lieutenant Bab- bitt arrived at the Pfesidio yesterday and proceeded to the testing He y,looa6 ono oF tho 6o1d ytaooc-o thraa inch rif1ed gun of Captain Potts Light Battery F-near the waters edge. short distance from the Presidio wharf Twenty-six rounds of ammunition were taken from the ordinary supply.
 The first three shells fired seemed to be all right. The explosion in each in- stance took place at the proper dis tance from the gun and the fragments, scattering, splashed the water at the points desired.
 The fourth shell was defective and so was the fifth and the sixth.
 When the twenty-six rounds were discharged it was readily calculated that 50 per cent of the shrapnel ammu- hilton was worthless.
 The defective shells burst near the nuZZle of the gun and scattered the inclosed bullets and fragments in the water a few yards from the shore line. It was found that the chief cause of the premature explosion was the thin ness of the wall of the shell. The wall was made thin in order to give room inside for a heavy charge of explosive material. It was clear to the minds Of officers who saw the experiments that the wall of the shell was not of suf1l- cient thickness to resist the force of the propelling charge of powder The shell was practically shattered before if left the bore of the cannon.
 The report had been circulated in Washington or elsewhere among friends of the company supplying the ammunition that the defects existed only in electrically welded shrapnel. To make the test certain all the shells fused by electricity. were excluded rom the twenty-six rounds selected by Lieutenant Rabbit.
 Yesterday Colonel Charles R. Suter, chief engineer of the Pacific division, received instructions from General J. M Wilson. chief of engineers. Wash ineton. D. C., to hasten the work of mounting the modern guns Tor the oe- fense of this hartor. In accordance with instructions the force of workmen on the Notifications will be enlarged.
 Word was received by wire yesterday from the chief of ordnance that two additional ten-inch rif1ed guns, to be mounted on disappearing carriages, had been shipped from the proving grounds to San Francisco. Each gun weighs hirty-eight tons and will come through on a car constructed specially for hauling heavy ordnance. Twelve carriages for the new mortar battery have arrived from the East. The re- naining four will be along in few days.
 Something has happened to suggest activity in defensive work. Army and navy officers do not exactly know what is in the wind, but they know that some reason exists for recent preparations.
 The modern ordnance known as the high-power guns now mounted and in position for immediate use to defend the harbor of San Francisco consists of five twelve-inch rified guns on the hill near Fort Point, three ten-inch guns on disappearing carriages. three dynamite guns and sixteen mortars. At Lime Point, on the other side of the channel, there are three twelve-inch rifles. Thirty high-power guns are, therefore, in place and ready for imme- diate use. At the Presidio, Alcatraz and Lime Point there are eighteen 15-inch muzzle-loading guns of the old styles, which are effective at a range of one mile.