The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1898-06-04
VILLAIN0US GUNC0TT0N
THIS HIGH EXPLOSIVE ADOPTED FOR
THE ARMY AND NAVY.

Terrific Damage Wrought on Warship
by Shells Charged With CordltA in til,
War Between China and Japan-Its De
structive Power - How 1t Is Made.
| Guncotton, one of the most power
full destroyers known to man, has beer
adopted by the United States as the
service high explosive for the greaN
guns of warships and seacoast de-
fences, as the tests at the Indian
Head and Sandy Hook proving
grounds have demonstrated the entire
feasibility Of firing from modern riaed
guns, with smokeless powder as the
propelling agent, steel shells carrying
heavy charges Of guncotton. Among
all the measures taken for strengthen
ing the national defences, this is one
of the most important,
Armor-piercing projectiles, heavily
charged with guncotton, would make
our fortified harbors safe from an at
tack by hostile fleet. A single she'll
from tho great Watervliet gun to be
mounted on Romer Shoals would
carry such weight of the powerful
explosive as to put out of action the
most heavily armored ship adoat
Should a portion of an attacking fleet
run through the fire of the long
range guns and come within range of
the rtar-batteries, upon the decks
would fall tons Of guncotton incased
in deck-piercing shells, which would
explode between decks with terrible
effect. Armor plate would be crushed
like tin, guns dismounted, boilers ex-
ploded, and crews decimated by the
flying fragments of steel and the force
of the explosive.
Modern high explosives have never
been used in large quantities to charge
rifle shells in warfare, but secret ex-
periments in Europe have met with
such success that it is believed that
should there be another great Euro
pean war the combatants would all be
found supplied with high explosive
shells. Dynamite and guncotton were
used in torpedoes aud submarine
mines in the war between Chill and
Peru, the Turco-R Russian war Of 1877,
the Franco Chinese war of 1884, the
Brazilian civil war, and the last war
in the East, but only in the conflict be-
tween China and Japan was any use
made of high explosive shells. Dur.
ing the few hours of naval fighting
terrible destruction was wroug ht by
Japanese shells charged with small
quantities Of cordite, the service
smokeless powder of England. Many
OF the shells failed to explode and the
aim Of the gunners was bad, but the
effect of high explosive shells, even
under these adverse conditions, was
terrific. In the action off Asan on
July rs, 1894, in which three Chinese
and four Japanese warships were en-
gagged, the Isl Yuen, one of the
Chinese ships, received the heaviest
fire. An English officer went aboard
after the battle.
1.-The vessel presented the appear
ance Of an old wreck" he said, "On
deck the sight was cruel and beggars
description. Woodwork, cordage, bits
Of iron and dead bodies all lay in con-
fusion. Between decks matters we're
as bad. The slaughter had been
awful, blood and human remains being
scattered over the decks and guns.
Three of the five men working the
Four-ton gun in the after turret were
blown to pieces by a six-inch she'll,
and fourth was shot down while at
tempting to leave the turret. The re-
naming gunner stuck to his post and
managed to fire three rounds at the
Saniwa, AID one shell entering her
engine room and another blowing her
ore bridge away, she hauled off. The
chinese admiral awarded to the plucky
gunner 1000 taels. One shell struck the
leck and, glancing, passed up through
ne coming tower and exploded, blow
ng to pieces the gunner lieutenant
md leaving his head hanging on one
i the voice pipes. Huge fragments
# armor and backing had been torn
rom their fastenings and carried in
'oard, crushing a number of poor
vretches into shapeless masses, even
be upper part of the tunnels being
FLASHED with blood"
Guncotton shells for heavy guns
ave been adopted by the United
tates as the result of experiments ex-
ended over a period Of years. Long
go the ordnance experts were con-
lnced that high explosive shells
0uld be used with entire safety, and
nmensite, modern explosive Of un-
ertain action, was adopted for use in
le army. The service charge of en-
enslte for common 12-inch mortar
lells was fixed at seventeen pounds,
al for deck-piercing shells at thirty.
ght pounds. Three years ago the
my ordnance bureau announced
lat experiments were in progress with
view to adopting an armor-piercing
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