The Press., 1898-09-08
MODERN SHRAPNEL.
DEADLY EFFECT OF THIS FEARFUL
 IMPLEMENT OF WAR.

l1JD 111B4N o1146LAA 4NAIAze DEADLY EFFECT OF THIS FEARFUL IMPLEMENT OF WAR.
 what Happens When . Single Pra3ectiie suddenly Bursts Into Two Hundred ssp- arase Messengers of Death-shells and Solid Shot.
 The. improvements in modern guns have embraced all calibers, from that of the small arm firing projectile only oue-third of an inch in diameter to the monster which sends solid piece of steel 12 inches through and weighing over half ton. Not only have the guns imuroyed, but also all their accessories, especially powder and projectiles. The smokeless powder of the 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 | of 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 the most effective of modern projectiles is the shrapnel. It 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 8 case, which breaks up | either in the gun or at some point i'll flight, 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 a sorry day for the man struck by one of them. All of these falling upon @ piece of level ground would mark out an irregular oval, whose area varies with differing conditions. It has been found that the best point to burst the shrapnel is about six yards above and 50 in front of the enemy.
 Colonel Shrapnel of the British serv- ice first invented shrapnel in 1903. This early form consisted simply of 8 spher- ical shell filled with bullets and burst. ing charge of powder in the spaces be. tween. This was 8 crude invention, which scattered the fragments too much and was liable to go 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. It con
 sists of three parts-the tube, the base
 and the head The powder charge is 1T
 the base, which is firmly attached tt
 the body either by electric welding ol
 by screwing. Leading from the bass
 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 th'
 shrapnel and carries the fire to the maiI
 charge. Between 200 and 300 bullets
 rest upon a diaphragm just over th'
 powder charge. These are held in plac'
 by matrix of rosin which is melted
 and poured upon the bullets when il
 place. A skeleton case of cast iron con
 taining receptacles for each bullet i
 sometimes used instead of the rosin.
 The head is put on in the same man ner as the base, and when the fuse i
 inserted the projectile is ready for use
 Some shrapnels have the bursting charg
 in the head instead of the base. Th
 fuse used is rather complicated, but thu
 United States has as good a one a
 there is. It is time fuse and in actua
 test has shown its reliability.
 | !
 objection to the shrapne1 is it's higl
 cost. The fuse alone costs about $2. 50
 The same gun is usually supplied witt three styles of ammunition-thes soltt
 shot, the she'll and the shrapnel. Som batteries are also supplied with caniste
 for use at close quarters. The bullet in the canister have 8 wider dispersion
 because the case breaks up in the gun ) Canister was used to repel the famou charge led by the Confederate genera
 Pickett at Gettysburg. A perfect hai
 of missiles swept the slope leading ul
 to Cemetery Hill, against whose de structive effects human valor was of n avail.
 The shell is used to destroy inanimat objects as we'll as animate ones. It con sists of hollow cast iron shell, with
 fuse and bursting charge of powder The famous shot fired during the cut ting of the cables at Cienfuegos is
 good example of its use. The Spaniard
 having taken refuge in and behind
 Lighthouse, shell was fired by one o our ships, which, striking it fairly burst and utterly destroyed the struc ture, killing many of the soldiers. But against men in battle formation the shrapnel is the more effective. sends perfect shower of missiles which
 falling in the midst of 8 company would almost annihilate 1t. Many test have been made to show this.
 Shrapnels fired from 8 gun a mil
 away in one instance and a mile an, two-thirds in the other were made t. strike board target one inch thick The fuses were set of by the contac
 and burst the projectile into 200 or 3O' parts, each of which was capable o
 dealing death to any living thing in it
 path. Screens were placed at indicated distances behind the target. These ma, be considered as representing 8 battalion of infantry in column of companies
 From the number of hits upon all O them the efficiency of shrapnel fir against close order formation may b judged.
 In one shot 152 hits were made by . single shrapnel. In another 215 hits ar !. recorded, but these are not so we'll scat tered. Imagine, then, the effect of
 we'll placed shrapnel upon group O men such as is here represented.
 The reader can readily understan'
 why wars are now waged at greate ,, distances and why hand to hand con fiicts are almost unheard of.-Nev
 York Herald.
 II Beneficial Effects of Coffee. = A woman writer who gave up coffe 3 recently found that she was unable t.