The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1898-06-04
The MODERN sHRAPNEL.
Flow It Differs Radically From the opso'
lete Projectiles.

Flow 1t Differs Radically From the opso'
lete Projectiles.
Many suggestions have been made
TO the war department at Washington
for the utilization of the old smooth
bore twelve-pounder Napoleon guns
that the army still has on hand as
relics of former wars. The depart
ment has been severely censured, IN
deed, for not using these old guns tor
firing shrapnel, and several papers
have gone so far as to assert that
shrapnel cannot beused in the modern
rifled cannon. An official who Is
recognized authority on projectlles
and guns said that these suggestions
and criticisms are founded on 1gnor:
ance of the nature Of the shraPnel
and the modern riAed gun, as used IN
the armies of all civilized nations.
The old twelve-pounder Napoleon
said he, is q smoothbore, obsolete
run, which was considered autiquated
eyen in our late war. 1t bears about
the same relation to the field gun OF
the present day that the old scythe
, does to the modern moving machine
, The shrapnel used in the old field gun'
he said was known in the service as
, spherical case shot" It consisted
! If = spherical shell filled with bullets.
q but these bullets are now assembled
a in circular layers, and are held IN
). place by separators, which are snort
Z cast-iron cylinders, with hemisphere
a cal cavities, into which the bullets n''
" These separators are weakened by
+ radical cuts, and increase the effect o,
Il the shrapnel by furnishing additional Of,
! fragments of effective weight: Inc
10 total number of bullets and dliferen'
20 pieces in the modern shrapnel IS 2o1
q AS to the range Of the old and mod
in ern shrapnel, this official said That I'M n
~ Twelve FOUNDER Napoleon carried IT.
ID old-fashioned shrapnel only a trim
ba over 1900 yards. The present shrap
,;r mel. firing from rifed gun, is ehec
nd tive at $500 yards, or two and a ha'
IT times as far. It could be used niue
ha further than this if clear view OF y, IN
he object of fire could be obtained. I'D
to object against which this pro'ectlle !
~ to he exploded must be seen clear
IL and it's distance calculated to anlcet!
in in so that the fuse may beproperly ad]us
ish ed and timed. ALL,
nix nix The shrapnel is called by artilie'
.f experts "the man killing projectile
thd It has replaced shell in the ne
I Iay artillery, and is practically the on
ae1 proiectile used by the modern ne
,wn guns of the armies of this country al
,m Of Europe. It is ten to twenty tim
er1 as destructive as shell against TROOP
!, In the late war it was used to 60
mi: purpose at Malvern Hill and Gett!
burg, and also by the British IN tn n
Indian and Egyptian campaigns. l
only objection that can be advah:
all against it is that the range anu VI
be must be accurately determined; WI
most thesa are ascertained, the shrap
war will pulverize any object it is u
un- upon.
tile, "sedau," said this official, was
| the greatest artillery battle tna' nns
mis- been fought. Every atte'npy -.
French to advance against the Ger1
that guns was checked by the shell M
hysi- the German batteries at a uiS 'sans
rally 1000 PAGES. the ffench sI 10
cally Douay, declared that me rlensn
beaten by the artillery fire alone.
\ this was with shell. Inc enec'''ohos
t the shrapnel may be imagined wh 81
+ any remember that 1t IS al le"ss 70
trust twenty times as DESTRUCTIVE ~
It un- under the same conol'lon''
into York Times.