CanÌƒon City record. [volume] (CanÌƒon City, Colo.) 1883-192?, 1898-10-27
BAD WORK OF SHELLS
Effect Of the Explosion Of lrissiles
from Heavy Guns.


Rsin wroughs ~ span-
Ah Prs1eetiIes.
During the bombardment Of San
Juan de Puerto Rico May 12 the New
York was struck once by a 14-centime-
ter shell at distance of about $500
yards. The shell came over the stern
of the ship and struck an iron stanchion
three inches in thickness. which was
broken OF at the point of contact. The
shell went on for distance OF about
Is feet and exploded in a wooden boat,
which was covered with canvas
The boat was demolished. the lighter
planking being badly splintcred and
driven downward anl fas ~. d agains;
a steam winch The cars in the boai
were broken, and one piece hurled for
ward along the spar deck, but did nc
damage.
The canvas covering the boat was
torn and rent into sbreds by he forcs
of the explosion and by sIIiniers pass-
ing through ii and thsn caught fire,
showing that canvas under such condi-
tions will not stop spl'n;ers.
The shell itself bnrs. into many
large pieces weighing 1bou. five pounds
The direction which these fragments
took was forward. downward, upward
and to both sides. many Of them going
over the ships side, others passing
through the copper ventilaiors and
smoke pipes and doing t.-: little dam
age.
The fragments that went downward
and forward struck about the port
eight-inch waist gun. where there were
IL men stationed, killing one man and
injuring several others. The mar killed.
Wiedemark, was struck by a piece of
shell about two inches square by one
inch thick II entered the left side of
the neck near the angle of the jaw, sew
cred the blood vessels. proceeded up
ward and backward into his brain, prob
ably injuring the meduII. and lodged
under the ski just beneath the oc-
cipital proturberance.
The man fell forward, losing con-
sciousness Immediately. His respira-
tion ceased as soon as he was struck,
but his heart continued to beat for
about FIVE minutes. when all signs of lie
disappeared
Another fragment of shell of about
the same size struck man named Fett-
mann on the anterior inner surface of
the left thigh. about three inches above
the knee, and went through the limb.
taking backward and downward
course. The femur was shattered into
numerous fragments and the muscles
were torn considerably in the track of
the wound
The effect of the missile on the bone
was peculiar. in that the bore was no,
only splinEered for about three inches
of its length. but II WIS also ruIverized,
hundreds OF rnf1u1s pieces CT baae t,-in.
imbedded in The L uScles. TIE wound
Of exit was smaller than the waurd
of entrance. the ri-ce of shell prob
ably entering ;he ihigh edgswise turn
ing and presenting fla; sErsace al th.s
point of exit Al this poiai here were
shreds OF tissue prnirrd;-y from The
wound. showing that the rugged piece
Of steel drew muscular fiber~ and fascia
along with IT.
The leg was operated on and 4 por-
tion Of the femur rszected; she Sp.ia,rr~
and crumbs of bone were ., sd IL
fragments were trimmed Il :s,s' sirs
together. and through s-n th-s
drainage established. II, ifins, heis
put up in a tenisfrased ris~iev trss
ing The wound at last Ses-s.:- X Ma
healing by primary urser a~ii ;:igr
is every reason to believe the leg MI. i
saved.
Another man was strut, n the lefr
leg by piece of shell =rou. cue in, a
by one and half inches y iaIf
inch. II entered the isy ~, II ifs ,iii-
die on the outer side ,sert u,.-ta>s ~
forward. growing the an-er.9~ st.-i..r
of the tibia- The frarw RS % aqre
were taken out of the leg by III. piece
of she'll.
There were several other minor ir-
juries- Pieces of she'll struck sexerai
men, but did no damage oae ma
felt something hot on his = -st. a,is
upon investigating found sgsi;i i,i-c
of shell that had i'sr - 49,.
through his clothing and reached hss
skin. The fragmenss oF.ts Stsii wprs
all hot, as wus shSwa ~ iiura wd
and canvas The r,sn s.A 4 tx - 3
shell all said they fei, burnisg. sting
etc SSnSSeiot aNsc- tsaff- N1sti = a-ftf
in some cases the clo.hiny was scorches'.
The shell receives great deal IL
heat from the friction il sS .-aA-
ing the gun Some Of Ills heat is -
through radiation in its ii.gs ifreus
the air. More heat is de,s,nsed or iie
impact of the she'll. and S;Ill r7nse rs..
ergy takes the form OF ir.. ; ,hs
missile explcdes. nakiag aeis ..-menss
hot enough TO Sc; fire sa'l *. ~.
All of the wounds made hy tue pieces
of shell were aser;ic. bur ihry al vers
sluggish in heaiire, due 10 the iowere6
vitality and hurnins of the injured
parts--Medical Ne..s.
"FtEhtirE Bah'-- wife.
Mrs. Roeiey D. Evars. the wife of
-. a..