The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1898-07-23
VILLAINOUS GUNCOTTON
THIS HIGH EXPLOSIVE ADOPTED FOR
THE ARMY AND NAVY.

Damage Wrought on warships
by Shells Charged With Cordite in the
War Between China and Japan-Its De-
structive Power How 1t IL Made.
Guncotton, one of the most power
full destroyers known to man, has been
adopted by the United States as the
service high explosive for the great
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 rified
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 feet. A single shell
from the 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 ahoat.
Should portion of an attacking fleet
run through the fire of the long
range guns and come within range OF
the mortar batteries, upon the decks
would fall tons of guncotton incased
in 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 torpedoss and submarine
mines in the war between Chill and
Peru, the Turco- 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 wrought 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 %, 1894, in which three Chinese
and four Japanese warships were en-
gagged, the Tsi Yuen, one of the
Chinese ships, received the heaviest
fire. An English officer went aboard
after the battle.
s'The vessel presented the appear.
ance of an old wreck" he said. ION
deck the sight was cruel and beggars
description. Woodwork, cordage, bits
of iron and dead bodies all lay in con-
fusion. Between decks matters were
as bad. The slaughter had beer
awful, blood and human remains being
scattered over the decks and guns.
| Flnfee of the five men working the
four-ton gun in the after turret were
blown to pieces by a six-inch shell,
and fourth was shot down while at
tempting to leave the turret. The re
manning gunner stuck to his post and
managed to fire three rounds at the
Naniwa, and one she'll entering hel
engine room and another blowing hel
fore bridge away, she hauled off. Thu
Chinese admiral awarded to the pluck,
gunner 1000 taels. One shell struck thu
deck and, glancing, passed up through
the coming tower and exploded, blow
ing to pieces the gunner-lieutenan
and leaving his head hanging on on
of the voice pipes. Huge fragments
of armor and backing had been tori
from their fastenings and carried in
board, crushing number of poo
wretches into shapeless masses, evel
the upper part of the tunnels being
splashed with blood"
Guncotton shells for heavy gun
have been adopted by the Unitet
States as the result of experiments ex
tended over period Of years. sLonl
| ago the ordnance experts were con
vinced that high explosive shell
could be used with entire safety. an
emmensite, modern explosive of IN
certain action, was adopted for use il
the army. The service charge of EN-
mensite for common 12-inch morta
shells was fixed at seventeen pounds
and for deck piercing shells at thirty
| eight pounds. Three years ago tn
army ordnance bureau announcer
that experiments were in progress wit
view to adopting an armor-piercin
projectile and high-explosiyer shell
Several American inventors have sine
brought forward armor- piercing she'll
| meeting the government requirements
The proiectile factories are now work
ing under rush orders making shell
L for the government. The armol
4 piercers, deck piercers, and commo
shells are all made with powder chan
bers, solid shot having been discarded
10 more emmensite will be made, an
the government is placing large order
J for celluIose cotton fibre) and nitri
and sulphuric acids for the MANI
factnre of gnncotton.
i The great power Of guncotton as