The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-06-20
Our "Dynamite, Cruiser.


The Vesuvius has been in commission
about eight years. During all of this time,
until last week, she was regarded as be-
ing a more or less doubtful experiment,
involving the gravest danger to her crew.
Now she gives promise of showing herself
to be one of the most terrible fighting ma
chimes ahoat. on each of two nights last
week she approached within a short dis
lance Of the enemy's position at Santiago
and threw three shells containing great
charges of high explosives into that posi-
ton. The exact nature of the damage in
ficted has not been ascertained yet, but
there is reason to believe that the de
struction was considerable. Four of the
six charges thrown were heard to explode
with terrific noise; the other two were not
characterized by noise. 1t is thought they
exploded in the water
The adventure OF the Vesuvius proves
that high explosives may be thrown from
her tubes for considerable distances with
out exceptional danger to the crew, that
the range is fairly accurate, and that
while the vessel is working under the
cover of darkness or thick weather she is
not likely. to be detected. Her guns, or
compressed air tubes. make no noise in
discharging their projectiles. There is only
a 'hoarse cough" as the projectle leaves
the gun and speeds on Its way. In the
darkness. therefore, there is no loud re-
port to Indicate to the enemy the direc-
ton from which the death-dealing bomb
comes. Showing no lights it is possible
for the speedy little craft TO run up within
range, discharge her bombs and get away
again before the enemy has had time to
locate her and get her range.
There is, by the way, considerable pop
ular misrepresentation with regard to the
Vesuvius. She is called a dynamite"
cruiser. She appears in the naval lists
as dynamite gunboat" The fact is she
has nothing 10 do with dynamite The
high explosive which she throws is gun
cotton. which is probably the safest to the
handlers of all known high explosives. An
illustration of its safeness was presented
at Cardenas the other day, IN the engage
ment in which Ensign Bagley was killed.
The torpedo in the port tube of the Wins
low was struck fairly by shot from the
guncotton charge was pierced through and
through by the Spanish shot; but there
was no explosion. Had the torpedo been
loaded with dynamite there would not
I have been a splinter of the Winslow or
shred of her men left to bear witness to
the disaster. Guncotton will not explode
from shock; it must be detonated with
spark or a primer, hence the degree of
safety with which it is employed in the
bombs of the Vesuvus. One of the great
troubles with the projectiles Of the vessel
has been to get a primer which could be
| relied upon to explode the charge of gun
| cotton upon impact with either solid
substance or water. The eardenas incident
indicates the probability that the Vesu-
vius would not necessarily be blown up
if she were struck by a shot from the
| enemy. 1t has always been feared that
| one hit would explode her magazines and
| grind her into powder. Unless a shell eX-
ploded inside of her, or struck one of the
| small primers or otherwise communicated
a spark to the guncotton, the probabili-
| ties are that no explosion would follow
While the work of the Vesuvus, so far
| mas peen OF character TO graIlty her
friends it has not by long odds been con-
elusive Nothing has been definitely set
tied concerning craft of her type or guns
like those which she carries, except that
under certain circumstances they may be
| employed with a reasonable degree of
safety to the crews handling them. The
accuracy of the fire and the effects of the
projectiles upon the enemy are yet matters
of doubt. Meantime, it is to be hoped that
the experiment of the Vesuyius win be
found eminently successful. She is the
only vessel of her kind in the world. If
the hurting of heavy charges of guncotton
with air pressure in war is success, we
are that much in advance of every other
nation.