The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-06-04
EXPLOSION OF A SHELL.
It's Effects as Described by an Eye-Nit IT,
ness ON The FLAGSHIP New York.

80 tlAA -" 49, hEIh
ness on the Flagship New York.
rho following article by Assistant SUE
geon Raymond Spear. on board the has
ship New York, showing the effect OF the
explosion Of a Il en-. shell. VIII appear to-
morrow I'm tho Medical News:
During the bombardment Of San Juan
de Porto Rico, on May l2th. the New York
was struck once by a II en-. shell at a
distance OF about $50 yards. The shell
came over the stern OF the ship and
struck an iron stanchion three inches I'm
thickness, which was broken short off at
the point OF contact. The shell went on
for a distance Of about fifteen feet and
exploded I'm u wooden boat. which was
covered with canvas. The boat was de-
mOiished. the lighter %planking being bad
~ splintered and driven downward and
forward against an iron steam winch. the
oars in the boat were broken. and one
piece was driven forward along the spar
deck, but did no damage. The canvas
covering the boat was torn and rent into
shreds by the force of the explosion and
by splinters passing through it and then
caught fire. showing that canvas under
tuch conditions will not stop %splinters.
The shell itself burst into many pieces.
varying from the size Of a pea to large
pieces weighing about five pounds. The
direction these fragments took was for
ward, downward. upward mo TO both
sides, many of them going over the ships
side, others passing through the copper
ventilators and smoke pipes and doing
but little damage.
The fragments that went downward
and forward struck about the port s.
inch waist gun. where there were twelve
men stationed. killing one man n in
Juring several others. The man killed.
Weidemark, was struck by a piece OF
shell about two inches square by one
inch thick. il entered the left side Of his
neck near the angle of the jaw, severed
the blood vessels. proceeded upward and
backward into his brain, probably inju-
ring the medulla and lodged under the
skin just beneath the occipital protruber-
ance. The man fell forward. losing con-
seriousness Immediately. His respiration
ceased as soon as he was struck, but his
heart continued 10 bea feebly for about
five minutes, when all signs OF life dis
appeared.
Another fragment Of shell Of about the
same size struck a man named Fettman
on the anterior inner surface Of the left
thigh, about three inches above the knee,
and went through the limb. taking a
backward and downward course. The
femur was shattered into numerous frae-
ments and the muscles were torn con-
siderably in the track of the wound.
The effect OF the missile on the bone
was peculiar in that the bone was not
only splintered for about three inches OF
its length, but IT was also pulverized,
hundreds Of minute pieces of bon being
imbedded in the muscles. At the point
Of exit there were shreds Of tissue pro-
truding from the wound, showing that
the ragged piece Of steel drew muscular
fbres n fascia along with il. The leg
was operated on and a portion Of the
femur resected, the splinters n crumbs
of Don We're removed. the fragments
were trimmed off and wired together. and
through and through drainage establish
ed, the limb being put in a Frustrated
plaster dressing. The wound at last ac-
counts was healing by primary union.
and there is every reason to believe that
The leg will be saved.
Another man was struck I'm the left leg
by a piece of shell about / inch Xl-2 inch
KIP inch. IL entered the leg about its
middle on the outer side. went inward
and forward, growing the anterior sur
face Of the tibia. The fragments OF
bone were taken out Of the leg by the
piece Of shell.
There were several other minor inju-
RES. Pieces of she'll struck several men
but did no damage. One man felt some
thing hot on his breast. and oninvesti-
eating found a small piece Of shell that
had burned its way through his clothing
and reached his skin. The fragments
OF the shell were all hot, as was shown
by burnt wood and canvass. Tho men
injured by the shell all said they felt a
burning. singing sensation about their
wounds. and in some cases the clothing
was scOrched.
The shell receives a great deal OF heat
from the friction il incurs inleaying the
gun; some Of this heat IS lost through
radiation in it's flight through the air.
more heat is developed on the impact Of
the shell. and still more energy takes
the form OF heat when the missile explodes
making te fragments hot enough to set
fire to wood. All OF the wounds made
by the pieces OF shell were ascptic. but
they all were sluggish in healing. due
to the lowered vitality and burning of
the injured parts-New York Herald Of
June Sd.