Cañon City record., 1898-11-10
BAD WORK OF SHELLS
H1set e the Explosion Il 1fissiles
Ifxom Heavy cuns.

from Heavy cuas.
n. uayunsaA SPEAR. snsgson - -
D1agshiD New York, TELLS ~ - &
DaAn Wrsusht ~ sDaa-
- PrsJeetiIee.
During the bombardment Of -
Juan de Puerto Rico May II the New
York was struck once by 14-centfme-
ter shell at a distance of abou. $500
yards. The shell came over the stern
OF the ship and struck an iron stanchion
three inches in thickness, which was
shell went on for q distance of about
Is feet and exploded in wooden boat,
which was covered with canvas
The boat WIS demolished, the lighter
planking being badly spIinfered and
driven downward and forward against
steam winch. The oars in the boat
were broken. and one piece hurled for
ward 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 spIinfers pass
ing through it and then caught FIRE,
showing that canvas under such eondf-
tions will not stop spl'nters.
The shell itself burs. into many
pieces. varying from the size OF a pea 20
large pieces weighing about five pounds
The direction which these fragments
took was forward. downward, upward
and to both sides, many sf them going
over the ships side. others passing
through the copper veniilafors and
smoke pipes and doing III: little dam
age.
The fragments that went downward
and forward struck about the pert
eight-inch waist gun where there were
~ men stationed, killing one man and
iujuring several others. The maj. 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 medull. and lodged
under the ski just beneath the oc-
cipital proturberance.
The man fell forward, losing con-
sciousnesx Immediately. His respirs-
IOu ccdscQ d1 sOOu ds ne was ttIuck.
but his heart continued to beat fol
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. ehnut three inches bove
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 boue
was peculiar. in that the bone was not
only splinfered for about three inches
OF its length, but II was also pulverized,
hundreds of minute pieces of bone h~ing
imbedded in the muscles. The wound
of exit was smaller than the wound
Of entrance. the piece of shell prob
ably entering the thigh edgewisc, turn
ing and presenting fat surface a the
point of exit AT this poin; iherf. were
shreds of tissne proiruding from tbs
wound. showing that the ragged piece
Of steel drew muscular fber< and fascia
along with IL
The leg was operated On and prr-s
fion offhe frmur reseeted. ;he <pl.n;srs
and crumbs OF bone were rer,csf5i stsss
fragments were trimmed { n sn' ~f4F
together. and through aSsi shrS
drainage established he linn, b.s
put up In tepisfraied riasser drss
Ing. The wound al las, accosinIs NJ.
healing by primary un:cr. anl ,hI
is every reason to believe the leg will bs
saved.
Another man wac struck In she les;
leg by a piece of shell s.isoIi. enc ira
by one and a half inches by ani,-iaif
inch II entered The leg abcs. It's nh,-
die on the ouier side. wer; iEw7ra ~
forward growing the arierins -, 'i..rs
Of the tibia- The fragm as as orre
were taken out of the leg by the pieee
of she'll
There were several other minor ir-
juries. Pieces OF shell struck several
men. but did no damage. One man
felt something hot on bis brsas.. ana
upon investigating found a small piece
OF shell thai bad burned its way
through his clothing and reached his
skin The fragments of the shell were
all hot, as was shown by burnt wool
and canvas. The men injured by the
shell all said they fel, burning. siing-
ing sensation about their wounds. aud
In some cases the clothing was scorched.
The shell receives a great deal OF
heat from the friction II incnrs in ,eav-
ing the gun. Some of this hea, is lost
through radiation in its fiigh; through
the air More heat is developed on the
impac; of the shell, and s,ill more en-
ergy takes the form of hea; when the
missile cxplodes. making the fragments
hot enough to Sc, fire to the wood.
All of the wounds made by the pieces
Of shell were aseptic. bu, they all were
sluggish in healing. due to the lowered
vitality and burning df the injured
Ne.ss.
~FiEhtinw Bsb's~ wife.
NJ R<<t.l N ~