The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1898-07-16
A WONDERFUL
WAR VESSEL
THE vEsUvIUs, ON WHICH THE
EYES OF ALL NATIONS REST.
Secrets of this Boat Lately Tried
Floating Engine of Destruction
Explained at Length by Theodoro
8. Darling, Together with All tho
Facts about His Famous Gun-The
Terrible Power that Brings Fear
the Spanish Body.

In the havoc created by the shells from
the little Vesuvius at Santiago science
won one of it's most notable fights of the
century. It is a, fight that dates back
many years. for into this victory enter
the elements Of compressed air, explosive,
elimination of gun recoil and the develop
ment In the science of gunnery believed
practically impossible. All these things
Mr.. Theodore S. Darling, president OF the
Pneumatic Torpedo and Construction
company, which owns the patents and
makes the guns similar to those aboard
the Vesuvius, contemplates with that sat
.isfaction that comes from success after
long continued effort.
Years ago, in Detroit, Mich, Mr.. Darl-
ing, John B. Moloney, then one of
DetrOit's most prominent citizens, and
now resident of New York, and others
became interested in a queer pneumatic.
gun, designed by Mr.. Mefford, of Ohio,
the gun from which really has sprung the
wonderful pneumatic gun to-day. Year
after year went by and gradually the
men who were interested with Mr.. Darl-
ing dropped away from the INVENTION
until at last he was the only one left to
care for it. He never lost heart, says the
New York Herald, and pushed on steadily,
until now he is the oldest and the largest
stakeholder in the gun company, and
president besides --. - ~
To-day Mr.. Darling is IN communication
in reference to supplying them with his
pneumatic guns: Outside the United
States, England is the only country which
possesses one Of the so-called dynamite
guns, f1fteen-inch specimen being To-
Gated at Milford Haven in that country
Mr.. Darling Ia fully convinced that be-
fore very long period his gun will DO
part of the artillery of several great
nations. The action Of the Vesuvius at
Santiago has brought about this state OF
affairs. 1t is the greatest object lesson
In the power of modern explosives that
has yet been afforded.
One OF the most surprising things that
develops in Mr.. Darling's statement con-
corning the gun Is that the guns abroad
the Vesuvius are not dynamite guns at
all In fact, there is not pennyweight
of dynamite aboard the ship. The shells
contain, besides the fuse, nothing but gun
cotton, which, while very high ex-.
plosive, is not the, equal of dynamite
There Is almost as much difference be-
tween gum cotton and regulation tlyna-..
mite as there Is between gun cotton and
powder and the former has fifty times the
explosive powder of the latter.
At the present time there are dynamite
guns at Fort Hancock, Sandy Hook, N.
j., and the Preside, at San Francisco. A
representative of the company making:
these guns has just returned from San
francisco, where he has been superintend-.
ing thorough examination of the guns.
there, and placing them in the very best
of condition. A fact not hitherto an
nounced Is that the government is about
to add a battery of these terrible weap--
ons to the Notifications in Boston harbor,
and the preliminary step toward SUCH
establishment were taken Saturday, June
70. Just how large the battery at Boston
will be has not been definitely decided. r;
Few people realize just what the dyna--
mite gum, as it is generally known, real
ly Is and how it Is operated. The sci.
entif1c features of it have never been,
understood, and Mr.. Darling for the first
time here reveals the exact facts.
The three guns on the Vesuvius," saidt
Mr.. Darling, "are by no means repre-
sentative of what our pneumatic gun can
accomplish. They are the only guns Of
the sort that are stationary and they
were built that way as an experiment.
You know We built the Vesuvius, equip-4
ped her and then sold her to the govern
ment. You see, the Vesuvius represents
a certain stage Of development of the
gun. At the time she was built we had
nothing better, but now we know that we.
can make our gun revolve the same as:
any other gun aboard ship, and have lust
as good an effect.
1.-THE guns of the Vesuvius are flfty-fiye.
feet long, fifteen inches in diameter OF
the bore. and abovt nineteen inches en-
tire diameter of thv muzzle. Inasmuch
as they cannot be moved about, they
are trained by the man who steers the
vessel. From these three guns can be
discharged fifteen profectiles in ten min
utes. One of these projectiles weighs
when charged 1000 pounds and has
range of more than 1000 yards when
discharged at an angle Of thirty-five de-
800 Th's rrctecttle carries 200 pounds