The times., 1898-06-30
SPAIN's sIK-|NCH SHELLS
Havoc Wrought by One That
Hit the Texas.
MISSILES OF IMMENSE FORCE
A Correspondents Describes the Ter
risIe Effects of the PrOiectiIe.
Went Through the Side of the
Ship as if the Armor Were Made
of Paper.

London. June 29.-The correspondent
of the Telegraph writes from on board
the United States ship Texas. Guantana-
mo Bay, under date of June % as fol-
lows:
When 1 wrote my description of the
landing Of the army al Baiqu.ri yester-
day I mentioned incidentally that the
Texas took part in the strategic move
ment intended 10 cover the landing. The
duty assigned TO the ship was that of
Smelling the western batteries at the en-
trance to Santiago harbor. This duty
was undertaken single handed. and in
half an hour the batteries had ceased 10
reply. In the hurry of catching the mail
steamer / had not time 10 ascertain
whether any of the enemy's projectiles
had hit the Texas, and besides / was ten
miles away to the eastward. Today the
Texas came into GUANTANAMO Bay 10
transfer eight wounded men 10 the hospi-
talship Soiace and then learned that
for once the Spanish gunners had made
hit. They had succeeded in planting a
shell on board the Texas. The projectIle
killed one man and wounded eight others
and did considerable damage 10 the ves-
sci herself. BY the courtesy of Capt.
Philip / was permitted 10 so on board
the Texas and see the effect of the Span
ish shell. The Texas. it may be mention
ed is a second-class battleship, built,
with some notifications to designs pre-
pared by Mr.. Laird Cloves, in competi-
fion with other naval experts. The yes
sci is one of the best fighting ships in the
United States Navy, and is quite gener-
ally admitted TO be the best sea boat un-
der the flag.
As a proof Of this Lieut. Haslar, the
chief officer told me that they have never
vet used ''fiddles''-thOse denominations
to the landsman-on board the vessel.
Lieut.. Haslar himself conducted me over
the ship. and pointed out the havoc
wrought by the Spanish she'll The pro-
Jectile was a steel 6-inch shell. fired, ii
is believed. from one of the high-power
ships guns that have been mounted on
the Santiago fortifications since Admiral
Cervera's 3 feet was blockaded in Santiago
harbor. II struck the Texas on the port
bow, between the gun deck and the spar
deck. bursting in the forward compart-
ment, where there are six 6-pounder guns,
three on either side. The crews Of all
these guns were al quarters and there
Were besides a number of other men in
the compartment at the time.
1t Is miraculous that only one man was
killed and eight wounded. The part of the
ship hit is outside the central citadel and
above the protected deck. The sides of
the ship at the point OF impact consisted
OF a steel plate one and quarter inches
thick. The shell pierced this like so much
paper. hit a metal stanchion anidships
and exploded about seven feet from the
plating on the starboard side. A note
worthy feature of the steel plating was
that 1t afforded no splinters or debris to
carry inboard- 1t was torn into ribbons
ana Folded back in a way that gave the
impression that the tough metal had been
half melted by the impact and passage Of
the projectile. The shock however was
not sufficient to explode the shell and had
IL missed the stanchion il would have
passed through the starboard side and
possibly exploded outside the shin. I'm
fortunately, the stanchion was directly in
the path Of the shell, and the heavy metal
column offered enough resistance to ex-
plOde il. The effect was terrific
Although the shei. vas only a small
one, inches in diameter and therefore
not weighing more than about seventy
pounds, it practically wrecked the big
compartment in which Ii burst while the
smoke from II forced itself down the am
munition hoists and into the forward COM
partments of the ship. so that for a few
minutes the crew was almost suffOcat-
ed The stanehion was shivered into at
oms for two feet of its length. and the
fragments of the burst shell. flying for
the stout steel plates outward 10 a depth
of inches. Just at this point one Of the
big double-headed angle irons of the
ships frame was situated This great rib
OF steel, nearly twice as thick and heavy
as railroad rail. was cut through in two
pieces as II IL had been made of cheese
and nearly two feet of IL was carried
away bodily in minute pieces. The base
of the shell plowed a furrow down the
steel deck just as plow would cut
through the soft soil of faIlow field
II hit and broke another rib Of the shin
and, breaking itself in two both pieces
lodged in a cable reel standing close to the
Erarboard side. The core of this reel was
prism Of oak over feet in circumfer-
ence and there was wound on il al the
time coil Of hemp hawser that made a
cylinder about feet in diameter. The
hemp rope was cut through to the wood
and the stout oaken prism was shivered
TO splinters. This one fact alone would
be sufficient to give an idea of the apoal-
ling energy of modern projectiles.
Showers Of steel splinters. resulting
from the exploded shell itself and the torn
stanchion and angle irons, swept along
the starboard side for about 80 feet. cut
ting of heads of bolts. breaking gun fit-
tings and stripping off the paint as if a
score Of men had worked for hours with
steel chisels.
Every man In its path was wounded
One gunner was hit with no fewer than
nfteen pieces of steel, each about The
size Of hazel nut At the moment the
shell exploded one man was standing
right In its path. He was literally blown
10 fragments He was talking to 2 COM
race, ano, strange as IL may seem. the
satter although less than an arms
lensth away. was Unhurt, save for be-
ing Knocked down by the shock of the
explosion Others Of the men. thirty
leet from the fatal shot, had dozen
pieces OF the shell plunged into their
bodies
A remarkable feature of the explosion