The Mena star., 1898-07-27
THE MODERN SHRAPNEL.
Jectile = Its Destructivcness = Oid Tvclve-Pounder smooth Bores.

Many suggestions have been made to the war department for the utiliza- ton of the old smooth-bore l2-pounder Napoleon guns that the army still has on hand as relics of former wars. The department has been severely censured, indeed, for using these old guns for fir ing shrapnel, and several papers have gone so far as to assert that shrapnel cannot be used in the modern rified can non. An official who is recognized au- thority on projectiles and guns said recently that these suggestions and criticisms are founded on ignorance of the nature of the shrapnel and the mod ern riaed gun, as used in the armies of all civilized nations.
 The old 12-pounder Napoleon, said he, is a smoothbore, obsolete gun, which was considered antiquated even in our late war. 1t bears about the same re- lation to the field gun of the present day that the old scythe does to the mod ern moving machine. The shrapnel used in the old field gun, he said, was known to the service as spherical case shot" It consisted of a spherical shell filled with musket balls, held in place by resin or melted sulphur, and ex- ploded with small bursting charge.
 The shrapnel of the present day is quite another thing. Like the old shrapnel, it consists of a case filled with bullets, but these bullets are now as- sembled in circular layers, and are held In place by separators, which are short cast-iron cylinders, with hemispherical cavities, into which the bullets fit. These separators are weakened by radical cuts, and increase the effect of the shrapnel by furnishing additional frag- ments of effective weight. The total number of bullets and different pieces in the modern shrapnel is 201.
 As to the range of the old and modern st siiiTapnei, this official says that the 12- pounder Napoleon carried it's old-fash- toned shrapnel only trifle over 1,500 yards. The present shrspnel, fired from rified cannon. is effective at $500 yards, and 21s times as far. It could be used much further than this if a clear view of the object of fire could be ob- tained. The object against which this projectile is to be exploded must be seen clearly and it's distance calculated to nicety, so that the fuse may be prop erly adjusted and timed.
 The shrapnel is called by artillery ex- perts 'the man-killing projectile." 1t has replaced shell in the field artil- lery, and is practically the only pro- tectiie nsed by the modern field guns of the armies of this country and of Eu- rope. 1t is ten to twenty times as de- strnctive as shell against troops. In the late war 1t was used to good purpose at Malvern Hill and Gettysburg, and also by the British in their Indian and Egyp- tian campaigns The only objection that can be advanced against it is that the range and view must be accurately determined. When these are ascer- tained, the shrapneI will pulverize any object it is used upon.
 Sedan" said this official, twas the greatest artillery battle tha.. 6. has ever been fought. Every attempt of the French to advance against the German guns was checked by the shell fire of stsN ttt hioi pdAAtiiCS ut Il QlStuNCe or 5000 paces. The French general. Dou- ay, declared tssat the FrencA were beat cn by the artillery fire alone. This was with shell. The effectiveness of shrap- Dei may be imagined when we rennen.- eee. that it is at least ten to twenty times as destructive as shell under the e0me conditions. "--N. |. Times.
 
 Deadly Weapons of Foreign Miners.
 The first purchase made by Slovak or Polack is revolver, by Italian or Scil- Ian stiletto; then the newcomer buys silver watch; and after that is secured he begins to save money. If the Slovak or Polack is particularly thrifty, he postpones purchasing q revolver for several months, and carries in one pock- ct round, hard stone, large enough