The times., 1898-06-04
DAMAGE DONE BY A SHE'LL.
Surgeon Spear Describes the
wounds of American sniIors.

Surgeon Spear Describes the
Wounds of American Sailors.
Assistant Surgeon Raymond Spear on
board the flagship New York. has pre-
pared the following article. showing tbs
effect of the explosion OF Ii en-. shell.
During the bombardinent of San Juan
de Porto Rico, on May H. the New York
was struck once by Il en-. shell at a
distance Of about $500 yards. The shell
came over the stern OF the ship and
struck an iron stanchion three inches in
thickness, which was broken short off at
the point of contact. The shell went on
for a distance Of about fifteen feet and
exploded in a wooden boat. which was
covered with canvas. The boat was de-
molished.- the lighter planking being
badly spllntered 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 ex-
plosion and by splinters passing through
it and then caught fire. showing that
canvas under such conditions will not
stop splinters.
1.-The shell itself burst into many pieces,
pieces weighing about five pounds The
direction these fragments took was for
ward, downward. upward and to both
sides, 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 eight-inch
gun, where there were twelve men sta
toned, killing one man and iniurng sew
IA lodi 10
was struck by piece OF shell about two
inches square by one inch thick It en-
tered the left side OF his neck near the
angle of the Jaw, severed the blood ves>
sells, proceeded upward and backward
into his brain, probably injuring the me-
dulla and lodged under the skin Just be
meath the oCcipltal proturberanee. The
man fell forward, losing consciousness
Immediately. His respiration ceased as
soon as he was struck, but his heart con-
tinued TO beat feebly for about five min
utes, when all signs OF life disappeared.
Another fragment of shell of about the
same size struck a man named Fettnan
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 fe-
mur was shattered into numerous frag-
ments and the muscles were torn consid-
erably 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 bone being
imbedded in the muscles. At the point of
exit there were shreds OF tissue protrtd-
ing from the wound, showing that the
ragged piece of steel drew muscular fbers
and facia along with II. The leg was op-
Grated on and portion OF the femur re-
FIR MT frf,,
and wired together, and through and
through drainage established, the limb
being put up in a fenistrated plaster
dressing. The wound at last accounts
was healing by primary union. and there
is every reason to believe that the leg
will be saved.
Another man was struck in the left leg
by a piece of she'll about one inch by
one-half inch by one-half inch. 1t en-
tered the leg about It's middle on the
outer side, went inward and forward
growing the anterior surface of the
tlba- The fragments OF bone were taken
out of the leg by, the piece of shell.
There were several other minor in
juries. Pieces Of shell struck several
men, but did no damage. One man felt
something hot on his breast and. on in
vestigating, found a small piece Of shell
that had burned its way through his
clothing and reached his skin. The frag-
ments of the shell were all hot, as was
shown by burnt wood and canvas. The
men injured by the shell all said they fslt
burning, stinging sensation about their
wounds, and IN some cases the clothing
was scorched.
The shell receives great deal of heat
from the friction II incurs in leaving the
gun; some of this heat is lost through
radiation in its 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 ex-
plodes, making the fragments hot enough
to set fire to wood. All of the wounds
made by the pieces OF shell were aseptic.
but they were all sluggish in healing, due
to the lowered vitality and burning of the
injured parts.
The name that dwels on every tongue is
Heurich,S Maarzan haar