The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-06-29
NEW FIREARMS.
Observations Made by Dr..
Orlando Quicker
AT cURco MOUNTAIN FIGHT
Terrible Lacsraticn Caused by the
Modern Implements
of War.

the Bullet Leaves the Flesh IL Tears 1
Frightfully - seventy-Five Bodies o
spaniards Found on the Field but y,
Wounded Men Were To BE seen-Rati,
of Mortality Unknown.
Port Antonio, Jamaica, June %
Copyright. 1898, by The Associated
Press. Ever since the Introduction OF
the modern high-power, small-caHbre
rifle among the armies OF the WORLD
there has been intense interest in the
medical profession. as well as among
laymen. 10 know the effect Of the new
arm in the nature Of the wounds IL
would iniiict and the proportion Of NOR
tally 70 wounded.
Dr. Orlando Quicker OF the American
Medical association. who is here TO
study the practical aspects of battle
field surgery, as well as tropical dis
eases and their treatment. went over
the battlefield Of CUrco mountain with
surgeon Edgar Of the marine corps and
examined the bodies there A sight of
the battlefield gave the impression of a
bigger fight than had been conveyed
by the cold official statement of the
case at Camp McCalla last Tuesday
The additional bodies found raised the
estimate Of Spanish killed from fftv-
eight, the first days count. 10 more
than seventy-five. Many bullet-pierced
straw hats Uttered the ravine where
the Spaniards made their last disas-
trous retreat. The narrow glen was
literally covered with empty Mauser
plants were plentifully peppered with
the tei-tale bullet holes, and trees were
SCARED and twigs were hanging in pro-
fusion along the close-grown footpath.
only eight bodies were found in con-
alton TO examine. The doctors brought
BACK two bullet-punctured Spanish
Skulls. Speaking of what he had
learned DIR. Quicker said:
Terrible Work of the Bullet.
The effectiveness Of rifles Of small
calibre but Of great initial velocity like
the ag-Jorgensen, Lee Melford or
Mauser, for instance, should be regard
ed as settled, If we accept the results
or the battle Of Curco mountain on
June IA. one Of our soldiers received n
Hesh wound in the left arm at a dis \
lance or 200 yards. The bail struck inst |
beloW the elbow q s the arm was heinz |
EXTENDED tseni-feXed) The wound al |
the entrance was no larger than the |
pulIet' but the exit was terrible lacer-
auon' so 6reat, in fact, that Il was sun
posed until a minute examination had |
oeen made, that an explosive bullet ba9 |
been used.
OF the Spanish soldiers examined
one had sustained a comminuted frac-
lure OF the fifth and sixth ribs at the
anterior curvature The soldier was
evidently STOPPING and running when
struck by the fatal bullet the ball en-
-ering the back, below the tenth rib
ana ranging upward, striking the in
Ter side OF the sixth and the outer side
II the fifth rib, SCATTERING them for the
pace Of two inches. The second was a
legro Spanish guerrilla, with the usual
nick negro skull. The wound AZ en-
rance was near the middle Of the left
'arietal bone, tearing away the outer
able for a quarter Of an inch around
L. but leaving the inner table intact
kept a clean-cut hole the size of the
ullet.
Through the Right Orbit.
The ball passed out through the |
light orbit, tearing away half az tho ]
DOR and all Of the inner wall. There
vas complete longitudinal fracture Of
he skull, extending from the ciliarv
idge Of the right side to the occipjtal
uture on the same side. passing ono
1ch above the wound az entrance The |
nird Spaniard was one Of the regulars
ldging from his uniform, and a man
bout 20 years old He was evidentIv
topping forward and facing our troons
the ball entered the right frontal
one, two inches anterior to the parietal
1ture and two and a half inches above
ne temporal articulation. traversipo
ne brain longitudinally, passing ont
trough the right SIDE OF the occinital
one on line Of and midway between
ne mastoid process and occipital nro.
lberance. The wound at exit was ir-
egular in shape, but one by seven-
ghths OF an inch in size. damaging
IKE both the inner and outer table OF
lie skull.
Looked Like ChiseIing.
THE wound at entrance was o,oo,
II and the size Of the bullet SO far as
le inner table was involved, but along
le lower margin extended three
80 " "' iii'h vi either side and / ,
ne inch below the entrance the outar
Ible was completely torn awav. as
Tough 1t had been excavated by a chs
A complete longitudinal fracture
;tended from the roof Of the right or
{ through the frontal bone. passing
III an inch above the wound at on.
ance TO two-thirds the distance OF the
ght parietal, the other EXTENDING
'wnward and outward 10 the middle
I'd posterior margin Of the bone In
9TH cases OF wounds Of the skuu the
ngitudinal fracture did not communal
tie with the wound at entrance or ex-
In both cases the fracture was mar
lei to the course Of the ball and com ;
etc. A thinbladed knife was passed
rough the fractures The shooting
as from 600 to 500 yards. and the
actures along the line Of greatest
essure.
Whether a ball passing through the
ad from side to side will cause a frac-
re at right angle TO the long diam
n Of the head or not further investi- :
tion will demonstrate. The bursting
the skull is no doubt due TO the great
locity Of the ball through the brain