Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-06-12
BULLET EVOLUTION.
HOW THE BULLET OF WELLINGTON
AND NAPOLEON BECAME CoNICAL.
Some Interesting Facts About the
Projcctile That Caused the Geneva
Convention TO Bar II from Civil
lied Warfare.
(Correspondence Of the plspatch.)

WASHINGTON, ID. c., June 12.-The
rush" of the savage foe that the British
soldiers are accustomed TO in their border
fights is not likely to be seen In the
war with Spain. Not on the Spanish side.
anyhow. 1t was this headlong rush OF
men with foam on their lips and insane
excitement In their eyes that the merci-
full bullet Of civilized troops failed TO stop.
The maddened Indian hillsman would still
come on after being hit in several places
by the small bullet that could bore
through three men without killing one.
1t was this inability 10 stop these fright
full rushes Of savage fighters that led to
the adoption Of what is called the dun
DUN" bullet.
To trace the evolution Of the rife pro-
jectile from the spherical bullet, with
which the soldiers OF Napoleon and We'll
lington fought, to the conical bullet that
our troops at the front viii carry in their
cartrdge-belts. II is well to begin with
period shortly antedating the Crimean
war, when the conical bullet was intro
duced. Its superiority over the spherical
| form was at once apparent, as Il gave
| greater range and penetration. The
MIME" was the first outcome Of this new
| invention, followed by the Enfield" a
muzzle-loading rifle OF considerable power,
| throwing a conlcal bullet, solid in front,
with hollow in the base, which caused
the lead to expand and take the growing
of the rifle. So far the bullets were solid,
and caused much the same class Of wound
as the spherical bullet.
When thePrussians adopted a needle gun,
with which they so conspicuously defeated
the Austrians. the English Government
was forced in arming its troops with a
breech-loader, and adopted the Snider
principle Of breech-actlon, which had this
great advantage that 1t was feasible to
convert the Enfelds in stock into breech-
leaders. With the introduction of the
Snider changes were made In the bullet
A hollow. filed by plug Of wood or clay,
was introduced into the front part Of the
bullet and the base was also followed and
plugged, diaphragm of solid lead being
. left in the centre. This was a most deadly
projectile, the plug I'm the front expanding
the bullet on impact, and causing ter
rible injuries to soft parts and bones.
The next step was TO form hollow in the
front over which the lead was drawn"
leaving a space filled with air Then
came a solid portion of lead. and finally
a hollow in the base plugged with clay.
, This was a more deadly bullet than the
| previous one, and it's Smashing
powers were so great that II was adopt
ed for sporting purposes. On soft-bodied
e animals, such as tigers and panthers, its
3 effects were wonderful the biggest tiger
often dropping dead to a single shot
when well placed. This form of Snider
bullet, though called expanding" was
really explosive, its bursting power be-
ing probably due TO the air It contained
! being greatly impressed on striking, act
: ing like a small charge OF powder ex-
4 ploded by the impact.
! This bullet was far more deadly to man
s and animals than anything that had be-
fore been invented, excepting, of course
explosive" bullets. The bullet that our
S soldiers as well as those of Spain, are
S not allowed to use, the Geneva cOnven-
G ton having legislated against IL. was a
q terrible projectiIe. This bullet was cast
S in two parts the base something like a
y thimble with a fiat top, the apex conical
s with a hollow leading down from the
point. The base, or thimble-shaped end
y was nearly filled with ordinary powder
! then a piece Of thin cloth was laid over
the top, the apex was fitted I'm, and the
two parts were then "swaged" together
in a machine. There was thus formed q
, ! conical bullet, generally a 12-bore chat
| is, a bore than took a spherical bullet o.
| twelve to the pound, with a charge OF
| powder i'm the base, a thin diaphragm
and a hollow leading to IT from the point
| Down this hollow decorating powder was
poured and the hole closed with wax
This was typical form of explosive bull
let and most deadly in its effects.
, Writing Of the effect Of this terrible bull
! let Surgeon Major-General j. b. Hamil
, ton, A NJ. s., writes: II have shot grea
, deal Of heavy game in India with the ex
, plosive bullet, and never lost an ANNA
, | knew I had struck. / have seen stas
| fifteen hands high hit behind the Shout
1 | der. collapse as II its legs HAD turned int
Jelly. on one occasion / saved my life by
| killing a charging bear in dense jungle
e | dropping her within few feet OF me. II
this case / observed smoke issuing no
only from the wound. but also from tn,
mouth and nostrils, and on opening tn,
{ chest found the lungs and heart torn &
D pieces"
| Inc SulleT BuArlt luyuEE not StElcl4l
I. an explosive" bullet. became i'm its lat
. ter form equivalent to one, but it wa
! never forbidden in warfare.
The next advance was the Martini
! | Henry rife with a hardened proieetil,
OF Oi5O diameter-the Snidcr was O.577-
with greatly increased velocity and pene
tration. and a much lower trajectory
, This bullet was complained OF as not hav
, Ing stopping powder--that Is. it passe,
. through the limbs or body without caus
ing immediate collapse unless some vita
. part or important bone was struck Il
white mans warfare this was of com
: paratlvely little consequence. as civilize,
beings are much more susceptible TO In
jury than sayages. AS a rule. when
white man" is wounded he has ha,
enough, and is quite ready to drop on
q Of the ranks and go 10 the rear; but tn
savage, like the tiger, is not so impress
sionable, and will go on fighting. evel
5 when desperately wounded. The Martini
Henry was in use for many years, Blu
was at length superseded by the Lee
Metford, the present military rifle o
!, Great Britain. This rifle has a bore o
only 03 inch, the bullet being Of lead
surrounded by a jacket or covering o
O nickel and, fired with smokeless powder
gives a very high velocity. with YER
low trajectory, and immense penetration
= 1t was found during experiments wit
the Lee-Metford that on firing into
dead animal the bones were frequently
p comminuted 10 an extraordinary degree
though on other occasions the bulle
II merely drilled hole in passing through
This was the experience of the Births
troops in India, and while in some case
e terrible wounds were inflicted. in other
little or no damage was done. There
| the uell-knoWn instance OF the Central