Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1898-05-28

az II can be completed win be followed
with great interest The sun " the M
yentlon OF Rear Admiral ,. A. Howell.
Of the United States navy. whose auto
mobile torpedo was no effective ana
his name In conjunction with u Ger
taInly insureA q measure Of success.
Rear Admiral Howell has been con-
Quoting experiments for several years
TO improve the vcgaylus' guns and OBJ
siate the difficulties which they pre-
sent. He believes that the only means
BY which safe, accurate and euecttre
gun can be secured Ii by nmbofying 10
the projectlla the two-foid character
OF piece and prcjectiIe: that II. TO have
Il receive impulse from forces residing
within itself. Upon these lines he has
worked until he has evolved a gun
which will speed q rocket containing
the explosive with the accuracy OF
rifle bali. He believed the rocket must
be made 10 revoIye with the same ro-
tary motion Of steel pro5cctilc hurled
from an ordinary gun. To do this the
enormous pressure OF twonty tons TO a
square inch would be required In "a
ordinary gun. Such force would de-
tomato any mass Of high explosive nj
the instant Of discharge. lie therefore
conceived the idea Of revolving both
the gun and the charge. The projectile.
combating. In the i0-inch calibcr. Of
one hundred pounds of gun cotton, IL
incaaed in thin metal envelope. the
rear end OF which contains rocket COM
position and the head q percussion fuse
which IL set In action by the force OF
impact. This In placed In the gun. and
when. by q mechanical contrivance, Il
has been spun up TO twenty-five hum
dred revolutions per minute, a friction
cap ignites the rocket composition.
and the banked up pressure at tho base
4 starts the rocket. This. then, begins
B lite flight with a rotary motion CORE
Il spending to that of the gun. The fact
that this motion liz due TO neither the
resistance Of the atmosphere against
vanes nor to the escape Of part Of the
u propelling gas from number Of vents.
Il gives II great range. velocity, and,
Il above all, perfect accuracy--whiie the
absence of any initial shock OF dis
Il charge renders Il absolutely safe.
The heaviest war rocket fired from
the new Howell gun will weigh three
n hundred pounds. the range viii be
about three thousand yards, and It's ne
curacy almost equal TO that OF rife
q prejectile. Tho piece, though Il can
not be called high angle fire gun. nor
Il one of point-blank range, ia between
n the mortar and the rifle. The new gun
can be used In both offensive and de-
fensive operations, ashore or aiioat- tin
81 fact, tho illustration represents d bait
n tleship attacked by several OF these
81 guns and the effect OF defamation
against her armored sides.
The enemy IL supposed TO have been
one of a large fleet that has engaged
a. the Sandy Hook batteries. and. either
through the smoke and confusion of
battle, or some other chance OF war,
has succeeded In passing the fort,
8 clearing the channel OF torpedoea by
Il countermining, and Is speeding for the
M Narrows, from which point she ex-
M poets to make of New York mass Of
II smoking ruins She has not reckoned
well. however, for, owing to great
draught OF water, the battleship Ii
compelled to follow the tortuous main
ship channel, which brings her within
range of the new weapons OF destruc-
ton mounted on the point at Consy
&c island