New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1898-07-13

Gnese particles goes on separate path,
and it's sorry day for the man struck
by one of them. All Of these falling
upon a piece Of level ground would
mark out an irregular oval, whose area
varies with differing conditions. It has
been found that the best point to burst
the shrapnel is about six yards above
and so in front of the enemy. y
Colonel Shrapnel Of the British serv-
ice first invented shrapnel in 1908. This
early form consisted simply Of spher-
ical shell filled with bullets and a burst
ing charge Of powder in the spaces be-
tween. This was a crude invention,
which scattered the fragments too much
and was liable to go off when not ex-
pected and not do so when desired.
This form was improved upon during
our civil war, and the modern shrapnel
can be considered the most dangerous
Of all life destroying projectiles. It con-
sists of three parts-the tube, the base
and the head. The powder charge is in
the base, which is firmly attached to
the body either by electric welding or
by screwing. Leading from the base
through the center of the body is tube
which is also filled with powder, which
is ignited by the fuse at the point of the
shrapnel and carries the fire to the main
charge. Between 900 and 800 bullets
rest upon a diaphragm just over the
powder charge. These are held in place
by a matrix of rosin which is melted
and poured upon the bullets when in
place. A skeleton case of cast iron con-
tanning receptacles for each bullet is
sometimes used instead Of the rosin.
The head is put on in the same man
ner as the base, and when the fuse is
inserted the projectile is ready for USE
Some shrapnels have the bursting charge
in the head instead of the base. The
fuse used is rather complicated, but the
United States has as good one az
there is. It is time fuse and in actual
test has shown its reliability. ~
It can readily be seen that one great
objection to the shrapnel is it's high
cost. The fuse alone costs about 81. so.
The same gun is usually supplied with
three styles of ammunition-the solid
shot, the shell and the shrapnel. Some
batteries are also supplied with. canister
for use at close quarters. The bullets
in the canister have wider dispersion,
because the case breaks up in the gun.
Canister was used to repel the famous
charge led by the Confederate general
Pickett at Gettysburg. A perfect hail
of missiles swept the slope leading up
to Cemetery Hill, against whose de-
structive effects human valor was of no
avail.
The shell is used to destroy inanimate
objects as well as animate ones It con-
sists of hollow cast iron shell, with a
fuse and bursting charge of powder.
The famous shot fired during the cut
ting Of the cables at Cienfuegos is q
good example of its use. The Spaniards
having. taken refuge in and behind a
lighthouse, she'll was fred by one Of
our ships which, striking it fairly,
burst and utterly destroyed the struc-
ture, killing many of the soldiers.
But against men in battle formation.
the shrapnel is the more effective. It
sends perfect shower of missiles which,
falling in the midst Of company,
would almost annihilate it. Many tests
have been made to show this. f$
Shrapnels fired from a gun mile
away in one instance and mile and
two thirds in the other were made to
strike a board target one inch thick.
The fuses were set off by the contact
and burst the projectile into 300 or 800
parts, each Of which was capable Of
dealing death to any living thing in. its
path. Screens were placed at indicated
distances behind the target These may
be considered as representing q battalion
of infantry in column of companies.
From the number of hits upon all Of
them the efficiency Of shrapne1 fire
against close order formation may be
judged.
In one shot 152 hits were made by q
single shrapneL. In another 215 hits are
recorded, but these are not so we'll scat
tered. Imagine, then, the effect Of q
we'll placed shrapnel upon 3 group Of
men such as is here represented.
The reader can readily understand
why wars are now waged az greater,
distances and why hand to hand con-.
.fiicts are almost unheard of New
York Herald.
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