The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1898-06-04
WHAT A SHELL WILL DO.


NeW York. June a-The following article
hy Assistant Surgeon Raymond on the
flagship New York showing the effect OF
the explosion Of il-ceBtimetre shell. ap-
pezred today in the Medical News:
During the bOmbardment OF San Juan
d. Porto Rico May u, the New York was
struck once By a if-centimetre shell at
distance OF about 500 yards. The shell
came over the stern and struck an iron
.stanchion three inches In thickness, which
was broken short on at the point OF con-
tact. The shell went on for a distance
Of fifteen feet and exploded in a wooden
boat which was covered with canvass.
The bodt was demolished. the planking
being badly splintered and driven down
ward and forward against a steam winch.
The oars in the beat were broken and one
piece was driven forward along the deck,
but did no damage The canvass covering
Of the boat was torn and rent into shreds
10y the force OF the explosion By several
splinters passing through il. and then
caught fire. showing that canvass under
such conditions will not stop spiinters.
The shell burst into many pieces varying
from the size OF pea 10 large pieces
weighing five pounds. The fragments
took effect forward. downward. upward
and to both sides. many OF them going
over the ships side, others passing
through the copper ventilatOrs and smoke
stacks and doing but little damage. The
fragments that went downward and for
ward struck about the port S-inch waist
gun, where there were twelve men sta
toned. killing one man and lnjuring sew
eral others. The man killed was struck
by a piece OF shell about two inches
square by one inch thick. 1t entered
the side Of his neck near the angle OF
the jaw. severed the blood vessels. passed
upward and backward to his brain and
lodged under the skin just beneath the
occipltal branch. The man fell forward,
losing consciousness Immediately. His
heart continued to beat feebly for about
five minutes. when all signs OF life disap-
peared. Another fragment OF the shell
about the same size struck a man named
Feldman on the anterior surface OF the
left thigh, about three inches above the
knee and went through the limb. taking
a backward and downward course. The
femur was shattered into numerous frag-
ments and the muscles were torn con-
siderably in the track of the wound. The
leg was operated on and portion OF the
femur resissited. the splintered crumbs
OF bone were removed. the fragments
were trimmed and wired together ana
thorough drainage established. the limb
being placed in fenestrated 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 piece of shell about |
one inch by half an inch. 1t entered the |
leg about it's miodle on the outer side, |
went inward and forward. driving the an
terror surface OF the tibia. The fragments 1
of the bone were taken ont Of the leg by
pieces OF shell
There y:ere other minor injuries. Pieces
OF shell struck several men. but did no
damage. one man felt something hot on
his breast and on investigation found that
a small piece OF shell had burned its way
through his clothing and reached the
skin. The fragments of the shell were
Sll hot as was shown by burnt wood ana
canvass. The men injured by the shell
al felt a burning. singing sensation
about their wounds and in some cases the
clothing was scorched. The shell received
rtle heat from friction from the gun.
though this is lost in its flight, more heat
Is developed in the impact and still more {
energy takes the form of heat when the {
shell eXplodes, making the fragments hot {
enough 10 set fire to wood.
All the wounds were aseptic, but they {
we're sluggish in healing. owing to lowered {
'itality and burning of the injured parts. I