Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-07-20
ISHAM'S DIAPHRAGM SHELL.
1t il Fired with 45O Pounds Of Powder
From 12-Inch Gnn and safely Carries
113 Pounds of High Explosive.

For the first time in the history of ord
nance a great mass of explosive gelat.ne.
one of the most destructive compounds
dentistry has produced, has been success
fully fired from service seacolst gun.
Small charges of nigh explosives have
been fired from big guns without explod-
ng. but never before had a shell carrying
113 pounds of explosive gelatine as did the
Isham shell at Sandy Hook been
fired from a gun with gunpowder as the
propellng explosive on Tuesday last. On
that day at the United States proving
ground, Mr.. w. S. Isham, the inventor of
he diaphragm high-explosive shell, put
hundredweight of explosive gelatine In
steel shell and fired 1t from an ordinary
eacoast gun. The members of the board
of ordnance and fortifications were on
hand including Major Gen. Nelson A.
Miles, the president of the board, accom-
panied by Brig Gen. Royal T. Frank
Capt. Charles B. Wheeler. Lieut.. Isaac n.
Lewis, the recorder of the board, and
Judge Joseph II. Cultivate, the civilian
member. Major Frank Heath, in charge
of the proving grounds, conducted the
tests.
The Isham shell is divided in its cham
hers into several smaller chambers by
diaphragms at right angles to the lcng
axis which break the shock of firing. The
shell fired was Pinch projectile, some
what longer than the ordinary 12-inch
shell, and weighing 1898 pounds Lieut..
Jameson loaded it with ll3 pounds of ex-
plosive gelatine. In one of the Pinch RI
ties down by the shore he put 45o pounds
of brown powder. the service charge. The
electric wires were then attached Mean
while the officers and civilians had retired
to safe distance to watch the fight of
the shell. should it not tear the gun to
pieces
| As the quarter-ton of powder was fired
the big gun shot hack on its cradle fifty
feet. The shell sailed out over the sea,
| striking the water about two miles off
shore. 1t ricocheted like a fiat stone
thrown across "A mill pond. and struck the
water again far beyond. Again ii bounded
into the air, and then it disappeared into
the sea. 1t did not explode. Somewhere
off Sandy Hook lies enough explosive gela-
tine TO blow several good ships to king
dom come. The firing was a success, and
Everybody congratulated the inventor lie
had little to say. He knew what his shell
would do, and 1t did 1t. lie was confident
that when 1t came to firing his shell
through armor plate the results would be
the same.
| As far as it went the test was perfectly
successful. and it marks distinct adj
vance in the use OF high explosives in war
fare Other tests, however, must be made
before the shell is adopted by the ordnance
board One hundred and thirteen pounds
of explosive gelatine exploded in the hull
of the most formidable battleship afoat
would send her to the bottom OF the sea,
and no one would be left TO tell the story
And the final success OF Mr.. Isham's in
vention will go far to put an end to naval
warfare. Mr.. Willard S. Isham, the inven.
tor Of this shell, is a Burlington boy, and a
graduate OF the University OF Vermont In
the class OF 49, He has been in business
and one of the proprietois of the Mexican
Trader. an important commercial journal
in the City of Mexico. The further tests
of his invention will be awaited with Ia.
lterest by our readerxs