New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-03-30
FATAL TEST or A CANNON.
EXPLODING TEN-INCH GUN KILLS ONE
MAN AND WOUNDS TWO.

INEXPLICABLE ACTION OF AN UNDIsCLOsED
BRAND OF sMOKELEss POWDER AT
SANDY HOOK-THE INDICATOR REGIS
TIERS SEVENTY-NINE THOUSAND
POUNDS TO THE SQUARE INCH
AND THEN BURSTS.
BY the unaccountabe action of a certain
brand of smokeless powder which being
experimental with at the Sandy Hook Proving
Grounds for ordnance yesterday one man was
almost cut in two Mt the waist. dying instantly;
two other men were injured, and new lo-lnch
gun was blown to hits.
Lieutenant Montgomery. of the Ordnance Blu
reau was in charge Of the firing squad. Major
Robert Birrie present as a witness, in an
unofficial capacity. The 1O-inch gun TO bt tested
was Of the 1895 model. and had come from the
Watervliet Arsenal. Where the smokeless pow
der which was also to be tested came from, or
who made 1t Major Blrnie. who gave a Tribune
reporter many Of the facts refused to disclose
He said it would not be professional or strictly
fair to the makers to do so now.
For the first discharge the gun was loaded
with little less than full charge Of this pow
der When It was fired nothing unusual hap
pened The pressure generated by the powder
was found TO be $1,000 pounds to the square
inch As $1,000 pounds 10 the square inch is
he pressure which IT is required that - i'fI
gun under test shall bear, the big riIie was
loaded again. this time with A full charge and
all the men retired behind the bomb-proof shield
used for this kind of work. II stood nifty feet
behind the gun.
This shield consists OF a closely built fence
comnosed Of thick planks standing on end and
arfh A Gin
stands four feet behind the first. and the entire
intervening space Is filled with sand. This
shield has been used in hundreds OF tests at
Sandy Hook. and had always been an ample
defence until yesterday
BURSTING OF THE RIFLE.
When the 10-inch gun was fired second
time the conclusion and the roar which followed
were terrific, and were mingled with the crash
OF tmbers. The immense rife had burst Inc
heavy breecnblock was blown backward with
such awful velocity that it pierced the front OF
the bomb-proof shield as II 1t had been made
Of shingles passed through the four feet OF
packed sand. through the second fence OF thcK
plank. through the middle Of poor Henry '.
Murphy. who was dead before he realized what
struck him: through the side Of some frame
buildings far in the rear and finally rolled out
on the floor Of the machine shop and came 10 a
rest n battered, useless thunderbolt.
Privates Harrigan and Deemer. who were
standing near Murphy, were hit by flying spiih-
ters from the shield. but were not seriously IN
jured They were taken TO the hospital near py'
Murphy, who was about forty years OLD. ana
leaves a widow and five small children was
civilian employe at the proving grounds ana
had been there for many years. II was MS
duty 10 keep the records OF the testing process,
al
and the pressure generated by the powder.
When the testing party had gathered M Mirflr
wits after the explosion. had seen tnat nolhIhs
could he done for Murphy, ana that the Wouilueu
nrivates we're cared for, they made A minute
inspection OF the wrecked gun II was totauy
destroyed. Even the strong barbette carriage
on which II was mounted was partly wrecked
The officers were amazed. They could not AZ
first account for II at all. Then their eyes fell
on the Indicator. 1t had registered "A pressure
Of $1,000 pounds 10 the square inch and then
quit because 1t was Jainmed out Oh shdPe anu
could register no more.
SOME INTERESTING QUESTIONS
That told the story in part. 1t explained why
the gun burst. No 10-inch rife is built 10
stand a pressure Of that magnitude But it did
not tell the whole story The most interesting
part is still mystery. The questions remaining
for the experts to guess at We're. How much
more pressure did that powder give after the
indicator knocked off work?' and Why should
the powder. Of which more than a full cnafge
was used suddenly show such gigantic and un
expected power?" For the general public an
other question remains. who makes this eX-
traordinary powder?'
Major Blrnie on his return TO this city last
night would not answer that question. He
would say only that this powder had acted er-
ratically In previous experiments. but never
with results approaching in uneXpectedness or
painful consequences the accident OF yesterday
When the news OF the explosion first reached
the city IT was thought that the gun might be
s.ft th,.J. Inv. tod nv Al
later Information showed that 1t was not In
quiry at the home Of DR.. Calling, No. Sii West
End-ave last night, disclosed the fact that the
sun was not one manufactured under his new
process. Under n new process OF kneadinS the
steel by which the old method of placing the
Jacket on tie gun IS done away with, "A Gatling
gun was built by the Government for expert
mental purposes last year. The steel. instead OF
being baked three days as DR.. Calling pre-
50 ribed was baked eight or nine days, thus re-
ducing the tensile strength Of the steel. Against
the Doctors judgment the gun was tested. with
disastrous results about two months ago. Or.
Calling Is in Washington. His daughter said
that the gun tested yesterday could not have
been her fathers. as none had been manufact-
ured since the one mentioned.
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