The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-06-20

cradle distance at the rear of the main
charge of the she'll and the fuse is pro-
Wded with a steel barrier in advance OF
the detonator, which is only displaced by
the act of throwing The she'd from The
gun, so that the main charge of the shell
is protected from the detondtCr both by
the distance intervening between the de-
tonator and the maiW charge and by the
steel barrier. Il is, therefore, Impossible
to explode the nam charge OF the she'd
by any accidental or premature explosion
of the detOnatOr. The decorator has sew
eral times exploded in the gun without
The least disturbance OF the main charge.
Furthermore, the Gathmann people
have fired 6-pound she'll at 2,0O0 feet per
second velocity, exactly through their tuSr
and thence through the man charge OF
their shell in longitudinal direction with
out exploding particle of the main
charge. This Droject4e was recovered al
forwards, and its point was found TO have
been fused when it struck The detOnatOr,
and was, therefore, incandescent when it
passed along into the weI-guncotton
Il was recently invited by the Gathmann
people to witness very interesting eXpe-
riment a Sandy Hook. A l5-inch muz-
zle-loading Rodman gun was buried UNI
der twenty-five feet Of sand, charged with
a hundred pounds Of the quickest kind OF
MaXim-SchupphauS snokeless cannon
powder. A Gathmann shell, containing
eighty pounds OF wet compressed guncot-
ton, and carrying a fuse with detonator
of unusual size, was rammed down hard
upon the powder charge and the gun then
feet of sand which covered the gun was
placed a quantity of timer to intercept
hying fragments of the gun The powder
charge was fired by electricity. The
quantity Of sand covering the gun was
so great that the crater formed by the
explosion was nearly filled TO the level OF
the earth by the return of the earth and
timber. Pieces Of the gun, however were
scattered all about and in all directions
were TO be found quantities of unexplod-
ed guncotton which had been blown out
pNi1pnclnR beNODA
ton that the guncotton mad not been de-
tonnted, and thai, at most, only portion
of ii had been consumed or burned by the
incandescent gunpowder gases. So intense
was THIS heat that portions of the fuse
box were found which had been partially
melted.
I'VE therefore knew, IL we know any
thing, that there is no danger of detonation
of wet compressed gun cotton under SER
vice conditions.
in mind, however, in the projection of even
wet guncotton from ordnance in large
quantities, and that is the danger of ig-
milton of the charge when too dry by the
intense heat generated by the rotation oil
the steel shell about the contained charge
in It's flight from the gun before the iner-
tia of the explosive charge is overcome
and the charge caused to participate fully
in the rotation of the shell. This danger
however, is readily overcome by saturat-
ing the wet guncotton with all the water
which Ii will take up before loading. This
means that the charge will contain about
80 per cent. of water. This quantity OF
water obviates any possibility of danger
from the above cause. 1t Will, perhaps
be we'll 10 mention here the fact that from
Is 10 20 per cent of water in guncottoI
does not detract from its explosive value
| but on the contrary, it adds TO it. II
other words, If dry guncotton be moisten
ed the added water will increase the VIC
| lence of its action. Therefore, with 81
per cent. of water, not more than 10 PEE
cent, or one-third of the water serves {,
| detract from the explosive value
"It would be unfair for me If | did no
| add that the Gathmann shell accompliShe
| nothing which the shell and fuse proposet
| by me will not accomplish. l was TIL
| first to patent a fuse with the detonato
| position so far in the rear of the charg
| of the shell as TO preclude possibility o
| danger to the main charge by the prema
| ture explosion of the detonator ! wa.
/ also the first TO reinforce the shell strong
/ " with metal between the decorator on,
\ the main charge to prevent the detonato
! when exploded in normal position striking
| a sufficient blow upon the main charg
| 10 endanger Il. This Is shown in m.
| United States Patents, Nos. 5i9072 AM
! 549OSS. ] have nothing but praise for III
! good work which has been accomplishe
| by the Gathmann people. What the
! have done 10 advance high-explosive war
fare and 10 bring about revolution il
ordnance and projectilSs cannot be over
] ut II