The age-herald., 1899-11-15
KILLING POWER
 OF THORITE

Washington, November 14.-The war de- partments adoption of thorite is the mili- tary event of the year. Uncle Sam will see to it that no foreign power will learn jot as to its secret manufacture. These pre- cautions alone attest that it is precious stuff. Its mysteries have been conflded to only handful of high military officers pledged to solemn secrecy.
 Thorite has solved vexed problems rack ing the brains of our most skillful ord- nance experts for five years or more. Un- cie Sam has been securing the earth for a man able to furnish him a highly explosive shep capable of accomplishing two things, viz. CD alghting from a highpower gun without danger of explosion from the shock in the breach of the weapon, and @ strik- ing its mark without exploding from the force of impact, but at any desired time af- ter impact.
 During the past summer Dr. Hiram P. Futile, wizard from the far western city of Tacoma, Wash, jouneyed to the national capital and made the proposition to the army's board of ordnance and fortifcations that he could prove his ability to furnish the desired article. Shortly afterward Gen eral Miles issued an order enforcing to the letter old rule barring admittance to government tests. few weeks later Futile did wondrous things up at Sandy Hook. The official adoption of thorite this week is the result.
 That thorite could be fired with perfect safety and without possible danger to gun or gunner was readily demonstrated by merous tests. It was fired from guns of numerous sizes by both black and smoke less poyder. That intense heat brought in direct contact with it could not affect it in any way was proved by the inventor in A striking test He heated poker red hot and thrust 1t into a two-pound can of the explosive without any perceptible result. Other tests demonstrated that not even the pressure of the heaviest siege guns-4O,O0o pounds to the square inch-could affect it. 12-inch service shell charged with 39 hounds of thorite was fired from a huge seacoast rifle. No fuse was fixed. The ex- piosive shell withstood the enormous pres sure caused by the explosion of 45O pounds of brown powder at its base, and went out to sea without uttering sound or suffering any destruction Had this shell been fused it could have been exploded exactly When it struck the water, and the force of the ex- plosion would have been sufficient to sink any heavily armored battleship in the vii cinity.
 This new implement of warfare would not explode from the shock of impact, but would reap its hellish harvest of death at any after moment desired by the gunner was proved in more fascinating series or secret tests Ten-inch shells filled with 1t were left without fuses necessary to US explosion, and were fired entirely through huge chunks of Harveyized steel armor plate, Az inches thick. Regardless of the terrific shock and tremendous friction these shells did not explode.
 In another trial, a large iron shell of 15z pounds weight and seven indles in diameter was loaded with only -four pounds ol the new explosive and placed inside square inclosure strongly built of steel. Connec- ,tion was made by Wire between the shell and an electric circuit. The purpose of the steel enclosure was to collect the flying pieces of the shell-in other words, to test its ''fragmenting power" Ih4s power is necessarily an important consideration. The explosive capable of bursting its shell into the most pieces is the most destructive in warfare, since it endangers the greatest number of lives. An electric button was touched and after the explosion several men were delegated to gather the scraps Of iron within the enclosure. They counted 20, 900 visible fragments.
 To determine the destructive power of shells, which had been fused, there were fired from 21a-inca Sims-Dudley gun, down tlhe beach at Sandy Hook. Great cra'ters made in the sand were sufficient proof that thorite is as powerful as the strongest blasting gelatine
 Thorite shells cannot possibly explode save by the aid of certain time fuse or deitona'tor devised by the inventor Indeed, this was the all-important fact brought out by the tests In other words, 1t can be hammered and battered around during transportation, and subjected to various temperatures, loaded in either or shells. No accident can occur unless the detonator is attached and set
 The new explosive, furthermore, needs no particular make of shell. but can be put in any. Its power does mot weaken during long storage. It will last for an indefinite period.
 The Philippine insurgents will be the first to suffer from the effects of thorite. The finished thorte product will be placed in shells of 3.2-inch caliber for the light ar tillery guns, and other sizes as required. The shells will be shot from guns charged with gunpowder. smokeless or black. The war department has just purchased dozen Maxim mountain guns of the same type as used by the British fin their Khartoum, Om- durman and Transvaal campaigns. These will soon arrive in Manila, and shells for them will be supplied, although the depart ment has ordered 5000 rounds of ammuni- tion such as used with them in Europe, Thorite will be adopted for our great coast-defense howitzers as soon as they are completed. After the army shall have sue cessfully used the invention the navy will adopt it. By its means each fighting ship