Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1900-02-08
Neutrality-suspicious. roRoAs.

trade, rOuRuor IA io',p tt.l
Rock Island. A wife and one child
survive him.
DEArH-DEALING F0RoRs.
rns Guns and the smells Used In the south
African war.
Golfers Weekly.
There have been marked improve
ments in field and naval guns IN tue
past five years, and there have also
been marked advances made in Fro
iectjles. The shrapnel which the ENG
lish and Beers are using IN Soutn
Africa is regarded as ahead OF any
shrapnel which has been used in recent
warfare. Only few years ago 2,oo0
wards was deemed the maximum range |
at which shrapnel was effective. IN
South Africa and at Omdurman the
British shrapnel has been used effect
lively at ranges of $500 yards. Inc
shrappel shell is an ordinary looking
proectile filled with number of small
balls. The majority of field guns OF
9 a5-inch caliber use shrapnel contain
ing about 1870 small balls. In the center
of the shell is q charge OF black pow
der, and in the head of the shell a time
fuse. This time fuse resembles In its
working the combination mechanism
| OF safe door lock. There is gradu..
ated arc cut to seconds and fractions OF
seconds. Now, knowing the distance
away of the enemy and the time re-
quired for the shell to travel that dis
tance, the fuse is cut accordingly; that
| is, puncture Is made through the
walls Of the fuse ct the desired number
Of seconds The discharge of the gun
ignites, through the medium OF per-
cussion arrangement, the illuminate,
and at the expiration Of the lapsed time
the flame dashes into the powder cham
Der and the discharge follows. The
effect of the burst is to release the
small balls within. As ths shell had
/ downward trend, it being near the end
OF its flight at the time Of the burst, the
small balls are carried onward aud
downward. AT the same time there is
slightly scattering effect. In general
the trend of the shrapnel balls, follow
ing burst, is that of cone inverted.
The artilerist endeavors to burst his
shrapnel in the air at point about 80
yalds short Of the enemy's position.
The effect is very II UGH akin to that of
1870 sharpshcoters suddenly opening fire
on one head not over 30 yards away.
In experiments made with the shrapnel
for the United States field guns Of 3. 2
inch caliber ii was found that at a
range of 1000 yards the cone Of disper-
sion is about is degrees, which cover a
circle about % feet in diameter at q
distance OF q yards The number of
balls and fragments Of the shrapuel
contained within this cone of disper-
| sion il about 260 for the 13.5-pound
, and $50 fol the 16. 5-pound shrapnel.
The shells used in the United States
field guns are heavier, as rule, than
, those employed in Europe. Tho IL. o.
: pound American shall contains 200
small balls and the l6, 5-round shell,
236 balls.
J At Omdurman Lord Kitchener's force
, opened on the advancing dervishes with
j shrapnel at ranges in excess of 5000
yards. The effect of the shrapnel bursts
along the deIvish line, it is reported,
was to NOV down 20 to 80 men at each
!. discharge.
The shell as employed 10 field guns is
used, nowadays, almost wholly in opera
: tions against buildings or against pro-
D tected positions. Against exposed
s bodies of troops or forces of the enemy
D lying behind entertainments shrapnel is
Q brought into play. So important Is
o shrapnel considered today that the am
y munition supply for many field bat
u teries in Europe consists Of SO per cent
n shrapnel and 45 Ter cent shell and can.
lister. The high velocities obtainablt
n by reason OF the introduction OF smoke.
Il less powder aud tho fitting Of recoi
n mechanism, have yielded greater ranges
g for shrapnel. While 6.500 yards is re
It corded FIR field guns when using she'll
% a range Of $500 yards is deemed maxi
IS mum foi shrapnel from the general typ,
of field gun. The shrapnel balls depend
y on that velocity of the shell proper re-
j. naming Just before the burst for thei
j. own velocity, and this remaining ye
l. locity must be sufficiently great Ii
o afford power to inhict dangerous wound
" upon horses. The least energy essen
!. tial is placed at 252 foot-pounds. 70
the average run of small balls EN-
,f ployed, say AZ to the pound, an emery,
10 OF 2S2 foot-pounds is obtainablo iron
II n remaining velocity Of about ST4 fec
Of per second. This corresponds to
10 muzzle velocity of LOCO foot-seconds
In and Affords an efficient shrapnel effeo
r, at 3, 500 yards.
IN Tho French, however, in their en-
!, deavor to increase shrappel powers hav
pit added to their artillery a number @
e howitzers OF 120-milimeter calibre, de
signed almost exclusively for shrapnt
le work. These guns arc employed wit
!, the small-caliber field pieces. No
Mt that tho French field artillery is to i
Mt reduced to four guns per battery, it
10 surmised that the howitzers will
It. emnloyed in independent organization:
ne The British have recently dispatche
is to South Africa three full howitzc
IT. batteries, the only organizations I
10 the kind in tho British service. Thes
Oh howitzers are counted upon to DO vel
ny efficient work.
~ The Delaware Need Not suffer.
N. The work Of deepening the Delawar
ba River channel to accommodate III
'te largest vessels win not be retarded BIZ
N, cause no River aud Harbor Apprt