The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1900-03-02
DEADLY sHARpRR1 SHELLS

DEADLY sHARPNFL SHELLS
Awful Eject OF lledern War Ma
chiaery In the south Afri-
can War.
There have been marked improve
ments in field and naval guns in the
past five years and there have also
been marked advances made in projec-
tiles. The shrapnel which the English
and Beers are using in South Africa
is regarded as ahead of any shrapnel
which has been used in recent war
fare. Only few years ago 1000 yards
was deemed the maximum range at
which shrapnel was effective. In South
Africa and at Omdurman the British
shrapnel has been used effectively at
ranges of $500 yards. The shrapnel
shell is an ordinary looking projectile
filled with q number of small balls.
The majority of field guns of 2.e5-inch
caliber use shrapnel containing about
$50 small balls. In the center of the
shell is charge of black powder, and
in the head of the shell time fuse.
This time fuse resembles in its work
ing the combination mechanism of a
safe-door lock. There is a graduated
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
lance, the fuse is cut accordingly; that
is. a puncture is made through the walls
of the fuse at the desired number of
seconds. The discharge of the gun ig-
mites, through the medium of percus-
sion arrangement, the illuminate, and
at the expiration of the elapsed 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 the shell had a
downward trend, it being near the end
of its fight at the time of the burst,
the small balls are carried onward and
downward. At the same time there is
lightly scattering effect. In general
the trend of the shrapnel balls, follow
ing burst, is that of a cone inverted.
The artillerist endeavors to burst his
shrapnel in the air at point about
30 yards short of the enemy's posi-
ton. The effect is very much akin to
that of $50 sharpshooters 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 it was found
that at a range of 1000 yards the cone
of dispersion is about is degrees, which
cover a circle about % feet in diam
eter at distance of ~ yards. The
number of balls and fragments of the
shrapnel contained within this cone of
dispersion is about 26O for 13.5-pound
and $50 for the 16.5-pound shrapnel.
The shells used in the United States
field guns are heavier, as a rule, than
those employed in Europe. The 1876
pound American shell contains 200
small balls and the 16.5-pound shell 236
balls.
At Omdurman Lord kitchener's force
opened on the advancing dervishes with
shrapnel at ranges in excess of 1000
yards. The effect of the shrapnel
bursts along the dervish line, it is re-
ported, was to NOW down Is to 80 men
at each discharge.
The she'll as employed in field guns
IS used nowadays almost wholly in
operations against buildings or against
protected positions. Against exposed
bodies of troops or forces of the en-
envy lying behind intrenchments shrap-
mel is brought into play. So impor-
tant is shrapnel considered to-day that
the ammunition supply for many field
batteries in Europe consists of 50 per
cent. shrapnel and As per cent. shell
and canister. The high velocities OBJ
tainable by reason of the introduction
of smokeless powder and the fitting of
recoil mechanism have: yieldedrgreater
ranges for shrapnel. While G,5OO yards
is recorded for field guns when using
shell, range of $500 yards is deemed
maximum for shra pnel from the general
type of field gun. The shrapnel balls
depend on that velocity of the shell
proper remaining just before the burst
for their own velocity, and this re-
naming velocity must be sufficiently
great to afford power to infiict danger
Gus wounds upon horses. The least en-
ergy essential is placed at 2s2 foot
pounds. For the average run of small
balls employed, say AZ to the pound,
An energy of 282 foot-pounds is OBJ
tainable from remaining velocity of
about S74 feet per second. This CORE
spends to muzzle velocity of 1000
foot-seconds, and affords an efficient
shrapnel effect at $500 yards.
The French, however, in their en-
deavor to increase shrapnel powers
have added to their artillery number
of howitzers of 120 millimeter caliber,
designed almost exclusively for shrap-
mel work. These guns are employed
with the small-caliber field pieces. Now
that the French field artillery is to be
reduced to four guns per battery it is
surmised that the howitzers will be
employed in independent organizations.
The British have recently dispatched
to South Africa three full howitzer bat
teries, the only organizations of the
kind in the British service. These
howitzers are counted upon to do very
efficient work.-Collier's Weekly.
Has No False Pride.
The prince of Wales has not that con-
tempt for trade which many a lesser So
cial parsonage possesses. AT the Marl-
borough club one evening, an intimate
of the prince asked him how he liked