Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1900-01-31
SCIENTIFIC MURDER
pEATH-DEALING MACHINES IN
USE IN SOUTH AFRICAN WAR.

USE ~ EO1 n NJ ANANfA@N " ~
There have been marked improve
ments 10 field and naval guns II the
past Eve years. and there have also
been marked advances made in prolec-
tiles. writes Liouteuapt Godfrey l..
Ccrden. in Golfers Weekly. The shrap-
nel which the English and Beers are
usins IN South Africa Ia regarded as
ahead of any shraprel which has been
used in recent warfare. Only few
years ago 1000 yards was deemed the
maximum range at which shrapncl was
effective. In South Africa and at Om-
durham the British shrapnel has been
used effectively at ranges Of $500 yards.
The shraphel shell is an ordinary look
INK projectile filled with a number OF
small baile. The majority OF field
guns OF 295 inch ealibre use shnpnel
r0htslning about $50 srhal balls In
the centre OF the shell IS charge Of
black po~der and in the head Of the
shell n time fuse This time fuse re-
s&Inbles in its working the cotnbina.
ton mechanism Of a safe door lock.
There Is a graduated aro cut TO sec
ends and fractions Of seconds. Now.
knowing the distance away Of the en-.
envy and the time required for the
shell 70 travel that distance. the fuse
Is cut accordingly. @. a puncture Is
made through the walls of the fuse at
the desired number OF seconds. The
discharge OF the gun ignites. through
the medium Of a percussion arrange
uient the illuminate. and at the ex-
piration OF tho elapsed time the flame
tIashes into the powder chamber and
the discharge follows. The effect Of
the burst is TO release the small balls
within. AS the she'll had o downward
trend, il being near the end Of It's
flight at the tinaf Of tho burst the
small balls are carried onward and
downward SAt The same time. there is
a slightly scattering effect In general
the trend of-the shrapnel balls, follow
ing asbiirst,tis that Of a cone inverted
& The artilIerist endeavors - burst his
slliapnel in the air at a point about
thirty yards Ehortof the onemy's posi-
ton Tho effect is very much akin tC
that OF $50 sharpshooters suddenly
opening ilrc on enc head not over thT-
ty yards away. In experiments made
with the shrapnel for the United Stale:
field hrns OF go inch calibre It wa,
found that az a range CT 1000 yardI
the cone OF dispersion is about IS de
grees. which will cover circle about
% feet in diameter at a distance OF q
yards The number of hans and fraR
ments OF the shrapnel contained with
ia this cone Of dispersion is about 26l
for the 1875 pound and $50 for the l6.i
pound shrapnel The shells used il
the United States field guns are heavier
As rule, than those employed iu Eu
rope The 1876 pound American shell
contains 200 small balls and the 1G.,
pound, shell 22C halls aAf..
At On durham l.1rd Kitchener tore
opened on the advancing deryiebe
with shrapnel at ranges Ia excess Of 8
600 yards. The effect Of the shrapne
bursts along the deryish lines. IT 81
reported, was TO NOW down twenty-fiv
to>thirty men az each discharge.
The shell proper. as employed IN ilel
guns is used nowadays almost who'll
in operations against buildings o
against protected positions. Agains
exposed bodies of troops OF forces O
the enemy lying behind entrenchment
shrapnel Is brought into play So i'm
portant Is shrapnel considered toda
that the ammunition supply for man
field batteries in Europe consists OF s
per cent shrapnel and As per cent she
and canister. The high velocities oh
tainable b. reason Of the introductlo
OF smokeless powder and the fitting {
rccoil mechanism have Yielded create
ranges Tor shrapnel While $500 yard
If recorded for field guns when usin
shell. a range Of $500 yards Is deeme
maximum for shrapnel from the get
eral type OF field gun The shrapn,
balls depend on that velocity Of N
shell proper remaining just before n
burst for their own velocity. and tn
remaining velocity must be sufficient
great TO AFFORD power to infict dan
Berous wounds upon horses. The lee
energy essential is placed at 2S2 10,
pounds For the average run of sma
balls employed, say AZ to the poun
an enersy Of 2S2 foot pounds is obtail
able from remaining velocity
about S74 feet per second. This co
responds 10 q mrzzle velocity OF 81
foot seconds. and affords an efficie
Ehrapnei effect at $500 yards.
The French. however. in their o.
deavor 10 increase shrapnel power
have added TO their artillery a numb
Of howitzers OF 100 millimetre calib,
designed almost exclusively for sbra
mel work These guns are employ
with the small calibre field pieces. NJ
that the French field artillerv IS To
reduced TO four guns per battery. n
surmised that the howltzers will
employed IN independent organization