The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1901-01-27
WONDERFUL EXPLOSIVE
Test Of Maximite Reveals It's
Remarkable Qualities.
MORE DEsTRUoTIvETHAN LYDDlTE
At Instant Of Detonation It Probably
Exert. "a Pressure of Half n MiIiion
Pounds 90 the square inch-Can he
Easily Melted aud L. safest of Es-
Plo.INes.

Pounds 10 the square inch-Can he
Easily Melted aud L. safest of Es-
pio.ives.
Unusual activity is being exercised
by the war department, which has un-
der consideration various agents Of
destruction that may decide future
battles. From Washington comes the
news that two new field guns invented
by officers OF the ordnance corps. and
which II In claimed are superior TO any
owned 10y any foreign government,
will soon be subjected to tests at the
proving grounds at Sandy Hook. The
type aud mechanism OF these guns are
stun profound secrets, and II the regu
lations adopted for these tests ar" car
ricd out strictly II will be long time
before the world knows anything about
them. one OF the inventors Is Captain
J. IL, Lewis.
In the meantime the ordnance depart
ment Is testing on the Hook most re-
markable explosive, says the New York
Journal, which although 30 per cent
more powerful than dynamite may be
safely fired In "A shell through heavy
hrmor plate without exploding until
such time as the explosion is set for.
Maximlte. the wonderful new explo.
sive, is the invention OF Hudson Max.
i'm, the inventor OF smokeless powder.
II IL 10 times ms forclblc MS gunpowder
and more destructive than the lyddite
used by the English In the South Afri.
can war or thorite, formerly tested by
this government, yet II may be handled
with the utmost ease and safely.
The experiments now being carried
on are for the purpose OF showing its
adaptability for the blowing up OF ar.
morclad vessels. For this II Is necessa.
ry that II should resist explosion upon
contact with the steel protection OF the
ship and. secondly. that Il should cx.
plode after penetration OF the ships
side with force enough TO disable or de.
stroy the vessel. So far the tests have
been highly satisfactory. and, although
very expensive, they will he continued.
The other day 40 pounds of the explo.
sive were loaded into 10 inch armor
piercing shell which wa, fired through
a seven inch armor plate. The maxim.
itc did not explode, although the shock
OF impact was terrific. Neither lyddlte
nor thorite has ever successfully stood
such test.
"Maximite." said Mr.. Maxim. the in.
ventor. recently, "is a light yellow sub.
stance that can be safely burned and Is
easily melted. when a shell is TO be
filed. the maxlmlte Is melted and pour
cd into the shell like so much wax. II
hardens like mortar. Back OF IL IL
placed n quantity of illuminate of mer.
curry arranged 10 explode after the pro.
iectlle has Travelled through the air and
penetrated the ships armor. Lyddite.
which is solid plcric acid. is so sensl-
tive that occasionally projectlles filled
with II are exploded by friction In
flight There have been many instances
In TIE Bocr war where lyddte shells
have gone Off prematurcly on leaving
the gun. This would be impossible
with maxlmlte.
"Maximlte is somewhat more power
ful than picric acid. At the instant of
detonntion maximlte probably exerts a
pressure OF half n million pounds 10
the square inch-that Is to say. 250
tons. During the Spanish war offer
ed TO build n gun for the United States
government which should throw half
a ton OF maxImlte with as great yeloc.
ity and accuracy as the shell now
thrown from the present 10 inch gun.
Such an aerial torpedo striking an open
street OF city would probably blow n
hole in the earth TO a depth Of from 10
20 10 feet. and the pieces OF the pro-
jectlles would be hurled In all direc-
tions at n velocity Of about 5000 feet
per second, or nearly a third higher
velocity than q rife ball.
Such protectle thrown against the
armored side Of n battleship would
shatter the walls OF the vessel as
though they were made OF glass. Even
a IL inch shell like that which was
fred at Sandy Hook. carrying 40
pounds OF maximlte. exploding on the
inside OF the strongest battleshlp.
would without doubt throw her out Of
action even II II did not destroy her.
"Maxlmite can be melted In an
ordinary water bath for Glllng shells.
In the shell. Of course, It solldlnes. II
cannot be exploded by Ignition or even
by a large quantity OF illuminate OF
mercury unless II be at the same time
strongly confined In IA steel ball A IL
inch forged steel armor piercing shell
was broken Into more than 1000 pieces
at least 1000 were recovered.
"A five inch armor piercing shell
was broken into more than 500 frag.
ments. The rough and shredded char
acter OF the pieces bore evidence Of the
violence of the explosion.
"a five inch shell. no wever which
was filled with maximite and set of
with 30 grains OF illuminate OF mer.
curry did not explode the material, and
the fragments OF the shell broken by
the fuse were found with the material
still adhering to them. In this case
the shell was not strong enough TO
affar tho