The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1901-06-26
A NEW EXPLOSIVE
Which Means Revolution in Naval
Warfare
ANDsTYLEOF WAR SHIPS.
The Nsw Engine Of Destruction
has bsen Adopted by
the United States
Government.

Maximite, the new exposive invent
ed by Hudson Maxim, has been adopt
ed by this country after a series Of
successful tests which were completed at
the Sandy Hook proving grounds. The
secret Of the explosive has been sold to
the government by the inventor, and the
explosive i.self is expected to revolu
tionize warfare. It is more deadly in
its character than liddite, yet so safely
can it be handled that the danger at
taching to its use is less than that in
CURED in transporting ordinary black
powder.
The tests made thus far have been
so satisfactory that naval officers be-
lieve the day Of the big bstt!eship is
passing, because the explosive will
pierce IL inch Haryeyized nickle steel
armcr plate and, having passed through
it, will explode on the other side with
sufficient power to destroy everything
With which it comes in contact. Nev'r
before hasa plate Of this strength and
thickness been piarocd.
WHAT TESTS SHOWED.
The tests have been made by the
Ordnance Board and have been con-
Quoted With the usual secrecy which
attends government tests Of this kind.
The result far surpas5 anything here.
tofore attained in sny country, and the
opinion is EXPRESSED by experts that it
may revolutionize the building of ba..
tleships and Notifications.
Projactiles charged with this eXplo-
sive were fred through Harveyizsd
nickle steel armor plate twelve inches in
thickness, the shell exploding after
passing through the plate-that is to
say, on the inside Of the ship or fort.
The iasensitiveness Of this explosive
is so great thasa red hot iron may be
thrust into mass Of it without csus-
ing sn explosion. The explosion Of the
compound after passing through the
plate is accomplished by means Of
fuse, the invention Of an army officer.
The explosion is controlled absolutely
by means of this fuse, so that it takes
place the instant the shell passes
through the armor plate Shells filed
with lyddite, the high explosive adopted
by the British government, filed in the
same way as was maximite, into the
same shells, and fred at plate an inch
and half in thickness, all exploded on
impact, and in every test fell far short
Of the results obtained with the new
explosive.
AT AMERICAS MERCY.
These tests of maximite are regarded
as having demonstrated that there is no
war ship Of any navy capable of with
standing its destructive effects when
thrown from modern high power guns.
Mr.. Maxim conducts these experiments
in person, there being no one present
except the ordnance officers and experts
representing the government. Mr..
Maxim feels elated over the tests,
which he says:
Should the United States now be-
come involved in war with any other
power, We will be able to throw high
explosive projectiles through the thick
est armor of enemies to explode inside
their wsrships, while they in turn
would be able only to penetrate our
armor with solid shot, or at least carry
ing no bursting charge whatever. The
advantage on our side will turn any naval
battle our way in short order" He
thought the moral of these new develop
ments is that the ponderous battleship
must go, and be replaced by the small,
swift torpedo boat or torpedo gunboat
and cruiser, and practically unarmored,
mo protection whatever can avail
against missiles such as We have been
firing at Sandy Hook, New York
Press.