The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1905-03-14
JAPANESE EXPLOSIVE
SOMETHING ABOUT THE TER
RIBLE SHIMosE POWDER.
Nature and Effectiveness Explained
by Its Inventor-simplicity
of It's Compo-
sition.

The explosive used in the Japanes,
navy bears the name of its inventor
DR.. Shimose. The destructive power OF
this explosive was demonstrated, dur.
Ing the recent naval engagements, says
the Shanghai Times. A few days age
the inventor, DR.. Shimose, delivered a
lecture in Toxic, in which he explained
the nature and use of the powder. The
inventor said that according to their
use, explosives we're classified under two
headings namely. those for mining and
those for military purposes, the latter
being again classified into those for dis
charging and those for destructive pur-
poses. "Shimose" belonged to the lat
ter category, and was never used for the
purpose OF discharging shots. The ex-
plosive used by the European powers for
warlike purposes was gun cotton. But
manifold inconvenience attended the
use of gun cotton; for instance, when
dried too much, 1t exploded even by
slight friction.
In order to prevent this danger. It was
necessary to combine 1t with water to
the extent of 30 per cent, in which case
IT burned with difficulty when ignited.
But when the water exceeded 20 per cent.
gun cotton would not explode. Again.
owing to possible evaporation, the water
contained in gun cotton did not main
tain an equal quantity making its safety
unstable. Sometimes it would become
moldy, thus losing most of its explosive
power which could not then be easily re-
stored At present the most powerful
explosive power In the world was blast
ing gelatin. which was used by Ameri-
cans. though not for military purposes.
1t was far superior to gun cotton in de-
structive power. and could be quite safe
~ handled in ordinary times One de-
feet, however, Of gelatin, was its easy
freezing. Frozen gelatin would explode
from the slightest cause, and this fact
made 1t unfit for military purposes.
The "Shimose" explosive was very sim
ply constituted but 1t was sufficiently
safe to be used by the navy.
Continuing. DR.. Shimose said neither
the falling of an iron hammer upon II.
nor ignition. nor the firing of a bullet
into 1t, would cause his explosive to ex-
piode. In such cases it would burn like
turpentine. but the fire could be extin-
guished bv cupful of water. Combined
with certain Ingredient. Il had sniff
cient explosive power for warlipe pur-
poses. Among the explosives IN tho
world the American gelatin had the
greatest destructive, power; Shimose
came next, gun cotton and dynamite fol-
rowing In order. To illustrate the ex-
plosive power of Shimose. a small ouan-
tity placed upon an iron plate one or two
inches thick would when exploded per-
torate the plate for the area covered bv
the powder. At an experiment carried
out at kugenuma, soshu, six-inch Shi-
NOSE shot was fired at coal store pro-
tected with armor plate similar to thai
oI certain cruiser The shot made a
hole about three feet In diameter. where-
Gs In the case of the ordinary shot the
diameter Of the hole was only six inches
Il burst on contact with the plate while
he other exploded only when It had
raveled about three feet after passing
'hrough the plate. The Shimose shell
vas blown into 1000 or 5000 pieces
Vhlle the other broke up into ten or IL |
fragments This tremendous power was
estifed to by the fact that bluejacret
N the Variag was struck by more than
oV fragments OF the shell. The placing
u one such shot on the deck would mean
he woundfng Of all the crew there. Blu.
ne explosive was not intended for the
'llling OF men. but for the destruction
I warships. One more noteworthy fea-
ure OF the Shimose powder concluded
ne Doctor was the fact that its cost was
bout half that OF gun cotton.