Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-03-27
Maxim's Latest Explosive.

but now it appears that he has been
| improving his time by working out the
formula for still another explosive
| which will make warfare more deadly
| than ever and consequently something
| in which nations will be more and more
reluctant to engage. Mr.. Maxim be-
lieves that the gun is bound to win
over armor, offense over defense. He
says to the New York World inter-
viewer: eve find it so in all history
not only of mechanical automatons, but
in animate creation. The active, ag-
gressive animal always has developed
ways and means to penetrate the in
terror of all the armored animals. So
it is in warfare. The projectileS of
the aggressor smash through the armor
plate of the defender
For many years there has been con-
flict fer supremacy between the mak-
ers Of heavy armor plate and the max
ers of guns, projectiles, and explosives.
At Indian Head, on the Potomac river.
below Washington, the United States
government has station called the
proving ground, where the rivals try
their strength. There are set up Sec
tons of enormously thick and hard
armor plate to represent the side of a
ship, and at them are fired tremendous
shells from great guns. Sometimes
the plate withstands the impact, sus-
tanning huge but harmless dents, and
fragments. Again. the sharp-pointed
shell succeeds in passing through and
scores triumph.
The balance of power recently has
been on the side Of the gun and pro-
jectile, but something more than mere
penetration is necessary to complete
the destruction of battle ship. A
piece of steel may pass through the
side and do very little damage. The
requirement is for destructive power
inside after the armor has been
pierced Shells charged with high eX-
plosives that burst when they strike the
outside of the armor plate sometimes
do comparatively little damage. The
search has been for device to keep the
charged projectile from exploding I'M
til it has passed through the armor and
is in the vitals of the ship. This is
what Mr. Maxim announces he has in
vented, and it gives the United States
navy and the coast defense forts a
great advantage over other nations. At
Indian Head during the past week tests
Of the discovery have been made by the
government.
IF 1S-inch projectile from one of
the big guns of the battle ship Maine.
charged with high explosives and armed
with the new fuse" said Mr.. Maxim.
''be fired through the 12-inch side ar
NOR of an enemy's battle ship. it would
kill every man in the compartment
where it exploded.
1.-THE effect Of the explosion behind
the armor would be to rip up the Golfer
dam backing and hurl inward frag-
mcnls of that as well as pieces of the
projectile itself in all directions, caus-
ing great destruction in that part of the
ship.
at also would smash from the side of
the ship the entire piece Of armor plate
which it struck, and if the point was
near the water line it would make an
opening very dangerous, indeed.
"The high-explosive projecties en-
ployed by foreign countries are not eX-
pccted to penetrate heavy armor and
explode behind the plate, being provid-
ed with impact fuses. The trcncn-
dous striking force of the prUjectilc
and the slightly delayed action before
the explosion takes place frequently
destroy the plate. If the plate be
light. the blast Of the explosion smash
cs il in and hurls fragments in all di-
rections in the form Of a cone. But
this explosion takes place before and
not after the arnor is completely pene-
tratei.
"Thc advantages of the Maxim safe
ty decorating fuse are safety in hand
ling and explosion after penetration. A
dctonator. which has to bc very power
full is dangerous unless it is held in Il
position of safety before firing from the
gun. The Maxim fuse is SO con-
structed that it is impossible to explode
the bursting charge of the projcctile
even should the detonator be set off
prematurcly.
an order to burst the projectile it is
necessary that it be fired from gun
and strike something, when the fuse
will act on the explosive charge at a
desired distance of penetration. If
the target be heavy armor plate. the
charge will explode Immediately behind
the plate after penetration. If it
strikes in water or earthworks the ex-
plosion takes place after penetration of
about eight or ten feet.
"a projectile striking the skin armor
of q cruiser or the thin sides of tor
pedo boat will explode when it has
passed about eight or ten feet inside.
A CHANGING blow or side swipe causes
an explosion about the same distance
from the point of impact. throwing its
fragments in all directions
Information From Architect Link.