The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1907-01-17
vup esITIt-sis. TINS
Nay ~ I ~sJ a. Target for trstins
<~w Explosive.


Washington. II C.. Ian :, Con.
gs.am usay xoun fsr urged tn vote
upon a unique proposition ~ autfasstH
sssug tbs bohsnimsnt. wiih aSuas
mifa shells ~ tho bnttieahip Texas
IA is not the purpose Of Rspfe@enis.
tive Muda ~ Maryland. III" author
of she bin. aud ~ho il a member uf
he euus ms,s.e GA aavai affairs, to
have the sarst1ip DESTROYED. bat D"
wishes To hay. test which he and
III. inventor nG the dynamite. ahell
think will not prove so very .spen
nise or disastrous To show whether
or not q, ~ desirable to max. any
decided chang. in the arfnor OF our
new naval vessels.
Il II proposed to BRING the Texas
M in the Potomac navy proving
grounds AZ Indian Head, anchor her
IN shallow water over fiat sandy
bottom. turn In the guns. discharE"
the crew and then fire dynamit"
shell again~ the thick"st portion Of
the armor belt AZ the water line The
tes; Is sought by William isham. in.
yenior of the isham shell Mr. isham
has been working for many years In
the development Of his theory that
the greatest destructive power is Sc
cured by outside explosion, rather
than nv shell penetration. The army
authorities have ut various times In
the past tested his shells at Sandy
Hook
There are many naval Officers,
said Mr.. Isham. who believe that
baftleships may be destroyed by
means independent of armOr pene-
tratiou. Unfortunately the progress
sive Officers holding these views
nave not filled the necessary posi-
lions To carry into effect this idea or
even to try IL ont by experiments.
Official reports Of the Russian
Japanese naval fights show that al
though the thick armor of battle
ships engaged was hit hundreds or
times BY the best armor-piercing
projectiles made, provided with sort
noses to assist penetration and iired
from the most high-power guns
known. there was not single in
stance of penetration, the sinking OF
all such ships being due TO the out
side explosion of mines and torpe-
does.
While these facts are not shout
ed from the house tops. they are
voiced in the recent designs of war
ships in all countries by reduction in
the thickness of belt and turret ar
NOR and by abolishing practically
all guns of less caliber than y in
ches.
This test will cost but a few hun
dred dollars if 1t does not seriously
harm the Texas. On the other hand,
| should a hole ten feet in diameter
be blown in her side it will cost but
little to patch and repair her, as II
lis proposed to anchor her over
sand bar. so that in such and even
lshe would settle but little. In an.
lease. the question would be deflnlte
Nv settled forever, as the Texas ha
as thick belt armor, backed by al
lstrong frames and bulkheads as an!
battleship now under construction
land the shell to be used carries tn
heaviest charge of the most powerlu
explosive ever used. Moreover /
will be fired with q velocity slmulat
ing range of eight miles or beyon'
that at which any other proJectil
or known torpedo could do an
harm.
The results would, therefore
prove whether il is wise to build ne'
ships and new fortifications wlthou
regard 10 this new factor in wal
, fare. which may render tnem as an
tiouated as the flint rock musket ~