Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1908-12-30
DEADLY NEW BOMB,
Hand Grenade That Fires Forty
Shots at Once.
HURLED LIKE A SLUNGSH0T.

Invention of Lieutenant Mapes Soon
to BE Tested by American Army ir
Neutrality-suspicious. Lying Down In
Greatest Danger of Its Bullets.
What is said to be the most deadly
hand grenade ever invented has been
sent to the United States army arse
nal at Manila for trial. If the tests
prove successful the American army
may come into possession of a weapon
which in the case Of emergency would
make one American private equal to
forty men.
First Lieutenant William S. Mapes
of the Twenty-ffth infantry, u. S. A..
who is a New Yorker by birth and
Nebraskan by adoption, is the invent
or of the new grenade. The grenade
is nine inches long and an inch in di
ameter, similar in appearance to a
stick of dynamite, says the New York
Times. For one-third of it's length tn
tube, which is made of light cast iron
is packed with gun cotton, the explo
sive that distributes the forty bullets
when the bomb strikes the ground 1t
is stated that these bullets are diStrib-
uted parallel to the ground at an alti-
tude so slight that even the soldier
who is lying PROSTATE when the bomb
explodes is in even greater danger
than the man in a kneeling or stand
ing position.
In the lower end of the tube is the
decorating cap, while around the part
that holds the gun cotton is a small
can made of light tin, which contains
the forty bullets. The upper end Of
the bomb contains a cap that is fitted
with a punch or plunger called the
war head.
The bomb is so constructed that it
can be carried with almost absolute
safety by the soldier, but in order t
obviate any possible accidental dis
charge it is further fitted with another
small cap of tin which fits over the
detonator end of the bomb. The bombs
are very light and each soldier car
easily carry several Of them, and when
the time to use them comes it re
quires but a few moments to get the
bomb ready to be hurled.
The soldier first pulls off the pro
tecting cap Then he detaches the
war head and places it over the detona-
tor. Attached to the bomb are two
long tapes, and, taking the ends of
these, he whirls the bomb over his
head as he would a slungshot and
casts it from him. As the bomb leaves
the soldiers hand the tapes unwind
and, streaming out behind the missile
keep the war head to the front, facing
the enemy. When the end of the tape
is reached the bomb describes a semi
circle and descends to the ground, the
contact causing it to explode with ter
rife violence, scattering its bullets END
the pieces of metal in a line parallel t.
the ground and in direction away from
the soldier who has thrown it. A sol
der can throw the bomb more than &
hundred yards.
Lieutenant Mapes is also the invent
or Of the "poncho boat" which IL
made of a ponchO, two shelter tent
poles Logging lace, a shelter tent. four
rifles and two blankets. 1t viii float
the entire equipment of four men.
Lieutenant Mapes served through
the Spanish war as a major of the
Second Nebraska volunteer infantry.
After the war he entered the regulars
as first lieutenant Of the Twenty
fifth infantry. He is now in Manila
with his regiment.