The San Francisco call., 1910-11-16
new EXPLOSIVE
sinks MONITOR
War Vessel Is Badly Damaged
When Submitted to Test
by Naval Board

FORT MONROE, Va. Nov. 15.-High
explosive tests on the monitor Puritan,
anchored in Hampton Roads, today
damaged the vessel so seriously that
it was necessary TO send a hurry call
to the Norfolk navy yard TO have tugs
sent up at once to tow the battered
warship 10 drydock The tests were
required by a provision in the ordnance
appropriation bill passed by the last
session of congress.
Two explosions were made, each with
200 pounds of nitroglycerine gelatine,
unconined except as to thin covering
of sheet iron. In the first test the high
explosive was placed against the side
of the after turret of the monitor; in
the second against the side of the yes
sci just above the water line.
EXPERTS SURPRISED
Naval officers and experts present
acknowledged that more damage was
done than they anticipated.
The first explosion cracked the side
plates of the turret, which was eight
inches thick, and forced it inward about
eight inches. A cat and two chickens
inside in the same position that the
gunners and sighter would occupy were
killed.
The second explosion bent in so badly
the 10 inch side plate of the vessel,
thereby opening big hole below the
water line, that the rear end of the boat
sank TO the bottom in less than two
minutes after the explosion.
AS the Puritan draws Is feet and was
only in 19 feet of water. It did not dis
appear below the surface. But in a few
minutes at least one of the big COM
partments was almost filled with water,
which was pouring UP from below deck
and over the stern.
Until the vessel is docked it will be
impossible to determine the exact ex-
tent of the damage or how much of the
lower part of the vessel was flooded.
The water was pouring in, it was
thought, through holes below the armor
belt. which extended 35z feet under
water or through seams caused by the
tearing apart of the plates.
MONITOR SHAKEN
Of the two explosions the second was
the more severe, the hydro glycerine
causing the monitor to shake as if it
had been struck by a small earthquake
and il was even felt slightly by other
vessels lying 500 yards away.
Captain Austin NJ. Knight, president
of the special naval ordnance board,
who remained on the Puritan to dis
charge the explosive, said the shocks
were severe
While it was not shown positively
that the new explosive, the invention
of Willard S. 1sham, is more destruc-
tive than the present form, which does
its work from the inside rather than
from the outside. it was practically ac-
knowledged that serious consideration
must be given it.
Most of the navy and army officials
and powder experts who went down
to witness the tests were aboard the
tug Wahneta- Among them were Rear
Admiral Mason, chief of the bureau of
ordnance; Chief Constructor Watt Of
the navy, Major O'Hern of the ordnance
department and General Arthur Murray,
chief of the coast artillery.
AS soon as the Puritan is drydocked
the special board on naval ordnance
composed of Captain Knight, PRESIDENT
Lieutenant Commander Richard H.
Jackson and Philip r. Alger, professor
of mathematics at Annapolis, will ex-
anime its injuries carefully and make
a repor-