The searchlight. [volume] (Culbertson, Mont.) 1902-current, 1911-04-21

is now the sole owner of an ex-
plosive which IL the most pow.
erful In the world and one
which II Is claimed makes tho
defenses of New York harbor impreg.
nable. No hostile ship OF even the
most advanced type can now approach
within ten miles of Sandy Hook with.
out danger Of being sent to the bot.
tom by single shell.
II Is the recent perfection OF "Ex-
plosive ID" that has placed In the pos
session OF the government weapon
far superior to joveite. nitroglycerine.
melanite or the shimose that japan
used against the Notifications of Port
Arthur. II Is startlingly destructive
In its effects and yet so safe In the
handling that accidents To gunners
are unknown.
To Col. Beverly w. Dunn Of the
ordnance department OF the army. and
ut present chairman OF the American
Railway association. belongs the dis
tinction of inventing the wonderful
agent Of destruction. lie IL the In
ventor OF "dunnite" and Explosive
D. Is his Improvement on the original
invention. He has given II freely TO
the government
Hudson Maxim. the inventor. made
this statement the other day:
The United States government
owns and controls brand-new ex-
piosive which will prove n revelation
In warfare and will do most every
thing except perhaps blow the white
crust on the top Of the earth"
In Washington experts Of the ORD
nance corps were asked:
why need tho United states fear
war with any nation?"
I'VE fear no one!" wns the answer.
Then the experts set forth just how
the explosive could DO used. how dan
gerous II Is and. In a measure. how II
is made. They would not 20 into the
latter very deeply. because that Is the
governments secret.
ITO show what Il would do II used
In the forts about New York against
an enemy's Ships" said an ordnance
expert. picture modern dread
nought of the North Dakota type ten
miles mt sea steaming toward Sandy
Hook. Then glance toward the Hook
and see n burst of flame from one of
| the big fourteen-inch guns and heavy
projectile 40 plunging through space
direct for the waterline OF the dread
nought
The dreadnought suddenly stops.
trembles and settles. In n minute II
disappears. leaving struggling men In
the water. One shot OF this mighty
explosive has sent s10.o00.000 worth
| OF steel and the finest workmanship
TO the bottom of the sea. and with II
one thousand officers and men.
1T is almost inconceivable. and yet
Il appears to be true. for with the dis
covery made II only remains that our
men should have marksmanship-and
we have that"
There are enough shells loaded with
Explosive D. stored In the magazines
of Fort Hancock. Sandy Hook. Fort
Hamilton and Fort Wadsworth to pre-
vent the city of New York and the
surrounding country from being dam
aged one iota by the combined fleets
Of the powers Of Europe.
The explosive Is a compound OF
which picric acid is the base. In q
proiectile used In twelve-inch gun
of the army or navy. and weighing
I.04s pounds. there are sixty-five
hounds of the explosive. That Is as
near to the nature OF the ingredients
of the compound as any but the ex.
perts are allowed to get.
The Dunn explosive IL fired by a
time fuse and will not explode on con.
tact. But when II does explode Its
powers are almost supernatural
At Sandy Hook. for one OF the Sc
.cret tests, the government built a
large compartment OF steel armor
Mate several inches In thickness. In
front Of the compartment facing the
gun was a sheet Of armor plate Tx
inches thick. The regulation 12-inch
gun was used and the projectile. con.
tanning sixty-fve pounds of Explosive
ID fred with an ordinary charge OF
smokeless powder. II went through
nbe armor plate into the compartment
ard exploded. Great holes were torn
In the steel box on all sides and
demonstrated that had II been a ship
II would have gone to the bottom with
all on board.
Among the other tests made was
that of shells fired from field pieces
into an embankment to determine
what corld be done to an enemy's en-.
| A---x-~us. apn shnn uouS entn -