Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1912-09-20
CAMP FRI IRE
SHELL GOES LONG DISTANCE
Interesting History of Pinch Projec'
tIie Used in Spanish war
Travelled Four Miles.

Screaming out It's defiant message
of possible death and disaster d LIZ
inch 1.o0O-pound shell was sent across
tho Raw OF Santiago on the latelui
,noroing of July 8, 1898, from one OF
the battleships-Texas, Iowa or LII
diana. The shell travelled a distances
Of between three and four miles ana
found lodgment in the side OF rocky
hill lust behind MORO castle, the
charge being unexploded. 1t now re-
noses peacefully on the sidewalk IN
front of a store In Carson street.
Southside. near Twenty-seventn street.
but minus the charge.
Thousands of people pass the spo'
daily. but little or no heed Is gwen py
Them 70 this interesting relic OF Un-
cla Sans encounter with the one-tlme
great power of Spain.
The shell was shipped on OCTOBER
On 1899 by Capt. Surgeon James MO
Kay, United States navy, to his Iatner'
Stephen Mckay, Of this city, ana ID
much priced by the latter as rello
and souvenir.
Capt. Mckay gave an interesting de"
scription of the circumstances aItenu-
ing the firing and finding of the smell.
He states: "The shell was fired from
the Indiana or Texas from distance
az between three or four miles, anu
u was doubtless fired at the eastern
battery. a concealed battery OF several
old bronze cannon situated In noI-
low In the bluff, and only visible from
several miles at sea. Our ships paln
great attention to this particular bat
terry from noticing that, while tne
muzzles of the cannon were Vlslple
over the embankment before nrlng'
they disappeared simultaneously WIN
that operation. Now from the excef
lent habit drilled into the men OF the
navy of overestimating rather than
doubling the strength Of the enemy.
they decided the battery must be com
posed of modern rifled disappearing
guns, and acted accordingly. Every
now and again, and when the ships
seemed most quiet, one or anotner
would drop q carefully calculated she'll
In such close proximity as to keep the
artiIlerists working the guns In state
of constant terror. This shell, from
it's position, must have flown over the
guns and men at just sufficient helght
to clear the ridge and plunge into the
hill beyond. 1t missed its mark by
very small margin. However, the hum
dreds Of holes, some large enough to
form a cellar for a large dwelling,
scattered all about and within the
battery, the dismounted, crippled and
half-buried pieces, and the general
wreck made Of nature in the entire
vicinity, speak only too eloquently OF
the excellent craftsmanship OF our
gunners, and the splendid conduct of
! our ships in general.
when Admiral Sampson visited the
aforementioned battery some months
after the surrender, he smilingly told
how they had been fooled by the
strange disappearing qualities of the
old guns. Many Of thes old pieces
dated back to 171S and were masses
of most wonderful and beautiful hand
carving, but the gun carriages were
not more than 100 years old, hence the
parts did not fit and the recoil mech
anism (great buffer springs) being
useless the piece on being discharged
would bound back into the air the
full length Of the carriage Us feet.
The muzzles were visible over the
cement before firing, but their re-
bound flight carried them far out OF
sight, hence the disappearing guns
which deceived our men for a while"
The shell, singular to relate, shows
but slight marks Of It's impact with
it's rocky billet, another proof Of the
care with which American projecti1es
are MISUNDERSTANDING Dispatch.