New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-04-29
Twenty-second Regiment
Men Risk Lives in
Exciting Drill.
USE HIGH EXPLOSIVE
AS PART OF WORK
Plank Shattered by Few Grains
of New Powder Invented
BY Guardsman.

4 series OF explosions when co-Iu ne
heard for blocks around testihed last
night that the demolition squad OF the
a2d Regiment. Corps Of Engineers. was al
work in the armorv al lsSth 81 and Fort
Washington ave. The explosive which
the squad was using was trotol gelatin
more powerful than dynamite or nitro
glycerin. and the inveuuon Of Lieutenant
Howard g. Woodward the commander OF
the squad.
No one al the armory last night would
admit that the dill was ordered in prepa-
ration for a call FOR the national guard
but II was admitted that 1t was an extraor-
binary drill and that Friday evening
the squad will leave the armory for heid
work in the vicinity OF Yonkers.
The demolition squad is unique insti-
tuition Its parallel is not TO be- found
even in the regular army 10 j. composed
Of twentv-four men two from each com
pany I'm the regiment who are picked FOR
their nerve and GOODNESS. These were the
qualities that were eXhiAted last night.
as experiments TO show the power or the
explosive cannot be conducted INDOORS put
once-at least. not IN the same place.
Visitors were nct welcomed AT the
srrnory last night for owing 10 the
strength OF the explosive 70 IL necessary
10 keep most OF the hoor space empty
The charges used were only half tea
spoonful each, and yet they shook the
arrnory. and after the exhibluon Ihe
plank. sone three feet below the rope on
which the tiny bags were suspended. was
found eplintered. IN spite OF It's protection
by air cushions
The roma was about 80 feet from The
end OF the armory where the squad gain
cred. II represent .d a bridge COMMANDED
by the enemys fire. Al the woro oi
command one OF the squad would dash
forward In his hand was the sack con
tanning the Few grains that were SUM
Gent 10 Kill or MAIN him II the charge
exploded prematurely. foot or so OF
fuse which sputtered as he ran, gave the
man from sixty 10 ninety SECONDS 20 Tie
his torpedo to the rope and get TO saie
distance.
A, ttr,es IN. runner would fall as he
,sached the bridge" lie had been
"wounded" and before he had hit the
Aoor n second man would dash 70 MS
side The second man would fasten the
EXPLOSIVE 70 the rope, throw the wound
ed" man across his shoulder and rush
back 20 his comrades.
During the whole drill there was not a
hitch 4 hitch in ouch a d,il means
serious accident. Had q man lost his
footing and his relief not been right AZ
hand the torpedo would have eNplooeo
before ne could get away from II
=, warfare the charge used varies from
ten mounds 20 two hundred. Ten pounds
will blow an ordinary wooden bridge so
far that two minutes after the match IS
epplied no one would suspect there had
ever been a bridge there. Fifty POUNDS
Is the charge FOR big bridge OF steel con
struction or masonry. Two hundred
mounds would blow super Drea!dnought
up among the seagulls-
The heavier charges are exploded oy
mean, Of an electric battery The ex-
n,osiye is set or ne dynamite Is, out -
considered not only more powerful hu'
more stable. The ammunition cart OF the
regiment contains two hundred pounds
Of Il AZ all times, and Lieutenant Howard
and hts second IN command, Lieutenant
Lawrence Donovan, agreed that there
was not the slightest risk In keeping that
ouantitv on hand so long az the fuses
and illuminate OF mercury caps were not
inserted
To demonstrate the safety o. his IN
vention Lieutenant Woodward last night
broke sticks Of the stun into pieces be
tween his fingers and banged It against
the wall. The only injury resulting was
N the nerves OF some Of his audience.
Friday evening at o'clock the squad
will start FOR field work near Honkers'
and during Saturday and Sunday tneV
v,I exne-1rnent with land and water