Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-30
TURPTNITE COULD
DESTROY NATIONS,
EDITOR BELIEVES
Deadly Gas-6lled Shells
Will Not Be Used Until
Germans Storm Paris, He
Thinks.
LONDON. Sent. 30.

LONDON, Sept. 30.
Whether the French are really using
turpinite, the newest war terror reported
TO be in possession of England's ally, is
Il matter OF great speculation in Eng
land. This new explosive, which has
aroused the greatest discussion through
out the world Is declared to be so deadly
in its effect that all life Is extermlnated
within a radius of 400 yards of one of
the exploding shells. Regiments of Ger
mans are reported to have been found
dead in their trenches, their rifles still
In their hands, not mark on their
bodies, but with the long line of corpses
standing as though in life.
The Daily Express declares that a man
known to the editor for years, and who
is generally well informed has written
as follows concerning turpinite:
THE new explosive, invented two years
ago by NJ. Turpln, the parent inventor
of meiinite and lyddIte, is undoubtedly
the most terrific and most widely death
dealing high-power explosive ever known
So lethal in its effect Is the new shell
on explosion that should it's use become
widespread whole armies, indeed entire
nations, would be completely extermnated
in the course of few weeks For this
reason it's use is probably prohibited by
articles of war, by the international
Hague convention, though NJ. Tutpn him
SELF boldly claims this is not the case"
After telling of M. Turpin's dislike of
the French War Office and his grievance
folowing the Governments acceptance of
melinite and lyddite, the informant of
the Express tells how Turpin set to work
upon new explosive, which he endeav-
ored to perfect, so that, as compared to
1t, melinte and lyddite would be prac-
tically useless. He worked for years had
n gun made himself, the parts being con-
Z frtG
assembled, and directed the making of
the shells
THE merest chance enabled me to wit
ness one of the early trials of the new
explosive, the writer continues. con a
stretch of sand 500 yards from high
water level temporary sheep fold had
been erected, about 100 yards square. and
rallied off with wooden hurdles. In this
space were dozen sheep and a couple of
aged and worn-out horses.
"One of the horses was contentedly
munching away at some hay and the
other was rubbing himself against one of
the hurdles, while the sheep were huddled
together in one corner.
This was what l saw through my
glasses when. from a ridge some $500
yards away there came sharp, loud
thud and the shrieking sound of a small
shell, just as though somebody had
taken piece of silk and rapidly torn 1t
in two.
There was an explosion In the open
space in the middle of the improvised
sheep-pen. The sheep were still huddled
in the corner, one of the old horses was
apparently leaning up against the rail-
ing. The one that had been munching
hay lay on his side.
when ten minutes later 1 reached the
pen the sheep looked for all the world
as If they had been pctrifed. They were
mostly standing up, one against the
other
Three or four were lying down but
all were dead, with their eyes open and
lips hanging. 1t was absolutely CHASTITY
Yet all of the animals, only the old
horse that had been munching hay, was
hit by fragment of shell. The other
horse was half falling, half leaning
against the fence his forelegs stretched
out forward, his hind feet doubled up
on the sand beneath him. Both had been
killed instantly.
There was a faint odor in the air,
which can only describe as that given
off by mcthylated spirit yet mixed with
a pungent smell of methol Later the
experiments were repeated on a much
larger scale at the French permanent
camps of Chalons and Maily.
For special reasons which It would be
unfair for me to divulge at the present
moment, am strongly of the opinion that
these shells have not been used to any
extent by the French armies in the field /
Probably an actual test under battle con-
aitions has been made once or twice, but |
no more.
That this terrific explosive will, how |
ever, be used in case of such an eventu- !
plity as an attempt to take Paris by /
storm, l have no doubt. But | am con- |
vinced, despite the thousands of bombs !
now prepared and the special apparatus |
that are being cast. this explosive, a sin ,
gle 56-pound shell of which Is able TO |
Z <fI1--Sp In rff
hing In a space Of iOD square wards will |
not be used unless under very desperate
circumstances, and only with the full con-
sent of Frances allies"