The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1917-05-23
MONG0LIA'S GUN |
USED OLD SHELL
New Weapons Too Powerful
for Ships Obsolete
Ammunition.
CAUSED NURSES DEATHS
Navy Ordnance Chief Tells of
Premature Explosions on Z
Other Liners.
CAUSED NURSES DEATHS

wAsHINoroN, May ga report OF
Rear Admiral Earle, chief of the bu-
icau Of ordnance, ON the premature ex-
plosions of shells on the armed American
liners st. Louis, st. Paul and Mongolia,
made public tonight by Secretary Dan
iels. shows that the bureau has reached
the conclusion that six inch shells made
rrior to 1900 are not to be trustc1 and
that all such have been withdrawn from
both naval and merchant ships.
The report does not take up the acci-
dent on the Mongolia. which resulted In
the death Of two Red Cross nurses en-
route to Europe, the investiga ting board
in that case not having completed its
work. Preliminary statements have at
tributed this tragedy TO the unprece-
dented action Of a powder retainer cap,
which struck the water in peculiar
manner and was detected back aboard
the vessel a point nearly 200 feet from
the gun.
THE first American liner to be armed
was the Manchuria, on March 10. 1917"
said Admiral Earles report The arm
ing Of other large liners followed imme-
diately. The guns used were Of the bes;
type known at the present date, and were
hVaAi bpSOiubCiy new ho'a"e eNN'
fired only the rounds necessary to test
them, for strength before permitting
them to be used with service charges
THE ammunition for these guns was
assembled according to standard meth
/ DDS in December, 1916. The usual thor
ough tests of all this ammunition were
made at the naval proving grounds and
all tests resulted in perfect perform
ances.
The armed liner 81. Louis on her
! first trip to Liverpool. where she arrived
| March 20. l917. fired forty-iive service
shells at an iceberg for target. This
firing was held in accordance with in
| structions Of the bureau In order to test
| the mounts, guns. ammunition and to
I, train the gun crew. Several shells burst
prematurely, some inside the bore of the
guns. others before striking the target.
The damage to the bore of the guns
caused thereby was sufficient to neceSsi-
| tate their being refined.
Upon her return to New York, the
guns and shells were Immediately re-
| moved and new guns with a new supply
OF shells issued tc-the ship. Later on
the other shells exploded prematurely
as we'll as one of the same calibre on
both the Mongolia and the St Paul
In none OF these cases was the CUR
damaged beyond remedy by refining
which refining has been done
| The development of modern ordnance
/ has been extremely rapid, and the com
| parative freedom of our navy from
! serious accidents in connection therewiti
| has been a source of satisfaction 10 the
service. but mishaps with ordnance ina
! terial cannot be absolutely prevented.
1T is necessary in all work OH ex-
/ plosives to draw deductions from the ac-
tual tests made at the proving ground
However. 1t must be borne in mind AT
material used as an explosive is gre
to spend all of its force in an instant
space OF time and cannot be relied upo:
i With absolute certainty to give the sain'
result in all cases. The conrlu
sion reached is that all six inch shell:
and fuses manufactured since the yeal
1900 are satisfactory. and that the pre-
mature bursts. so unfortunately occur
ring on our armed liners. may be "a
tributed to shells made prior to 1900. an,
made possibly with slightly thinner vail
than the latest type of shells,
ON the return of the st, Lo I!s Z, OF
her first trip. about April ?. 1917. n!
sucl. shells were removed, aid NJ SIC,
shells are afoat now on armed liners
This procedure was also adopted at orc
In the case of all six inch ammunition
for vessels of the navy