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High explosives and smokeless powders and their applications in warfare
Dec., x898.]
High Explosh,es and Smokeless Powders.
CHEMICAL
457
SECTION.
Slated Meeting, Septeraber ao, z898. HIGH
E X P L O S I V E S AND S M O K E L E S S P O W D E R S AND THEIR A P P L I C A T I O N S IN W A R F A R E . BY HUDSON MAXIM.
[Concluded from ~. 386.] By the sacrifice of a little velocity, b u t still l e a v i n g us a velocity of 2,000 feet per second, we m a y m a k e our aerial t o r p e d o to w e i g h i½ tons, and to consist of I ton of steel, carr y i n g a b u r s t i n g charge of ½ ton of high explosive. T h i s projectile w o u l d b e sufficiently s t r o n g to enable it to penetrate' t h e deck a r m o r of a n y b a t t l e s h i p in the world before exploding, or to p e n e t r a t e the belt a r m o r of p r o t e c t e d cruisers like the " N e w Y o r k i' and explode inside the vessel, T h a t such an explosion w o u l d be d e s t r u c t i v e in its effects I think all will be willing to grant. T h e fuse to be e m p l o y e d is one of t h e chief features of t h e aerial torpedo. T h e ciuestion of fuse has always been one of the principal f e a t u r e s of the p r o b l e m of successfully t h r o w i n g h i g h explosives from ordnance. Briefly, it is cons t r u c t e d in such a w a y as to a b s o l u t e l y preclude any d a n g e r of p r e m a t u r e explosion in the gun, and w h e n the projectile strikes the target, the action of the fuse is sufficiently del a y e d to p e r m i t t h e p e n e t r a t i o n of the projectile to a desired d e p t h in e a r t h or water, or to pass t h r o u g h light a r m o r before exploding. L e t us n o w see w h a t m a y be done with b u t a v e r y slight c h a n g e in p r e s e n t forms of ordnance and in p r e s e n t forms of shell. L e t us take a g u n of the s a m e w e i g h t and cost as the p r e s e n t x2-inch, 52-ton, sea-coast rifle, and let us c o n s t r u c t it to t h r o w a projectile w e i g h i n g 1,500 pounds, I,ooo p o u n d s of steel and 5oo p o u n d s of high explosive. T h e caliber of the g u n w o u l d be a b o u t 2o inches. T h e projectile t h r o w n
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3~[axim :
[J. F. I.,
would have a velocity considerably greater than the present i,ooo pound I2-inch shell, carrying a bursting charge of only 37 pounds of black powder. Now, when we ta~e into consideration the fact that it will not cost any more for a gun to throw aerial torpedoes, carrying bursting charges a h u n d r e d times as powerful as are now thrown, and without any sacrifice in velocity, b u t that we may even attain greater velocity, flatness of trajectory, and directness of fire than are now attained with highpower guns, and still throw enormous charges of high explosives, the value of this system ought to be apparent. The system involves no radical departure from present forms of ordnance. T h e aerial torpedo involves nothing questionable or intricate in its construction, and no new or untried law, and, as has already been stated, there are several high explosives which may be thrown with perfect safety. Lyddite, which is simply pierie acid, is already employed by the British Government for filling shells for high-power guns, and this same material, either alone or admixed with other ingredients, has been long used by some of the Contine.ntal European powers. In the W e s t m i n s t e r Ga,zette of A u g u s t 26th last, it is said that, " T h e reports to hand from the Soudan Expedition indicate that in the attack upon O m d u r m a n great reliance will be placed upon the misehieLmaking power of the new lyddite shell. It is stated that when tried at Abu Sieh, Cairo, the effect of the time bursts were simply terrific, and it is asserted that the concussion of a burst can have effect 600 yards to the front and 3oo yards to the rear." W h a t I propose is simply to throw larger quantities, but without subjecting the explosive to any greater shock in the gun than that to which it has been already subjected and been found to successfully withstand. This should be borne in mind, that the same e x p l o s i v e that is now widely used for filling shells for high-power guns, m a y be used to fill aerial torpedoes, and that, in the aerial torpedoes, it will not be subjected to any more s h o c k than that to whieh it is now subjected.
Dec., 1898. ]
l~iff]t Exfllosi~,es aitd Smokeless Powders.
459
A s a l r e a d y stated, it is the l e n g t h of c o l u m n of the explosive in the projectile t h a t m u s t be taken into a c c o u n t in c o n s i d e r i n g the shoek of acceleration upon it In the aerial t o r p e d o p r o p o s e d b y me, the c o l u m n of explosive w o u l d be s u b d i v i d e d b y a s t r o n g cross partition, and no m a t t e r h o w large the shell m a y be in cross-section, the shock is no g r e a t e r than as t h o u g h it were b u t a few inches. N a v a l and military a u t h o r i t i e s m u s t soon give d u e consideration to the aerial torpedo. F r o m ½ a ton to i ton o f high explosives can certainly be t h r o w n with a b s o l u t e s a f e t y and g r e a t a c c u r a c y at all fighting ranges at sea, and if such q u a n t i t i e s of high explosive, striking and e x p l o d i n g on b o a r d a b a t t l e s h i p b y i m p a c t u p o n its s u p e r s t r u c t u r e , will d e s t r o y the vessel or throw it o u t of action, or if such quantities, w h e n p r o j e c t e d into the water, and exploding as s u b m a r i n e m i n e s a d j a c e n t to the hull of a battleship, will suffice to b l o w h e r up or sink her, then the first shot of the aerial t o r p e d o g u n p r o p o s e d b y me will render obsolete e v e r y b a t t l e s h i p in the world. I m m e n s e s u m s of m o n e y will no longer be expended in a r m o r e d protection which will not protect, and in the construction of h u g e and p o n d e r o u s fighting machines w h o s e v e r y size r e n d e r s t h e m a m o r e e a s y p r e y to the torpedo g u n than a small and light cruiser, simply b i g e n o u g h to provide a p o r t a b l e and stable g u n platform. If a projectile can be t h r o w n w h i c h shall be sufficiently d e s t r u c t i v e to demolish a n y t h i n g and e v e r y t h i n g it hits, then, obviously, t h e r e a f t e r centralization of m e n and e x p e n s e m u s t be a b a n d o n e d and m e n and w e a p o n s m u s t be dispersed in order to form as m a n y and as small t a r g e t s as possible. N a v i e s m u s t fight in s k i r m i s h i n g order, exactly as armies on land n o w do. If the battleship, f o r m i n g a t a r g e t ten times as great, offers no g r e a t e r protection a g a i n s t the aerial t o r p e d o than the small, u n p r o t e c t e d cruiser, and costs ten times as m u c h and carries ten times the n u m b e r of men, it is certainly not more than one-tenth as efficient a fighting machine. A n y t h i n g r e v o l u t i o n a r y in character, h o w e v e r m e r i t o r i o u s , a l w a y s has a hard fight for recognition, especially in overcoming the opposition b a c k e d b y e n o r m o u s v e s t e d interests.
45o
Ma.~im :
[J. F. I.,
It w o u l d be easier with a f e w cruisers a r m e d w i t h aerial t o r p e d o e s to m a k e a scrap heap of e v e r y b a t t l e s h i p of the c o m b i n e d navies of the world to-day, than it will b e to even s e c u r e the s y s t e m a place for once in the line of battle. If t h e r e is even a fighting chance for the aerial t o r p e d o to w o r k the r e v o l u t i o n in naval c o n s t r u c t i o n predicted, then this m a t t e r is a S u b j e c t for serious consideration, especially by the U n i t e d S t a t e s G o v e r n m e n t , b e f o r e m a k i n g the enor. m o u s e x p e n d i t u r e s in b a t t l e s h i p s which G r e a t Britain has made. H a l f a million dollars will build and arm a light t o r p e d o cruiser w h i c h will carry one 24-inch t o r p e d o g u n and two t o r p e d o mortars. T h i s will d e m o n s t r a t e the efficiency of the system. If it fails; it costs b u t $50o,0oo; if it succeeds, it will save $50o,000,00o. T h e b a t t l e s h i p m u s t go. T h e g r e a t d i s t a n c e to w h i c h e n o r m o u s q u a n t i t i e s of high explosives m a y be t h r o w n b y torpedo g u n s and m o r t a r s and the h i t t i n g qualities of these weapons, w h e n the enorm o u s size of the t a r g e t is taken into consideration within w h o s e area a torpedo, striking, will d e s t r o y a warship, renders t h e s e ' w e a p o n s of s u p r e m e i m p o r t a n c e for coast defense. Aerial t o r p e d o guns, w h e n once s u c c e s s f u l l y tried, either on land or sea, will cause a r e v o l u t i o n in coast fortifications as well as in w a r vessels. Aerial t o r p e d o e s p e n e t r a t i n g deep into e a r t h w o r k s before e x p l o d i n g will be disastrous. It will then b e the w e a p o n r a t h e r than m e a n s of protection, that. will be the d o m i n a t i n g factor in b o t h attack and defense. T h e cost b y p r e s e n t m e t h o d s , in a m m u n i t i o n and w e a r and tear of g u n s in b o m b a r d i n g coast fortifications or towns, is q u i t e equal to the a m o u n t of d a m a g e done. T h i s will all be c h a n g e d b y the i n t r o d u c t i o n of aerial torpedoes. T h e A m e r i c a n fleet e x p e n d e d m o r e than $2,00o,00o worth of a m m u n i t i o n h u r l i n g s h o t and shell at the S a n t i a g o hills, and the d a m a g e w r o u g h t was q u i t e insignificant, p r o b a b l y not more than io p e r cent. of w h a t it cost the A m e r i c a n Gov. e r n m e n t in a m m u n i t i o n alone. T h e " V e s u v i u s " t h r e w a few shells c a r r y i n g only 2o0 p o u n d s of g u n c o t t o n , and w i t h o u t a n y p o w e r w h a t e v e r of penetration. N o t m u c h could b e e x p e c t e d of these.
Dec., 1898.]
High Explosives and Smokeless Powders.
461
S u p p o s e a few aerial t o r p e d o e s w e i g h i n g a ton and a half, w i t h a b u r s t i n g charge of half" a ton, and capable of p e n e t r a t i n g d e e p into the fortifications before exploding, h a d b e e n employed, w o u l d not the result have b e e n vastly different ? W o u l d not e n o r m o u s l y g r e a t e r d e s t r u c t i o n h a v e been wrought ? T h e lessons of the p r e s e n t w a r do not, as claimed by certain persons, teach us the uselessness of torpedo b o a t s and of t o r p e d o warfare, and n o t h i n g has been learned upon w h i e h to f o u n d any h i g h e r opinion of the b a t t l e s h i p than we h a d before the war. T h e g r e a t lesson t a u g h t is the s u p e r i o r i t y of the A m e r i c a n g u n n e r s and A m e r i c a n s as fighters, Suppose, for example, that Cervera had had such a numb e r of torpedo b o a t destroyers, of the P l u t o n and F u r o r type, as could h a v e b e e n c o n s t r u c t e d for w h a t the A m e r i c a n b a t t l e s h i p " O r e g o n " c o s t - - s a y t w e n t y of t h e m - - a n d suppose those torpedo b o a t s had b e e n a r m e d and e q u i p p e d with A m e r i c a n g u n s and a m m u n i t i o n , A m e r i c a n torpedoes, and m a n n e d b y Americans, and t h a t t h e y h a d sallied forth at n i g h t i n s t e a d of in the d a y t i m e , and m a d e a d e t e r m i n e d a t t a c k u p o n o u r fleet, is it not p r o b a b l e t h a t t h e y w o u l d h a v e s u c c e e d e d in d e s t r o y i n g more of o u r w a r vessels than t h e y t h e m s e l v e s cost b e f o r e t h e y could h a v e been d e s t r o y e d ? F u r t h e r m o r e , s u p p o s e t h e r e h a d b e e n m o u n t e d upon t h e S a n t i a g o hills, t o r p e d o g u n s c a p a b l e of t h r o w i n g ½ ton of high explosive over a radius of from 8 to 9 miles, m i g h t not the result h a v e b e e n different ? In t h e s e a n t e - m i l l e n n i u m times, w a r is occasionally a n e c e s s a r y contingency, and when it comes we w a n t the b e s t tools we can g e t to fight with, and it is a crime for a nation n o t to be p r e p a r e d for war, a crime a g a i n s t those w h o will be called upon to d e f e n d the c o u n t r y in time of war. It is a crime for a nation not to be a b r e a s t of the times in arms and e q u i p m e n t s . I m p r o v e d g u n s and a m m u n i t i o n , i m p r o v e d m e t h o d s for the e m p l o y m e n t of the m o s t d e s t r u c t i v e agencies of offense and defense are b u t m e a n s of s a v i n g life. Modern armies and navies are b u t e l a b o r a t e and efficient life-saving sys-
462
Maxim
."
[J. F. I.,
terns, and are as h u m a n i t a r i a n in n a t u r e as the life-saving services a l o n g the coast of civilized countries, whose d u t y it is to w a r n vessels of d a n g e r and to succor those who m a y be cast away. T h e fort is as h u m a n i t a r i a n in its n a t u r e as the l i g h t h o u s e , and the seacoast g u n as m u c h an i m p l e m e n t of m e r c y as the grtm t h a t t ~ the- life-line_ to a s t r a n d e d wreck. T h e cost to this c o u n t r y of the p r e s e n t war with Spain, above w h a t it w o u l d h a v e been h a d the c o u n t r y been prepared for war, is difficult even of a p p r o x i m a t i o n - - p r e p a r e d in every sense, as well as w i t h a r m a m e n t s . It is d o u b t f u l if t h e r e w o u l d h a v e been a n y w a r h a d not Spain been e n c o u r a g e d b y her belief in our w e a k n e s s or unpreparedness, for it was not only g e n e r a l l y believed in Spain, b u t by m a n y in o t h e r E u r o p e a n countries, t h a t Spain would at first h a v e the best of the fight. T h e world has been t a u g h t a lesson by a r e m i n d e r of the f i g h t i n g qualities of the American character, w e have also been t a u g h t a lesson which the c o u n t r y o u g h t not soon to f o r g e t - - t h e n e c e s s i t y of b e i n g p r e p a r e d for war. T h e c o u n t r y which finds itself involved in war in a state of u n p r e p a r e d n e s s , can m a k e good deficiencies in such respects o n l y at the cost of g r e a t sacrifice of life.
W a r m u s t be looked upon as a business, and subject, like a n y o t h e r business, to business principles. W a r is the business of d e s t r u c t i o n of life a n d p r o p e r t y of an enemy, and has no r e g a r d for the sacredness or pricelessness of h u m a n life. Lives b e c o m e part of the p a r a p h e r n a l i a of war, and lives and p r o p e r t y become r e p r e s e n t a t i v e in value. T h e art of war consists in the e m p l o y m e n t of m e a n s and instrum e n t s to accomplish the desired purpose w i t h the m i n i m u m of risk, exper!diture and loss on the i n v e s t m e n t . T h e h i s t o r y of n a t i o n s is the h i s t o r y of wars. T h e mill e n n i u m of secure universal peace is y e t far off. T h e r e will be need of g u n s j u s t so l o n g as one man, t h r o u g h eyes Of injustice, sees a n y use for a n o t h e r m a n ' s property, or u n t i l all n a t i o n s shall u n i t e in a c o m m o n federation, a universal
Dec., 1898.] [-h'g']t Explosives and Smokeless Powders.
463
family o f mankind, b o u n d to peace u n d e r laws m a d e in the c o m m o n interest, w h e n shall be realized t h a t ideal society mentioned by Tennyson : " T h e parliament o f man, the federation of the world."
A t best, w a r is cruelty, b u t it is not only o f t e ~ a sity, b u t unavoidable, and once e n g a g e d in should be made as terrible and d e s t r u c t i v e as possible while it lasts, in order that it m a y b e brief as possible, t h u s minimizing the evil in the a g g r e g a t e . N o t . o n l y do s w o r d s and b a y o n e t s , g u n s and g u n p o w d e r , t o r p e d o e s and high explosives c o n s t i t u t e the w e a p o n s of w a r to-day, b u t the s t e a m b o a t , railroad, telegraph, the woollen and the cotton mill s t a n d on the plane w i t h the rest ; the chemist, electrician, e n g i n e e r and inventor, find d u t y as serviceable to their c o u n t r y as does the b l e e d i n g soldier ; and all the v a s t industries of a g r e a t c o m m o n w e a l t h unite with its h u s b a n d r y to s u p p l y the sinews of war, By j u s t division of labor, t h e p l o u g h m a n , artisan, scientist and i n v e n t o r strike as n o b l y for their c o u n t r y and render her equal service as t h o u g h t h e y were to fight and bleed and die u p o n the field of battle. One man, with a Maxim-gun, is w o r t h more in a fight tod a y than w o u l d be xoo m e n a r m e d with the old-fashioned muzzle-loading rifles used as late as the A m e r i c a n Civil War. T h e new m a g a z i n e rifle m a k e s a single soldier more than a m a t c h for a dozen m e n a r m e d with the old weapons. A troop of artillerists o p e r a t i n g m o d e r n quick.firing guns, with shrapnel and canister, could s t a n d a g a i n s t ten times their n u m b e r a r m e d with the old smooth-bore muzzleloading field guns. W h a t does this m e a n ? It m e a n s t h a t only one-tenth as m a n y m e n need be sent a w a y to war, while the r e m a i n i n g nine-tenths m a y s t a y at home. It m a y be a r g u e d t h a t an e n e m y w o u l d be e q u a l l y well equipped. V e r y true. B u t his e q u i p m e n t s and the h o m e industries p r o d u c i n g t h e m d e m a n d of h i m also t h a t the nine m e n work and only the t e n t h m a n fights. T h e r e can be b u t one i n ~ r p r e t a t i o n as to the results u p o n civilization of i m p r o v e m e n t s in i m p l e m e n t s of war,
464
White :
[J. F. I.,
and it is that more will be done by m o n e y and machinery and less fighting done by hand, permitting and d e m a n d i n g that large numbers remain at home engaged in industrial pursuits, while the home is defended less by blood and more by the fruits of industry. The most deadly and destructive implements of war are the most humane, and the producers of t h e m m a y justly'be looked upon as humanitarians. T h e best g u a r a n t y of peace is to be in a position to make a breach of it as undesirable as possible to an enemy. The greatest security against receiving h e a v y blows is to be in a position to strike them. Peace is made most secure by being prepared for war, by pushing to the highest state of development possible the weapons and means of offence. T h e inventors of deadly engines of war place in the hands of scientific and enlightened nations the means of controlling wars. Such inventions have put a limit to the time when barbarian hordes can overrun and subdue the earth, to ravage, destroy and enslave by sheer brute force and power of numbers.
C H I M N E Y S FOR I N C A N D E S C E N T GAS LAMPS. BY ERNEST M. WHXT~.
In the year x88o or thereabouts, Carl Auer, a student of chemistry at Heidelberg became interested in the subject of gas lighting. Believing in the incandescent principle, he directed his experiments, research and study, along the lines of that system; producing, eventually, the A u e r or Welsbach incandescent gas lamp, which has recently revolutionized the Science of Gas Lighting. Following closely, some years ago, the evolution of the incandescent gas lamps and the improvements made in it by A u e r and other inventors through whose hands i t had passed, I found that no real improvements had been made in the chimney. This is by no means an unimportant ele
High Explosh,es and Smokeless Powders.
CHEMICAL
457
SECTION.
Slated Meeting, Septeraber ao, z898. HIGH
E X P L O S I V E S AND S M O K E L E S S P O W D E R S AND THEIR A P P L I C A T I O N S IN W A R F A R E . BY HUDSON MAXIM.
[Concluded from ~. 386.] By the sacrifice of a little velocity, b u t still l e a v i n g us a velocity of 2,000 feet per second, we m a y m a k e our aerial t o r p e d o to w e i g h i½ tons, and to consist of I ton of steel, carr y i n g a b u r s t i n g charge of ½ ton of high explosive. T h i s projectile w o u l d b e sufficiently s t r o n g to enable it to penetrate' t h e deck a r m o r of a n y b a t t l e s h i p in the world before exploding, or to p e n e t r a t e the belt a r m o r of p r o t e c t e d cruisers like the " N e w Y o r k i' and explode inside the vessel, T h a t such an explosion w o u l d be d e s t r u c t i v e in its effects I think all will be willing to grant. T h e fuse to be e m p l o y e d is one of t h e chief features of t h e aerial torpedo. T h e ciuestion of fuse has always been one of the principal f e a t u r e s of the p r o b l e m of successfully t h r o w i n g h i g h explosives from ordnance. Briefly, it is cons t r u c t e d in such a w a y as to a b s o l u t e l y preclude any d a n g e r of p r e m a t u r e explosion in the gun, and w h e n the projectile strikes the target, the action of the fuse is sufficiently del a y e d to p e r m i t t h e p e n e t r a t i o n of the projectile to a desired d e p t h in e a r t h or water, or to pass t h r o u g h light a r m o r before exploding. L e t us n o w see w h a t m a y be done with b u t a v e r y slight c h a n g e in p r e s e n t forms of ordnance and in p r e s e n t forms of shell. L e t us take a g u n of the s a m e w e i g h t and cost as the p r e s e n t x2-inch, 52-ton, sea-coast rifle, and let us c o n s t r u c t it to t h r o w a projectile w e i g h i n g 1,500 pounds, I,ooo p o u n d s of steel and 5oo p o u n d s of high explosive. T h e caliber of the g u n w o u l d be a b o u t 2o inches. T h e projectile t h r o w n
458
3~[axim :
[J. F. I.,
would have a velocity considerably greater than the present i,ooo pound I2-inch shell, carrying a bursting charge of only 37 pounds of black powder. Now, when we ta~e into consideration the fact that it will not cost any more for a gun to throw aerial torpedoes, carrying bursting charges a h u n d r e d times as powerful as are now thrown, and without any sacrifice in velocity, b u t that we may even attain greater velocity, flatness of trajectory, and directness of fire than are now attained with highpower guns, and still throw enormous charges of high explosives, the value of this system ought to be apparent. The system involves no radical departure from present forms of ordnance. T h e aerial torpedo involves nothing questionable or intricate in its construction, and no new or untried law, and, as has already been stated, there are several high explosives which may be thrown with perfect safety. Lyddite, which is simply pierie acid, is already employed by the British Government for filling shells for high-power guns, and this same material, either alone or admixed with other ingredients, has been long used by some of the Contine.ntal European powers. In the W e s t m i n s t e r Ga,zette of A u g u s t 26th last, it is said that, " T h e reports to hand from the Soudan Expedition indicate that in the attack upon O m d u r m a n great reliance will be placed upon the misehieLmaking power of the new lyddite shell. It is stated that when tried at Abu Sieh, Cairo, the effect of the time bursts were simply terrific, and it is asserted that the concussion of a burst can have effect 600 yards to the front and 3oo yards to the rear." W h a t I propose is simply to throw larger quantities, but without subjecting the explosive to any greater shock in the gun than that to which it has been already subjected and been found to successfully withstand. This should be borne in mind, that the same e x p l o s i v e that is now widely used for filling shells for high-power guns, m a y be used to fill aerial torpedoes, and that, in the aerial torpedoes, it will not be subjected to any more s h o c k than that to whieh it is now subjected.
Dec., 1898. ]
l~iff]t Exfllosi~,es aitd Smokeless Powders.
459
A s a l r e a d y stated, it is the l e n g t h of c o l u m n of the explosive in the projectile t h a t m u s t be taken into a c c o u n t in c o n s i d e r i n g the shoek of acceleration upon it In the aerial t o r p e d o p r o p o s e d b y me, the c o l u m n of explosive w o u l d be s u b d i v i d e d b y a s t r o n g cross partition, and no m a t t e r h o w large the shell m a y be in cross-section, the shock is no g r e a t e r than as t h o u g h it were b u t a few inches. N a v a l and military a u t h o r i t i e s m u s t soon give d u e consideration to the aerial torpedo. F r o m ½ a ton to i ton o f high explosives can certainly be t h r o w n with a b s o l u t e s a f e t y and g r e a t a c c u r a c y at all fighting ranges at sea, and if such q u a n t i t i e s of high explosive, striking and e x p l o d i n g on b o a r d a b a t t l e s h i p b y i m p a c t u p o n its s u p e r s t r u c t u r e , will d e s t r o y the vessel or throw it o u t of action, or if such quantities, w h e n p r o j e c t e d into the water, and exploding as s u b m a r i n e m i n e s a d j a c e n t to the hull of a battleship, will suffice to b l o w h e r up or sink her, then the first shot of the aerial t o r p e d o g u n p r o p o s e d b y me will render obsolete e v e r y b a t t l e s h i p in the world. I m m e n s e s u m s of m o n e y will no longer be expended in a r m o r e d protection which will not protect, and in the construction of h u g e and p o n d e r o u s fighting machines w h o s e v e r y size r e n d e r s t h e m a m o r e e a s y p r e y to the torpedo g u n than a small and light cruiser, simply b i g e n o u g h to provide a p o r t a b l e and stable g u n platform. If a projectile can be t h r o w n w h i c h shall be sufficiently d e s t r u c t i v e to demolish a n y t h i n g and e v e r y t h i n g it hits, then, obviously, t h e r e a f t e r centralization of m e n and e x p e n s e m u s t be a b a n d o n e d and m e n and w e a p o n s m u s t be dispersed in order to form as m a n y and as small t a r g e t s as possible. N a v i e s m u s t fight in s k i r m i s h i n g order, exactly as armies on land n o w do. If the battleship, f o r m i n g a t a r g e t ten times as great, offers no g r e a t e r protection a g a i n s t the aerial t o r p e d o than the small, u n p r o t e c t e d cruiser, and costs ten times as m u c h and carries ten times the n u m b e r of men, it is certainly not more than one-tenth as efficient a fighting machine. A n y t h i n g r e v o l u t i o n a r y in character, h o w e v e r m e r i t o r i o u s , a l w a y s has a hard fight for recognition, especially in overcoming the opposition b a c k e d b y e n o r m o u s v e s t e d interests.
45o
Ma.~im :
[J. F. I.,
It w o u l d be easier with a f e w cruisers a r m e d w i t h aerial t o r p e d o e s to m a k e a scrap heap of e v e r y b a t t l e s h i p of the c o m b i n e d navies of the world to-day, than it will b e to even s e c u r e the s y s t e m a place for once in the line of battle. If t h e r e is even a fighting chance for the aerial t o r p e d o to w o r k the r e v o l u t i o n in naval c o n s t r u c t i o n predicted, then this m a t t e r is a S u b j e c t for serious consideration, especially by the U n i t e d S t a t e s G o v e r n m e n t , b e f o r e m a k i n g the enor. m o u s e x p e n d i t u r e s in b a t t l e s h i p s which G r e a t Britain has made. H a l f a million dollars will build and arm a light t o r p e d o cruiser w h i c h will carry one 24-inch t o r p e d o g u n and two t o r p e d o mortars. T h i s will d e m o n s t r a t e the efficiency of the system. If it fails; it costs b u t $50o,0oo; if it succeeds, it will save $50o,000,00o. T h e b a t t l e s h i p m u s t go. T h e g r e a t d i s t a n c e to w h i c h e n o r m o u s q u a n t i t i e s of high explosives m a y be t h r o w n b y torpedo g u n s and m o r t a r s and the h i t t i n g qualities of these weapons, w h e n the enorm o u s size of the t a r g e t is taken into consideration within w h o s e area a torpedo, striking, will d e s t r o y a warship, renders t h e s e ' w e a p o n s of s u p r e m e i m p o r t a n c e for coast defense. Aerial t o r p e d o guns, w h e n once s u c c e s s f u l l y tried, either on land or sea, will cause a r e v o l u t i o n in coast fortifications as well as in w a r vessels. Aerial t o r p e d o e s p e n e t r a t i n g deep into e a r t h w o r k s before e x p l o d i n g will be disastrous. It will then b e the w e a p o n r a t h e r than m e a n s of protection, that. will be the d o m i n a t i n g factor in b o t h attack and defense. T h e cost b y p r e s e n t m e t h o d s , in a m m u n i t i o n and w e a r and tear of g u n s in b o m b a r d i n g coast fortifications or towns, is q u i t e equal to the a m o u n t of d a m a g e done. T h i s will all be c h a n g e d b y the i n t r o d u c t i o n of aerial torpedoes. T h e A m e r i c a n fleet e x p e n d e d m o r e than $2,00o,00o worth of a m m u n i t i o n h u r l i n g s h o t and shell at the S a n t i a g o hills, and the d a m a g e w r o u g h t was q u i t e insignificant, p r o b a b l y not more than io p e r cent. of w h a t it cost the A m e r i c a n Gov. e r n m e n t in a m m u n i t i o n alone. T h e " V e s u v i u s " t h r e w a few shells c a r r y i n g only 2o0 p o u n d s of g u n c o t t o n , and w i t h o u t a n y p o w e r w h a t e v e r of penetration. N o t m u c h could b e e x p e c t e d of these.
Dec., 1898.]
High Explosives and Smokeless Powders.
461
S u p p o s e a few aerial t o r p e d o e s w e i g h i n g a ton and a half, w i t h a b u r s t i n g charge of half" a ton, and capable of p e n e t r a t i n g d e e p into the fortifications before exploding, h a d b e e n employed, w o u l d not the result have b e e n vastly different ? W o u l d not e n o r m o u s l y g r e a t e r d e s t r u c t i o n h a v e been wrought ? T h e lessons of the p r e s e n t w a r do not, as claimed by certain persons, teach us the uselessness of torpedo b o a t s and of t o r p e d o warfare, and n o t h i n g has been learned upon w h i e h to f o u n d any h i g h e r opinion of the b a t t l e s h i p than we h a d before the war. T h e g r e a t lesson t a u g h t is the s u p e r i o r i t y of the A m e r i c a n g u n n e r s and A m e r i c a n s as fighters, Suppose, for example, that Cervera had had such a numb e r of torpedo b o a t destroyers, of the P l u t o n and F u r o r type, as could h a v e b e e n c o n s t r u c t e d for w h a t the A m e r i c a n b a t t l e s h i p " O r e g o n " c o s t - - s a y t w e n t y of t h e m - - a n d suppose those torpedo b o a t s had b e e n a r m e d and e q u i p p e d with A m e r i c a n g u n s and a m m u n i t i o n , A m e r i c a n torpedoes, and m a n n e d b y Americans, and t h a t t h e y h a d sallied forth at n i g h t i n s t e a d of in the d a y t i m e , and m a d e a d e t e r m i n e d a t t a c k u p o n o u r fleet, is it not p r o b a b l e t h a t t h e y w o u l d h a v e s u c c e e d e d in d e s t r o y i n g more of o u r w a r vessels than t h e y t h e m s e l v e s cost b e f o r e t h e y could h a v e been d e s t r o y e d ? F u r t h e r m o r e , s u p p o s e t h e r e h a d b e e n m o u n t e d upon t h e S a n t i a g o hills, t o r p e d o g u n s c a p a b l e of t h r o w i n g ½ ton of high explosive over a radius of from 8 to 9 miles, m i g h t not the result h a v e b e e n different ? In t h e s e a n t e - m i l l e n n i u m times, w a r is occasionally a n e c e s s a r y contingency, and when it comes we w a n t the b e s t tools we can g e t to fight with, and it is a crime for a nation n o t to be p r e p a r e d for war, a crime a g a i n s t those w h o will be called upon to d e f e n d the c o u n t r y in time of war. It is a crime for a nation not to be a b r e a s t of the times in arms and e q u i p m e n t s . I m p r o v e d g u n s and a m m u n i t i o n , i m p r o v e d m e t h o d s for the e m p l o y m e n t of the m o s t d e s t r u c t i v e agencies of offense and defense are b u t m e a n s of s a v i n g life. Modern armies and navies are b u t e l a b o r a t e and efficient life-saving sys-
462
Maxim
."
[J. F. I.,
terns, and are as h u m a n i t a r i a n in n a t u r e as the life-saving services a l o n g the coast of civilized countries, whose d u t y it is to w a r n vessels of d a n g e r and to succor those who m a y be cast away. T h e fort is as h u m a n i t a r i a n in its n a t u r e as the l i g h t h o u s e , and the seacoast g u n as m u c h an i m p l e m e n t of m e r c y as the grtm t h a t t ~ the- life-line_ to a s t r a n d e d wreck. T h e cost to this c o u n t r y of the p r e s e n t war with Spain, above w h a t it w o u l d h a v e been h a d the c o u n t r y been prepared for war, is difficult even of a p p r o x i m a t i o n - - p r e p a r e d in every sense, as well as w i t h a r m a m e n t s . It is d o u b t f u l if t h e r e w o u l d h a v e been a n y w a r h a d not Spain been e n c o u r a g e d b y her belief in our w e a k n e s s or unpreparedness, for it was not only g e n e r a l l y believed in Spain, b u t by m a n y in o t h e r E u r o p e a n countries, t h a t Spain would at first h a v e the best of the fight. T h e world has been t a u g h t a lesson by a r e m i n d e r of the f i g h t i n g qualities of the American character, w e have also been t a u g h t a lesson which the c o u n t r y o u g h t not soon to f o r g e t - - t h e n e c e s s i t y of b e i n g p r e p a r e d for war. T h e c o u n t r y which finds itself involved in war in a state of u n p r e p a r e d n e s s , can m a k e good deficiencies in such respects o n l y at the cost of g r e a t sacrifice of life.
W a r m u s t be looked upon as a business, and subject, like a n y o t h e r business, to business principles. W a r is the business of d e s t r u c t i o n of life a n d p r o p e r t y of an enemy, and has no r e g a r d for the sacredness or pricelessness of h u m a n life. Lives b e c o m e part of the p a r a p h e r n a l i a of war, and lives and p r o p e r t y become r e p r e s e n t a t i v e in value. T h e art of war consists in the e m p l o y m e n t of m e a n s and instrum e n t s to accomplish the desired purpose w i t h the m i n i m u m of risk, exper!diture and loss on the i n v e s t m e n t . T h e h i s t o r y of n a t i o n s is the h i s t o r y of wars. T h e mill e n n i u m of secure universal peace is y e t far off. T h e r e will be need of g u n s j u s t so l o n g as one man, t h r o u g h eyes Of injustice, sees a n y use for a n o t h e r m a n ' s property, or u n t i l all n a t i o n s shall u n i t e in a c o m m o n federation, a universal
Dec., 1898.] [-h'g']t Explosives and Smokeless Powders.
463
family o f mankind, b o u n d to peace u n d e r laws m a d e in the c o m m o n interest, w h e n shall be realized t h a t ideal society mentioned by Tennyson : " T h e parliament o f man, the federation of the world."
A t best, w a r is cruelty, b u t it is not only o f t e ~ a sity, b u t unavoidable, and once e n g a g e d in should be made as terrible and d e s t r u c t i v e as possible while it lasts, in order that it m a y b e brief as possible, t h u s minimizing the evil in the a g g r e g a t e . N o t . o n l y do s w o r d s and b a y o n e t s , g u n s and g u n p o w d e r , t o r p e d o e s and high explosives c o n s t i t u t e the w e a p o n s of w a r to-day, b u t the s t e a m b o a t , railroad, telegraph, the woollen and the cotton mill s t a n d on the plane w i t h the rest ; the chemist, electrician, e n g i n e e r and inventor, find d u t y as serviceable to their c o u n t r y as does the b l e e d i n g soldier ; and all the v a s t industries of a g r e a t c o m m o n w e a l t h unite with its h u s b a n d r y to s u p p l y the sinews of war, By j u s t division of labor, t h e p l o u g h m a n , artisan, scientist and i n v e n t o r strike as n o b l y for their c o u n t r y and render her equal service as t h o u g h t h e y were to fight and bleed and die u p o n the field of battle. One man, with a Maxim-gun, is w o r t h more in a fight tod a y than w o u l d be xoo m e n a r m e d with the old-fashioned muzzle-loading rifles used as late as the A m e r i c a n Civil War. T h e new m a g a z i n e rifle m a k e s a single soldier more than a m a t c h for a dozen m e n a r m e d with the old weapons. A troop of artillerists o p e r a t i n g m o d e r n quick.firing guns, with shrapnel and canister, could s t a n d a g a i n s t ten times their n u m b e r a r m e d with the old smooth-bore muzzleloading field guns. W h a t does this m e a n ? It m e a n s t h a t only one-tenth as m a n y m e n need be sent a w a y to war, while the r e m a i n i n g nine-tenths m a y s t a y at home. It m a y be a r g u e d t h a t an e n e m y w o u l d be e q u a l l y well equipped. V e r y true. B u t his e q u i p m e n t s and the h o m e industries p r o d u c i n g t h e m d e m a n d of h i m also t h a t the nine m e n work and only the t e n t h m a n fights. T h e r e can be b u t one i n ~ r p r e t a t i o n as to the results u p o n civilization of i m p r o v e m e n t s in i m p l e m e n t s of war,
464
White :
[J. F. I.,
and it is that more will be done by m o n e y and machinery and less fighting done by hand, permitting and d e m a n d i n g that large numbers remain at home engaged in industrial pursuits, while the home is defended less by blood and more by the fruits of industry. The most deadly and destructive implements of war are the most humane, and the producers of t h e m m a y justly'be looked upon as humanitarians. T h e best g u a r a n t y of peace is to be in a position to make a breach of it as undesirable as possible to an enemy. The greatest security against receiving h e a v y blows is to be in a position to strike them. Peace is made most secure by being prepared for war, by pushing to the highest state of development possible the weapons and means of offence. T h e inventors of deadly engines of war place in the hands of scientific and enlightened nations the means of controlling wars. Such inventions have put a limit to the time when barbarian hordes can overrun and subdue the earth, to ravage, destroy and enslave by sheer brute force and power of numbers.
C H I M N E Y S FOR I N C A N D E S C E N T GAS LAMPS. BY ERNEST M. WHXT~.
In the year x88o or thereabouts, Carl Auer, a student of chemistry at Heidelberg became interested in the subject of gas lighting. Believing in the incandescent principle, he directed his experiments, research and study, along the lines of that system; producing, eventually, the A u e r or Welsbach incandescent gas lamp, which has recently revolutionized the Science of Gas Lighting. Following closely, some years ago, the evolution of the incandescent gas lamps and the improvements made in it by A u e r and other inventors through whose hands i t had passed, I found that no real improvements had been made in the chimney. This is by no means an unimportant ele