"MORTITE."

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 431, 13 February 1909, Page 7

"MORTITE."

A NEW EXPLOSIVE.

: if A;- test of.;a' new 'explqsive ; .which:has appropriately been iiaiß.e'd.-"Jl6rtite,"'tookplaee>; : - ;7 y ; i at theßisliopdale' brick .works, Nelson, on Tues-:.-' ; '- dayj-laet,': in the presence".of; Lieut.-Col. J6yce' ? ;' "'i .(pMcer. commandingUhe Nelson'Voluriteer'"JJie- v -.' '. ; .rriot), ,; -Lieut.-Col.:3arkness;VCommander Stew-" : '' "'•- arf;(late-E.N:),' Captain'.Madigan, the reprei l '"" , ' , ssntativesbf tne' press, and. the inventor, : iIr.W V. ii; Adant. :M'Orackeni■ reports the- "Nelson''Mail. ,, .' 'i 'f' 1 - ■ Tho iteste.:'were':caTried:-;out;under, the' , ' -i. vision ■■: ofillr.; city :y: engineer,. VwhO; has been • associated,;with;: ; Mr," i.\i : : M'Oracken 'in conueotioii Jivith ;hij experiments.tV'.f:: and; tests for' the past :seven 'years.': ■;;■::; ,-r .v;.C .'. Three shells .of;. chrotrie ' steel,', the "walls '] of '->. .'■' which -were,,ljin-'^in.jthiekness,: nnd;:w.eighing ::ii'; 251b;,: 271b.; .and W\s; /respectively; were ;used.: . ; | ;f or -the;; experiment;; ; ;. They : were' placed 'in;' ily: : l % test.ohaniber'iii a clavrempankment,' and were;":-'';' : exploded 1 by;means'-;Of; a;fuse.';Kach'shell'Svas^ l ::;: charged .with fiy'ei ounces-of:the explosive,.and i'-V; •when'the lirst ; was'fired the,plug,' Vwhich: xias'X .;/':":' "screwed 'in• by a thread v lJin. .in length, /was.! blown clean out, the-ehellrbeing, carried; some/v':: : . ; ; 'distance:' away, .and/debris.- being.' Ecatrer'ed: •in - r ;'.: i all-directions..;The.otHer..shells,'.each"of which! ':■'■; ■■■% contained: tlie sariieqiiantity;. of; mortite, , viz.j'". v-'.ij fiyev.ounces; "'-were fired together, and: both' were /'sZ' completely:;shattered,-';the:.fragments", together: , ' /■' with clay,: stones," and, pieces .of.:'timber/which':":?'/■ used to:flll ;up -the "sent'-/--/' : •high'in I : , the air and;'carried;'to considerable distancefe; The .charges,. it was : stated, required."?:/,' ■ a pressure of: 47,6001b/. to" : the square inch : to U ; -' ; burst the shells, and contained..7Bo tons'o!/'V ■energy/^To..shoW'tiie.'biphlrj-dMtruotiTe.ppwei ; A^" : .;-' of:thonew;eiplosive,_iit:isstated that:-a service■/>«shell of ; ',th'e same,weight would.have.walls only.-.' : :/~- five-eighths^-:of ,an inch tain'a.'c]iarffe;orilb..:Bot-as: dburstin? "charge;/'!';/ -": .'llortite," ;which somewhat resembles^curry/v-i '' powder in;appearahce,-;oannot 3 be: exploded .by ■?.::; impact, as was, demonstrated .on* Tuesday: last,- : . - ;[ . some of the explosive'being placed on" an iroa/'?" rail and struck smartly -with a hammer,' mffi-'- V".''.'. out .'any eUcct;;/ It. is stated" that - the hew ;; - :■/ explosive.is not..snbject;to":cliinatic condition^ I '.:*,; ; not being affected. by. , , heat orcold, neither .is it'-;. affectedly", deterioration;: hs' are all'" nitro gly-':<; ■■ :■:. powder oh /being v -"; "touched■with/a lighted match, ignited,readily,-;/';:'.:: iTTp to , the: .present time no: ■■"■'•' been:",discovered ".that: can ,: actually penetratt''•: ! / ; . armour plate :.and then/explode, or. that th»"-■ '■'■■■--, cpfflflound; can be so proportioned out that i ■■''.'■ can "be :mad(> instantaneous : or : : timed; without ::."-■/ the ;.aid .■ ef.. instantaneous .or:' time;; fuses which. v/ . • have been; adequately proved to 'be- unreliable,/ , — Shells;:charffed:.with:.srydditei--oh 'coming::into '•.'■/■' contact; with '■ a steel plate crumble; before' «."■; '■'■'■■: ; '■* ploding; shells charged with P;.and ; F..G. blacl / ..-;• .i powder have the power of penetration aetuatet :.':•// by a/delay, fnsc,''but.'once;'througu\ the plati , V'/./ frequently fail, to explode; ;On ' the , othei' r /""■ hand; , it is claimed for "mortite" that: it is :- /■ non-sensitive, and , combines both the- penetra- v-.-'•:: ■' tive'and- explosive:'.power,- and •■ that sheila //'-,' oharged. with ; "mortite" after; piercing or /en. ;/:.t: ;: i terihE an armour,plate explodej.and,irill\eithei/V/-;;. r{nd the' plate; or Will, scatter missiles'-' in fall ; :■''/-: directions...- Ntgotiations;arp in; proßTess • with7'-' /// the' British: Government in.regird-; to ..the new/ '-./; explosive. :;:./: ■-. ■:■ '■■.;-/ ; -'/■/; '■£ ;■••■;.".: ::'':.::- : \^y' r :S.