Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 174, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 July 1915 — Page 3

4 LITTLE more than one than one hundred and thir-ty-four years ago there was born near London the great English artillerist, Henry A A Shrapnel, the officer who at the age of eighteen years sMm conceived the idea of a bul-let-showering projectile—r the missile which, in all

countries, is known by the name of shrapnel, and which remains to this day one of the most effective man-kill-ing projectiles yet devised. In all armies the field artillery units today use shrapnel. One has only to read the war news that is cabled or wirelessed across the Atlantic to realize the all-important part shrapnel shells are playing in the conflict now raging. The shrapnel projectile consists of a hollow cylindrical body with an ogival or conoidal head; in the interior, near the base, there is an explosive charge, and immediately above the charge there is an iron disk, and between this disk and the head the body of the projectile is filled with spherical bullets. The fuse is fixed in the point of the projectile, and communicates with the powder or bursting charge through a central pipe, and is timed so as to explode the shell during its flight, at a point about sixty or eighty yards short of the target The bursting charge is only strong enough to blow oft the head of the projectile, which is lightly attached, and thus release the bullets, which fly forward in a cone-shaped shower, covering a large front. The bullets depend for their force ppon the speed at which the projectile is traveling when they are released. For effect they should have a momentum of not less than four hundred feet per second. Consequently, as the ballistics, or the force and velocity, of the projectiles increase, the striking effect of Shrapnel becomes more formidable. In all the history of warfare there are few more interesting stories than that which tells of the evolution of the terrible weapon invented by General Shrapnel In the latter part of the eighteenth century. Likewise it is a story little known outside military circles. On July 9, 1779, a commission as a second lieutenant in the Royal artillery was issued to Henry Shrapnel. Shrapnel was then eighteen years years of age. It was a period in the world’s history when great wars, which were to culminate in the overthrow of Napoleon, were being fought, an era when an officer of the Inventive genius of Shrapnel was sorely needed In practically every army in Europe. As soon as he was commissioned Lieutenant Shrapnel was ordered to Gibraltar to take part in the defense of the great rock, then besieged by the Spaniards. The siege lasted intermittently from 1779 until 1783. From the very first day of his service Shrapnel was a student Arriving at Gibraltar, he viewed the situation from a scientific rather than a military standpoint, and history states that the young officer was most impressed, or rather depressed, because of the poor effect of the British gunnery. Shrapnel noted that on one occasion when more than two thousand twenty-four pounders were fired from the rock at a body of Spanish troops, that out of the entire command only twenty-six men were put out of action. Another officer who was impressed as a result of the poor results obtained was a Captain Mercier, perhaps an ancestor of the great Belgian cardinal of the present day. Mercier recommended that an experiment, namely, the firing of mortar shells, with short fuses so that they should burst In the air at close proximity to the target, be tried. On the first trial the shells did terrible execution. Shrapnel ' witnessed the experiment and then and there was born the Idea out of which has been perfected the dreadful bullet-stuffed pro-

CONSIDER EARTH A LUXURY

People In Many Parte of the World Prefer It to the More Ordinary Kinds of Food.

Among many strange foods which the inhabitants of this world partake of, and consider delicacies, perhaps the strangest of all Is earth. Yet there are tribes, the Lastians of Slam,, who actually eat and enjoy earth. It hen never been discovered where these peculiar people contracted this habit,

HOW SHRAPNEL IS MADE AND USED

jectile. An English artillery officer has written; “Shrapnel realized that the effect of round shot (cannon balls), impact bombs, case or grape Bhot against troops in the field was trivial. His idea was to increase thd ranges of the most effective missiles, namely, case anil grape shot, by producing a collective fire at long distances. Shrapnel therefore suggested a hollow spherical projectile filled with carbine balls and containing, a small quantity of gunpowder, just sufficient to burst the shell, the explosion to be timed at a short distance previous to its execution, by which means the fire would be equally severe at all ranges.” In 1787 the records of the British army state that Shrapnel in that year described to General O’Hara, then commanding at Gibraltar, “a new method of extending the use of grape or case shot to the utmost range of ordnance.” In 1802 Shrapnel’s idea may be said to have taken, for the first time, definite shape. In that year there was issued at Woolwich, England, a book which embodied “a table of practice with Lieutenant Shrapnel’s proposed new method of firing case Bhot,” and in that same year it is recorded that Shrapnel “exhibited the new shells on Woolwich common, In the presence of his majesty the king and a great number of general officers, add that all foreigners were excluded.” Among the general officers was Wellington, who was greatly impressed, but who in later years changed to a certain extent his opinion as to the effectiveness of shrapnel in war. In 1803, and following the royal inspection of the new shells at Woolwich, Shrapnel was ordered to Elswick, there to superintend the manufacture of “his spherical case shot for immediate issue to the army.” In the following year shrapnel were for the first time employed by the British. The occasion was the bombardment of the Batavian settlement of Surinam in the Dutch East Indies. The time was the latter part of April and the year was 1804. A Major Wilson commanded the British artillery, and it waß under his directions that the shrapnel shell was used for the first time in history.. After the bombardment Major Wilson reported that “shrapnel had so excellent an effect as to cause the garrison of Fort Amsterdam to surrender after receiving the second shell.” Major Wilson’s report continued: “The enemy was so astonished at these shells as not to be able to explain how they apparently suffered from musketry at so great distance as 2,000 yards.” Two years passed before shrapnel was again mentioned in official records. It was at Calabria in 1806, when a force of 4,000 British troops defeated a force of 8,000 French, Admiral Sir Sidney Smith, commanding the British naval force off Calabria, witnessed the engagement. He subsequently wrote: “It was evident that the shells of Coloflel Shrapnel’s Invention, when burst in their flight and short of their objects, as they ought to be, did great execution.” So impressed was the admiral that he asked the admiralty to issue shrapnel to the navy, but his request was refused, whereupon Sir Sidney managed to get some of the shells by paying for them out of his own pocketIn February, 1807, he successfully used the shells in the landing of a division in the Dardanelles. The victory of Vimeiro, in the peninsula war, was largely due to shrapnel, when at the critical moment of that battle the British artillery opened a shrapnel fire, using their nine-pound-ers, and routed the French infantry. The French could not understand where the little balls came from, and the soldiers swore that “devils were in the British shells.”

though it is generally believed that it probably came about In the time of famine when there was nothing else to be had. However, the habit has now got such a hold upon them that, old and young, rich and poor, alike Indulge freely In its consumption. It Is preferred when it has been acquired from the vicinity of water so that it carries with It a taste of fish. It la made into a pasty substance and smothered Into the ground In a hot fire. It can be obtained at markets and at stores, and. is served at

THE EVENING REPUBLICAN, RENSSELAER, IND.

After Vimeiro little is recorded of the use of shrapnel until the battle of Waterloo, following which historic engagement Wellington said to Shrapnel, then a colonel of artillery, that the shell that bore his name had played a most important part in the battle. Napoleon, after the battle of Vimeiro, issued orders that all unexploded British shells found on the field should be carefully examined, but in some way, never fully explained, the order was apparently not carried out, and Napoleon lost a secret that might have prolonged his power for years. The secret of the shell was absolutely unsolvable by the French. In the Crimean war British artillery declined to, use shrapnel, despite the fact that it had turned the day at Waterloo. The French made a sparing use of it, while the Russians, who had never then heard of it, naturally trusted to the effectiveness of the oldtime missiles. In the Civil war both the Union and Confederate armies used shrapnfel, but it was not until 1866 that the development of the missile to its present deadly effectiveness may be said to have got definitely under way. It was the Prussians who started it, and they continued to improve the missile until by the time the FrancoPrussian war began it was one of the Prussian army’s most effective weapons. The Prussian shrapnel did tremendous execution against the French, especially at Sedan. In the Russo-Japanese war both of the contending armies used shrapnel with great effect, and again in the Balkan wars of 1912, the striking successes of the Serbians, Bulgarians and Greeks were largely due to their splendid French shrapnel-firing field pieces. There are several types of shrapnel shells, among them the “percussion shrapnel,” used for defense at short range and in fire for adjustment Its effect depends upon the range and the nature of the ground. It is effective against troops lodged in tall timber. Masks, branches of trees, etc., frequently cause the premature bursting of these projectiles. On striking, the projectile cuts a furrow in the ground and bursts two or three meters beyond. Percussion shrapnel ‘to be effective must burst immediately In front of the target. Its most effective employment is against standing targets. They are also more effective at long range than is the time-shrapnel. Soft ground newly plowed fields, terrain covered with snow or underbrush, or a rising slope diminish the fire effect. When the angle of fall is ten degrees or more, half of the bullets penetrate the ground, and the remainder ricochet and pass on at a greatly reduced velocity. On the other hand, time-shrapnel Is fairly independent of the terrain. The bullets in this type are Imbedded in a smoke-producing substance, making it comparatively easy to observe the burst for purposes of adjustment. The extreme range at which this projectile can be employed is fixed by the facility of observing the fire and by the remaining velocity of the shrapnel bullets, both of which diminish as the range increases. Shrapnel is most effective against prone skirmishers at ranges from 1,000 to 3,000 meters, when burst 28 to 22 meters short of the target, and against standing skirmishers at the safiie ranges when burst 56 to 45 meters short of the target Black also points out that a single shrapnel from a light field howitzer produces a greater number of hits when the point of burst is favorably situated than one fired from a field gun. Shrapnel is also playing a most important part in aerial warfare, and of these antiaircraft shrapnel, all of which embody the same general essentials, there is perhaps none more effective than that known as “Ehrhardt antiaircraft shrapneL”

dinners and at big functions of any description. ,1 , In some parts of the Congo earth is sold in the shape of apples and oranges, and is given out Jn various colors —yellow, brown, gray and even pink, which Is looked upon as a very delectable luxury.

He Often Does to Other People.

When a girl smiles at a fellow It is no sign that he looks good to her. He may look funny to her. —Covington Republican. _

NEW PARISIAN MODELS

UMBRELLA OUTLIN% NOTICED ON THE LATEST BKIRTS. I May Blgnlfy Change in Forthcoming Style*—Lemon-Yellow Linen Promisee to Be Popular—Smart Little Cherry-Red Coat. Redfern is making some practical and Attractive white serge suits for seaside wear. He has always been in favor of plaited skirts, but on some of these white suits I noticed the umbrella outline, and I found it admirable, writes Idalia de Villiers, Paris correspondent of the London Globe. One model which pleased me especially had an. umbrella skirt which buttoned up the front and which had large side pockets. The coat was halflength, with a shaped basque and a waist belt which buttoned on at the side seams. There was a plain rollover collar and wide turn-back cuffs. Both collar and cuffs were caught down by Ivory buttons and the coat was lined with chintz silk which showed pale blue and pink flowers on a white background. Some of the more elaborate Redfern suits have pipings and buttons made of glove kid. This idea was successfully carried out on a large suit in hedgesparrow-egg blue, which was accompanied by a shirtwaist made of fine white organdie muslin. All the pipings on the coat and skirt were done in hedgesparrow-blue glove kid and there were rows of tiny blue kid buttons on the front of the highnecked blouse.

Redfern seems fond of lemon-yellow lines, one of the most popular novelties of the present season. The Parisiennes are charmed with lemon-yellow linen and muslin and they have the costumes made of these materials finished with sashes In Ivory-white or Belgian blue taffeta. Lemon-yellow may be said to be the color of the season, for dresses and for hats. It is specially in demand for dinner gowns and for picturesque wraps which are thrown on over old-

Summer Frock of Lemon-Yellow Linen and Large Pearl Buttons.

world muslin frocks. Cherry-red linen braided in fine black silk braid is another summer novelty. I have illustrated a particularly smart coat made of this material which was to accompany a skirt of white linen embroidered a l’Anglaise. The coat was rather short and semitight, with a raised waistband cov-

HOLDS THE BATHING DRESS

Bag for Conveyance of Costume Necessary for the Open-Air Ablutions of the Beason.

With the warm weather, open-air bathing once again becomes possible, and in anticipation of holidays it is well to prepare a bag for carrying a bathing dress. It should, if possible, be made of some waterproof fabric. It is cut out in two pieces which are

Useful Bag for Bathing Dress.

sewed together at the base and halfway up the sides; above this the material Is bound at the edges with braid. The opening of the bag Is stiffened on either side with piece* of cane, the material being turned over and hemmed down and the cane run -

AFTERNOON DRESS

Afternoon dreas of white net with a hand-embroidered border. Long sleeves of plain white net Novel sash of knitted silk and different colored beads set off the dress.

ered with very fine black braidings. The coat opened over a white linen waistcoat which was fastened with ball buttons made of cherry-red enamel and there was an effective touch of dull blue in the lining. Colored linen coatees are the rage of the hour. They are worn over linen, serge, cloth and silk skirts, and in all circumstances they are decorative and novel. Pansy-purple linen, lined with black and white striped silk, makes a beautiful coat for wearing with white skirts. The same may be said for loose garments made of Joffre-blue or rose Dubarry-pink linen.

ONLY A HINT OF MILITARISM

American Women Have Refused to Go to Extremes in Styles—New Turban Models.

Though there was, before the Paris openings, much talk of the military influence in hats and clothes, it has been accepted, especially in suits, only in a conservative way. Today, the smartest tailored suit is much plainer than it has been for many seasons, for it has borrowed line rather than trimming of the military coats. The pocket and the belt have been adopted, to be sure, but in their simplest form. Among the first spring offerings In millinery were small dark turbans trimmed with white wings in a rather daring manner and turbans with a light or white top, accented by a bow. The well-gowned woman has chosen these two models in preference to the more somber ones. Flowers are certainly worn and so are cockades of all kinds, but the bow on a dark hat is usually white or beige and the wings are almost invariably white. —Vogue.

Quick Way to Thread a Needle.

To thread a needle when the light is bad and it is'hard to find the eye, put a piece of white cloth or paper back of the needle. You will be surprised to see how quickly the thread will go through.

The handles of the bag are made of cord securely tied to the pieces of cane and it will be noticed that there is one long handle and one short handle. The long handle is slipped through the short handle In the manner shown in diagram A at the top of the illustration, and when the bag is so closed, it can be carried by the long handle and cannot possibly come open. initials of the owner or the words "Bathing Dress" can be roughly embroidered upon one side of the bag.

DICTATES OF FASHION

Hat brims are of various sizes, but they are increasing in size. Finish the ( bottom of the full skirt with one row of puffing. The latest bolero sleeve seems to be cut in one with the bolero. Parisiennes are embroidering their handkerchiefs with soldiers. White crochet ball fringe appears on both hats and summer gowns. Nothing has ever replaced the knitted golf coat for golf players. Sashes with flower-appliqued ends are among the prettiest novelties. The Eton collar of sheer organdie is a feature of the new blouses. Multicolored picot edges to whits ribbons are among the prettiest '

Sewing With Two Needles at Once.

It will facilitate sewing to use two needles at the same time. In shirring two rows can be run in almost ths same time as one, and in sewing l braid flat on the bottom of a skirt a saving both of the skirt (which la handled less) and of time will be ao> complished by the use «f two needles

HOME TOWN HELPS

TREES PLANTED TOO THICKLY Mistake Made by Many People Who Set Out the Desirable Bhade for the Summer Days. A week ago the writer saw a street where trees had just been planted but twenty-five feet apart. There is no tree large enough for street use that should be planted so thickly. Could every other one be taken out at the end of ten years from planting, no fault could be found with the scheme. At a score of years after planting, pepper trees are close enough at 60 feet apart. For the first ten years they could well be maintained at 30 feet apart; but wl>o will cut away the offending alternates when the time Is ripe? Unfortunately, all are left, to form a solid wall of green on each side of the street so that no glimpse of anything may be seen outside this narrow and uninteresting channel dubbed, usually, “a beautiful avenue of living green,” a serious misnomer. Each tree should be silhouetted against the sky so that its individuality may be seen, its beauty of outline, grace of carriage, form and color of foliage and flower, and also that a clear view may be had of both the near and the distant landscape. Let in the glorious sunshine and air; also let them out, and have landscape views as free. Neither fence in any. thing or fence out anything. The trees may with propriety be made to appropriate their Just share of the territory and the view, but no more. There should be other rights and other places for other objects.—Los Angeles Times.

FOR THE GOOD OF THE TOWN

Ten Commandments That Are Worth Heeding by the Citizen* of Any Community. These Ten Commandments for the spring clean-up are Just as good in this town as they were in Winfield, Kan., where the Courier printed them: Thou shalt honor thy neighborhood and keep it clean. Remember thy cleaning day and keep It wholly. Thou shalt take care of thy rubbish heap else thy neighbor will .bear witness against thee. Thou shalt keep in order thy alley, thy back yard, thy hall and thy stairway. Thou shalt not let the wicked fly breed on thy premises. Thou shalt not kill thy neighbor by ignoring fire menaces or by poisoning the air with foul odors. Thou shalt not keep thy windows closed day and night. Thou shalt support the city, county and state health officers in their work and obey their instructions. Thou shalt eat less, breathe deeper, rise earlier and bathe oftener. These things do that thy days may be long and healthy upon the earth.

Setting Out Trees and Shrubs.

Now is the time to set out trees and shrubs. In setting any plant of this kind in a new location it is necessary for the hole to be large enough to allow the roots to be spread out The soil should be worked around the roots, as every space under them will mean just that amount of idle root Too many empty spaces under the roots mean a dead tree or shrub. When the earth is filled in it should be tramped in as firmly as possible. It is sometimes desirable to wet down the soil to make it pack more firmly. The soil particles must be forced against the roots to enable the soil water to be carried to them through the action of capillary attraction. Many of the failures in transplanting come from permitting the soil to lie too lightly over the roots.

School Children Make Bird Houses.

The boys and girls of the Columbus public school, under the direction of one of the teachers, are making bird houses. They have already made twenty, of eizes ranging from one to nine rooms. These are Intended for the martins, especially, since they consume such numbers of destructive insects. The old idea that the only use a boy has for a bird is as a target for stones and airgun is surely dying out in progressive communities. Intelligent people, old and young, recognise birds as invaluable friends to the farmer, the fruit grower and the gardener and protect them as such. We are glad to note that several Brookville boys are providing houses for wrens and bluebirds and are thus doing their part in this good work. — Brookville American.

Against Billboards.

Several hundred women in Flrwood, Pa., have started a crusade to place under the ban every store, theater and other business that uses billboards as an advertising medium.

Pride in the Home.

Many men are determined to beautify their home grounds this summer even if they have to make their wives do the work. —South Bend News* Times. i