WHOLESALE MURDER MACHINE.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 232, 10 December 1887, Page 12

WHOLESALE MURDER MACHINE.

After years of arduous labour and innumerable private experiments Lieutenant Zalinski had brought his dynamite gun to the point of perfection, and gladly availed himself of the opportunity to lay siege upon a dismantled coast survey boat lying off Sandy Hook, New York, on September 20. " Bang Sw-i-s-8-s-s-h— co-chunk." That was the sound which greeted the ears of the interested spectators It was caused by a blank cartridge, fired for the purpose of yetting the range. The coneshaped projectile fell harmlessly into the water about ten yards astern of the starboard quarter of the ill-fated schooner, which lay stern on to the gun. Twenty minutes later a second mn^e shot was fired, and this fell 2 yards closer and directly astern of the target. The mouth of the lean-looking cannon was tilted until it wasal an angle of 14dcg. Then it was loaded with a projectile s£f b long, and containing 551b of explosive gelatine ; 6001b of compressed air forced the cartridge out -of the gun with a crash like a clap of thunder, and in I3sec it plunged into the water close under the starboard quarter of the Silliman, and exploding almost instantly threw an immense volume of water 150 ft into the air. When the mist cleared away it was found that her mainmast had toppled over the side. Her hull was smashed into driftwood, and parts of it went floating off with the tide. The water tank, which had been firmly fastened to the schooner's bottom, was blown right up through the deck, and floated on tho wreckage, and the stump of the mainmast was turned upside down. The bow was held above the water by barrel buoys, and the foremast had heeled over to an angle of 45deg. , and was kept there by the steel rigging, which had beeomo entangled in pieces of the floating wood. This was accepted as a complete exemplification of the capabilities of the gun, and there arose a series of cheers and a din of .steam whistles which must have made Lieutenant Zalinski proud of his great victory. ,

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