The Boys' Book of Submarines (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1917 edition. Excerpt: ...reason these explosives cannot be ignited by fire but explode when struck a sharp tap is because they are very unstable compounds; that is, they are very easily decomposed into their original chemical parts. Curiously enough, but by the very discovery of this advanced scientific principle men are now able to make the mightiest, which means the deadliest, explosives that the world has ever known and this makes war a thousand times as terrible now as it was in the olden days when men fought their battles at close range with their ancient lances and cross-bows. The Detonating, or Firing Mechanism.--A modern submarine torpedo has a diameter of from 18 to 21 inches through the warhead, and this is loaded with from 200 to 330 pounds of guncotton or TNT, as the case may be. This charge is exploded by a firing pin, or pistol, as it is called. This firing pin goes clear through the charge and into a percussion cap, which sets just back of the charge; the other and front end of the firing pin goes clear through the warhead and has a threaded end on which is screwed what is known as a butterflynut. The percussion cap is simply a little copper cup and in it is placed a small charge of an explosive which is easily detonated by the percussion of the pin, that is by the pin striking it. The explosive mostly used in percussion caps is mercuric fulminate, which is a compound formed of mercury, carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen. Since it is the violent explosion of the percussion charge which strikes the main charge of the high explosive in the warhead, and the fire made by the explosion of the percussion charge has nothing to do with it, the main charge of guncotton, where this explosive is used, is often wet down with water before it is packed in, for by so doing a...