Hawaii Holomua, Volume III, Number 186, 11 ʻAukake 1894 — Herr Dowe’s Bullet-Proof Coat. [ARTICLE]

Herr Dowe’s Bullet-Proof Coat.

Mueli interest \vas eToited last vear when it was annonncod that a mnterial hael beeu inventeii in Genn«ny tbat eoulei successfnlly ward otf a bnllet fired from one of the powerful modern rilles. At first, as was natural, mueh increJulity was expresseJ on all siJes, whieh was not altogether Jissipated by the favorable opinion eutertaineJ of its eflScacy bv Germau experts. llocently, however,by invitatioa of the Jirectors of tho Albambra Theatre of Varieties. a large auJ iufiaential assombly of naval anJ military authorities haJ the opoortnnity i>f wituos-;iug the most searching tests, tho results of whieh appeared cminently satisfactory. The duke of Cambridge anJ other high officers were present After a preliminarv explanation, the inanager of the Alhambra introduced the iuventor, Herr Dowe, and Capt»iu Martiu; a committee of experts were inviteJ to asceud on the stage and personally see that «II the eipenmeuts were conducteJ in a Unui H'ie mauuer; to this invitation AJ<uiral Saumarez, Capt. Cowan, Capt. l)ntton Hunt an»l Mr. C. F. Lowe, of the Qaeen’s Westmiaster Volnnteers, responJod. To test the penetrating power of the Jirterent rifles, a few experiments were made againsi logs of wood when it was shown tbattbe Oenuau army rifle was sa{>erior in regard to penetrating power to Ihel 1 Heniy-Martini used by the English army. This was he!d to be due io the superior qaality of the smokelesspowder useJ bv tbo Germans.

j Aft<r tbe exp«rin:entB tbe wot <1 Herr Dowe bro«gbt hi» rair«»s It weigbs tweWe }won»I«, bnt io a few week-> Herr : iX>we h >pes lo plaee before tbe | Britisb m:iit4rr at>thorttie» one . we!gitTng onlv nine poao-ie iU i outward appearaace is tbat of ae r ordinary enahion, tud it u Iarge . enoagb to eover tbe chest and j abdomen. : For the purpose of the first exr periment tbe oairass was fastened i against the log, witfa « -sbeet of ordinarv paper on eitbor side of 5 *t. so as to that the buiiet 1 had entered, bat hid not passe<d * tbrough the cnirtss. Captain -»Iartin shot with a Lee-Metford • (loTernment magazine rifla, mark , II Ioaded bv Oapiaio Dutton [ Huut, whoprovided both tbe rifle und the amraunition. A slight > ;:ioveuient of the cairass was 1 upparent as the ballet entered it, but it was cleariy sh wa that tbe bullet bad not passed throogh ; and that it remained embedded ■ in tbe material. Tbree ruore [ sbof» were fire ! from the tempor«ry platform situated at i distance s of ab ut 1.3 yards froui the ob- ■ jective mark. two of theni being i fro;u the 6ennan GoTenim°nt - rifle, and iu eieh ca?e the result i was the same, tue andience i wannli appiaudiug the perfor- ( nianee. Ciptain 3Iartin parr posely aimed at different points eueli time, with tho object of ■ showing tliat the iiiaterial was of i the smie resisting material ; througbout. Tben he rr.onuted to the grand cirole of the t!ieatro aud tirecl three rounds froiu there, Captain Dutton Hunt aeeom- , panying him on the last occasion, carrying tho rifle and handing it over to tiie iu trksman ready loaded. In ull seven shots hnd no\v been plaeeel in the cuirass, whieh on being, . exbibited, showed on its froat seven distinct bullet holes, the reverse side being absolutelv intact, thus providing beyond a donbt tha the bullets reraained iu the material. Lord Melhnen now j demanded tbat Captūin Dutton Hunt should himself be allowed to fire at the cuiruss, and after some demur. o\viug, it was said, to a misunderstanding of the demand, Cnptain Qnnt fiied a cordite cbarge froni his LeeMetford rifie into tbe niaterial at . 1 a yard’s dlstHiice. with the sanie triumpliant resa!t as before, so far as the buflet resisting power i of the cairass was concerned. < Theu Herr Dowe donned the i coirass himself, an 1 prescnted i his body to bo sliot at, but this I exhibition proved too mueli for a 1 sectioa of the !iudience, who pro- : i testod that an experiinent on the 1 hnmun subject was u»t uecessary. 1 As h cbraproraise, a horso was 1 bronght on to tbe stage, and the i < cnirass fiistened round the I i aniraal’s ribs. Captain Martiu t fired a shot fr«>ni tiie Lee-Motford, i i ami the ortly result when tlie 2 shot struck the cuirass was that } the horse plunged slightly, bul (betrayed no more exolteinent j thau might have been expected t jto be produced by the mere re- j port of the weapon. Herr Dowe i i again uffered himself ns a target, 1 i bat this wus objected to, after < wliieli the exhibitiun termiuated, and although tho conimittee gave j no direct expression of their ! opinion, it was understood tbat it was cntirely satisfactory.— . ' LonJon ami Gun.