400 
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS OF 
It was intended, not to supersede case or grape but, to act as case or grape 
at longer ranges than were attainable with those projectiles ;* * * § and its character 
was thus defined with great exactness; as I have already indicated; by the 
name which was first applied to it; of “ Spherical case shot/'' 
2nd. The principle of action of the shell . The shrapnel shell acts as 
follows :—It describes a path similar to that of an ordinary spherical projectile 
up to within a short distance of the object aimed at; when; if the fuze be 
properly adjusted, the shell will be exploded, the bullets and fragments 
continuing their forward course with a communicated velocity equal to that 
of the shell at the moment of fracture, and describing, as they slightly 
disperse, “ a curved cone, the apex of which is at the point of explosion/’t 
The effect of the shell, it will thus be seen, depends in no waff upon the 
bursting charge } which should merely be sufficient to open the shell } and not 
sufficient to cause any dispersion of the bullets and fragmentsbut entirely 
upon the velocity communicated to the pieces by the shell at the moment of 
rupture. There is, therefore, as has been well said, this characteristic 
difference between a Shrapnel and a Common shell, “that the former produces 
its effect by means of the charge of the piece; the latter by means of the 
charge of the shell and the principle involved in this distinction is, in 
fact, the leading principle of the Shrapnel shell. 
We may now proceed to examine General Shrapnel's claim to be considered 
as the first who clearly perceived and appreciated this principle; and who first 
practically and usefully applied it. 
An overwhelming mass of evidence might be produced to shew thatffhe 
large majority of authors and others have unhesitatingly accorded to General 
Shrapnel the credit of the invention ;|| but we have not now to do with 
* “ Shrapnel shell.were not intended to supersede the case or canister and grape shot, which 
are still in the service, hut to he used at distances beyond the ranges of case and grape.”— Synopsis 
of Ordnance Select Committee Reports.—Shrapnel Shell, p. 5. 
Col. Shrapnel himself thus speaks of his invention: “The object now accomplished is the 
rendering the fire of case-shot effectual at all distances within the range of cannon.”— Ibid. p. 6. 
“ Shrapnel is case shot extended.”—Authorized Afcmwa? of Artillery Exercises, p. 17 (Ed. 1860). 
f Col. Boxer’s Remarks upon the Diaphragm Shrapnel Shell, p. 54. See also, Observations on 
Shrapnel Shells, hy Major Seton, p. 38; and the chapter (p. 25) headed, “ Some remarks on the theory 
of shrapnels.” See also Experiences sur les Shrapnels, par Decker, p. 22, et seq. 
X “ The charge of powder.is small, just sufficient to open the shell.”—Major Seton’s 
Observations on Shrapnel Shells, p. 37. 
“ The bursting powder acts exclusively on the containing case or shell without at all affecting 
the contained bullets.”— Ibid. p. 38. 
“ The projectile is so arranged that the bursting charge shall merely relieve the bullets, without 
affecting in any degree their onward motion.”—Col. Boxer’s Sandhurst Course, p. 20. 
“ That the bullets when relieved, shall be but slightly affected on the direction of motion of the 
shell, by the action of the bursting charge. This condition embodies General Shrapnel’s 
grand principle.” —Col. Boxer’s Remarks on Diaphragm Shrapnel Shell, p. 26. 
I have thought it desirable to establish this very important point by selecting some passages 
upon the subject, from the many available, and quoting them here in support of my text. 
§ Major Seton’s Observations on Shrapnel Shells, p. 38. See also Decker’s Experiences sur 
les Shrapnels, p. 22. 
|| It may be interesting to quote some of the testimonies, which I have culled from different 
