Testing Grenades from 17th Century French Shipwreck0 pages

V i b i U IN O PHRNTOm R E S E A hen it's too fast to see, and too important not to.* Watching the shrapnel fly from an old-fashioned grenade A still image from an old-fashioned grenade explosion CASE STUDY -or the most current version visit www.visionresearch.com Subject to change Rev Jan 2012 Vision Research Digital High-Speed Cameras Instrumental in Testing Grenades from 17th Century French Shipwreck We invite you to visit this link www.visionresearch.com/go/labelle to see video of the grenade's controlled explosions and other videos shot during the project. WHEN IT'S TOO FAST TO SEE, AND TOO IMPORTANT NOT TO® In 1684, French explorer Robert Cavelier, sieur de La Salle, led a fleet of four ships in an attempt to start a French colony at the mouth of the Mississippi River and dominate the Gulf of Mexico. But his journey became riddled with hardship. One vessel was taken over by privateers, another sank, and the Mississippi River was not situated where the maps had indicated. Instead, La Salle's expedition unknowingly landed on the Texas coast, and in February of 1686, the last of his vessels, La Belle, sank in a storm. Following the loss of the colony's last ship, La Salle attempted to lead the settlers on foot to the nearest French settlement, thousands of miles away. While a scant few made it back to France, many succumbed to the elements, while La Salle himself was murdered by his own men. This historic event marked the end of the first permanent European settlement in Texas. The word "grenade" derives from the French word for a "small explosive shell." VMETEK MATERIALS ANALYSIS DIVISION