West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1880-02-07
Velocity Of n Riiie Bullet

Professor Spice of the Cooper Institute,
New York. recently undertook To determine
the actual velocity of rifle bullet fired
across the stage of that hall. The distance
measured on the platform was 33 feet,
winch. the lecturer explained, was shorter
than usual, as the ordinary distance used
IN determining this question was about POO
iect. Ie carry this performance out he
had secured the cooperation of Lieutenant
4. l.. Mcrrman. of the Brooklyn Thirteenth
Regiment, VITO has gained some reputation
at the Crccdmoor range. ms evinCcd hy the
medals which he wore In the first place.
Prof. Spice explained the apparatus To b,,
used. lie called the attention of the au-
dicncc To n mahogany base, - inches by
10 inches, GU which were placed two levers
which carried bent wires to make marks
ON piece of smoked glass underneath the
points. One of these wircsfwas connected
with "A pendulum attached TO an Attwood
machine, vibrating seconds. By means of
electric currents the lever connected with
the pendulum came down on the glass pre-
cisely at the beginning of each second
marking series OF lines separated hy spaces
somewhat similar TO the old Morse alphabet
Consequently. tho distance from the begin.
mng OF ono line to the beginning of the
next represented a second of time The
second lever, exactly opposite, had spring
attached to one end, which kept the point
OIL the glass. Ii had also two electro mag
NETS, one at each end, which had electric
currents of different strength passing
through, the weaker current tending TO pull
the lever down on the glass; the stronger
current tending to keep IL elevated In ad-
dltion TO this, the current from the stronger
magnet passed through loose wire resting
on TWO globulcs of mercury, aud immcdi-
atcly IN front OF this wire was to rest the
muzzle of the rifle. The weaker current
passed through precisely similar loose
wire, also on two globules Of mercury,
which wire was placed thirty three feet
distant from the first wire Lieutenant
Merriam now came forward and loaded the
rlf5. IL was n regular Crcedmoor. 40 cali.
brc, 3l-inch barrel, and placed in il a car.
fridge. containing 430 grain ball. and 40
grains OF powder, explaining that this was
not full charge. He then took his posi-
tion. The object was to shoot away the
wires on the mercury. A box OF sand was
placed 10 receive the ball. The pendulum
above described was then set in motion. On
its striking the fifth second the plate of
smoked glass was drawn along by the de
scent OF weight on the top OF "A column Of
sand which ran out Of tube. On the sixth
second, Lieutenant Merriam pulled the
trigger and both wires vanished. On the
frst wire being broken, the point of the
corresponding lever descended on the glass.
but Immediately rose again by the action of
spring, when the bullet broke the second
WIRE. The CONSEQUENCE o. tins was that
The point connected with the lever scrapcd
very short line on the smoked glass, while
the olhdr point, being kept down during
- % '''.'.. 80 tho nnndnIun, scr,nod a I,,,,,s
space. Then the glass Was SWllRtdRrraw'nii' and
placed in the stereopticcn, projecting n
magnifcd image of the lines on the screen
The relative lengths of these lines were as-
oerIaincd, thus obviating any source Of
error IN measuring the minute lines on the
smoked glass. THIS method of measuring
the lengths was claimed to be original by
the professor. On this measurement it was
found that the shorter line was inches
long, and the other line feet inches
These numbers were brought down to tho
common fraction of inches, the result Civ
ing 10 inches for the longer space IL was
then ascertaincd how many times the for
mer was contained in the latter, and the
fraction thus obtained was clearly the frac-
tiOn of "A second that the bullet took to pass
from one wire TO anOther-that is, l-22 of
"A second. Multiplying the distance be
tween the wires (33 feet, as above, by the
denominator of the above fraction, the We
locity Of the bullet in feet was obtained,
namely, 726 feet i'm second.