Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1889-10-11
sMoKELEss POWDERS
Rapidly Coming Into Use Both for
Small Arms aud Artillery.

While the tremendous charges of great
bodies of cavalry undoubtedly formed a
leading feature of the late German manosu-
vres, suggesting how much is expected of
mounted troops in the future, yet upon the
whole the most important result effected
was the demonstration of the great effec-
tiveness of tue so-called snol1eless and noise
less powder. 1t is not too much to say that
the final manoeuvres at Hanover, in which
the Tenth CORPS using smokeleSs cartridges,
defeated the Seventh corps, provided with
the ordinary black powder, shows that the
new compound is a necessity for warfare
hereafter. 1t was found that the Tenth
corps almost held the Seventh at its mercy,
since it could man9uvre alike in front and
ON the flank of its opponent without allow
ing the latter to properly judge of the firing
distances from sound or smoke, both being
SO slight
The first general information obtained in
regard TO the smokeless powders was in con
nection with the Lebel rifs the new small
calibre repeating arm OF the French, which
created such an excitement few years ago,
and practically dictated reconstruction to
small arms throughout Europe, At that
time neither the Austrian Mannlicher rife
nor the German repeater used smokeless
powder. 1t is understood, of course, that
the words ''smokeless and ''noiseless' are
used in comparative sense, as there is some
smoke and some noise in nearly all these
powders 1t has been said, however, that
the report of a single Lebel rife cannot be
heard at distance of more than twenty or
thirty yards that it may be said to make no
smoke, and that the recoil is of
no consequence whatever. The pow
der is said to be secret compound
of gun cotton and collodion, and its
exact composition is perhaps the only secret
now remaining in regard to the Lebel rifle
tinhofer semi -smokees5 powder and have
also made limitations of the Freuch powder as
nearly as it can be found out The Russians
have tried new powder, made by the Och
tenSki factory, in imitation of the Duttin-
hofer, and its manufactures insist that it is
superior to the latter in ballistic properties;
that it has little higher initial velocity.
weight for weight with less pressure on the
bore. This may be the reason why the Rus
slams have come to the use of the small cal
ibre, which could only have the required
efficiency with one of the new compounds,
as otherwise the bore would foul too rap
idly.
The English also have obtained smoke
less and noiseess powder, invented by the
well-known artillerist, Cap. Noble of the
Elswick works. a Newcastle-upon-T Tyne
A British military authority says that its
use has almost been decided upon, both for
small arms and for machine and quick firing
guns 1t spelks of the powder as "a curious,
grayish-lo king material, in long threads or
a whipcord-like form, presumably from the
shape it assumes under hydraulic pressure
Its action is most startling. At
300 yards range not a sound is
heard when a volley is fired with it,
and only faint haze arises, which is almost
imperceptible, while shower Of bullets
is seen to fan upon the targets, an effect
produced seemingly without a cause" Care
tul experiments will be made with it at
Lydd. In their quick firing guns the
British at Shoeburyness have used the Chill
worth smokeless powder with great
effect. obtaining a very high initial
velocity. In rapid-fire cannon, as in
magazine small arms, the value of smokeless
powders is obvious, because the peculiar ad-
vantages OF these weapons might otherwise
he largely coun erbalanced by smoke. OF
all the new powders S2hutze's is perhaps
the best known. Nearly, or quite all, ap-
pear to depend on the union of nitrous
compounds of some sort with other sub
stanc S. Some will II It keep in all climates
and some will give out an uncomfortable
| odor. Their introduction will perhaps call
for some new studies in tactics, as certain
movements now depending on the cover of
smoke cannot rely hereafter on this pro
tecting mantle. But just at present the
tactic Il considerations seem to be less i'm,
portant to our country than the procuring
Of the powde as efficient as the new ones
which are finding favor in Europe.