The Central Nevadan. [volume] (Battle Mountain, Nev.) 1885-1907, 1889-10-03
There il something terrible in tn.

powers of Europe in developing new
engines for destroying life. The
French and German armie,
are being supplied with magazine re-
peating rifles that will Ere fifty car
tridges minute. Germany is last in
the field with contract for 800, 900 of
these 'Mannlicher" rifles, to be ready
by the 1st of May. 1890. The range
of this rife was proved in startling
manner the other day when an Aus.
trian soldier was killed by one at
target practice at reputsd range Of
over two miles and half. Austria
has had her contract filled for this
arm, but the German, rifles will use
cartridges If the famous smokslsss
powder. Herr Falkenstein, the in-
ventor of this powder, is himself an
Austrian, AMI his invention was
offered to the Vienna War Office and
declined before its purchase at Berlin.
Herr Falkenstein was three years ago
praciicing as a chemist in an Austrian
town, and also taking great interest
in firearms Hearing of the smoke
less gunpowder invented by the
French General Lebel, he took a jour-
ney to France on purpose to discover
how this powder was made. Ut
course he failed to get any OF the
powder, for the French are jealously
guarding the secret Of it, but he was
so fortunate as to pick up. few sx-
ploded cartridges on the rife-practice
ground at Satory and from these he
learned that the powder was made
without saltpeter. Six months later
Falkenstien, after long course o.
experiments, found out Lebels secret
aud hastened to Vienna with a packet
Of smoksless powder cartridges The
Austrian War Office repelled him in
the manner of the last century. They
said they could not believe in battle
field without smoke. Falkenstien
thereupon went 20 Berlin. where
Marshal Won Moltke gave him very
different reception. Within month
his powder was tested, approved,
adopted, and the invention was bought
Of him for liberal price. According
to Count Waldersee, the active sue
ces.or of Won Moltke on the German
staff, the use Of smokeless powder will
ouadruple the slaus shtering effects OF
fire arms in battle. 1t makes one
shuddsr to think of what the next
great war will be, either on sea or
land At Fiume in the trial OF this
smokeless powder by the field artillery
of the Twelfth Saxon Corps recently
in its ,naneuvres before the King Of
Saxony was perhaps the most conelu-
sius yet attempted. After several
hours of canonading. the air over the
battle ground was perfectly clear.
Not even a luff of smoke showed IT.
self. The new powder requires bronze
canon, and it is stated that all the
steel guns will have to go. On the
sea, aud especially for harbor defense
or attack. there have been extraordi-
nary improvements var engines, as on
land, and notably in torpedoes. A
new fish torpedo, on which there was
a trial a few weeks ago in Austria, a
great improvement having been made
by an Austrian Off ,er, goes at the
rate of 80 miles per hour The length
of the torpedo is now 81 yards, and it
carries a charge of 225 pounds OF
dynamite or gun. cotton in lieu OF W
pounds of gun powder A charge of
so pounds Of dynamite is enough to
send the largest ironclad ah,at to the
bottom of the sea. For time 1t was
thought that vessels could be protect
ed against torpedoes by stesl-~irs
nets; but the heads of the torpedoes
are now fitted with knives, which
propelled as they are, will cut through
any wire yet invented. -Putsbnrg