Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1889-12-21
sMokELsss POWDER.


SMONELE9S W0W6ENs
n Quadruples the Strengthening Effects OF
Fire Arms In Battle.
There Is something terrible 10 the
way science Il aiding the military
powers OF Europe in developing new
engines for destroying life. The Aus
trian. French and German armies are
being supplied with magazine repeat
ing rifles that will fire fifty cartridges
D minute Germany Ii last In the field
with contract for 100000 OF these
"Mannlicher" rifles. to be ready by
the LIST 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 u, large.
practice at reputed range OF over
two miles and half. Austria has had
her contract filed for this arm. but
the German rifles will use cartridges
OF the famous smokeiess powder. Herr
Faikenstein. the inventor OF this pow
der. IL himself an Austrian. and his
invention was offered 10 the Vienna
War ofiice and declined before It's pur-
chase at Berlin. Herr Falkenstein
was three years ago practicimg NJ q
chemist in AN Austrian town. and also
taking a great interest In firearms.
Hearing OF the smokeless gunpowder
invented by the French G neral Lebel.
he took journey to France on pur-
pose to discover how this powder was
made. OF course he failed TO get any
OF the powder, for the French are
jealously guarding the secret OF IL. but
he was SO fortunate as TO pick up "A
few exploded cartridges IN the rifle
practice ground at Satory and from
these he learned that the powder was
without saltpeter. Six months later
Falkenstein. after long course OF
experiments. found out Lebei's
secret and FASTENED TO Vienna with
packet of smokeless powder
cartridges. The Austrian War
Office repell ed him In the manner OF
the last century. They said they
could not believe In battlefield with
out smoke. Falkenstein thereupon
went 10 Berlin. where Marshal won
Moltke gave him very different re-
eeption. Within a month his powder
was tested. approved. adopted. and
the invention was bought OF him for a
liberal price. According TO Count
Waldersee, the active successor Of Won
Moltke on the German staff. the use
OF smokeless powder will quadruple
the Strengthening effects OF firearms
In battle. II makes one shudder 10
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 maneuvers
before the King of Saxony was per-
haps the most conclusive yet attempt
ed. After several hours OF cannonad-
ing. the air over the battle-ground was
perfectly clear. Not even a puff oil
smoke showed itself The new pow.
der requires bronze cannon. and IL Ii
stated that all the steel guns will have
TO go. On the sea, and especially for
harbor defense or attack. there have
been extraordinary improvements in
war engines. as on land. and notably
In torpedoes. A new fab torpedo, OF
which there was a trial few weeks
ago in Austria. a great Improvement
having been made by an Austrian Off
Ger. goes ut the rate OF IS miles per
hour. The length OF the torpedo Ii
now 81 yards. and II carries a charge
OF 225 pounds of dynamite or gun-cot-
ton In lieu of SO pounds OF gnnpowder.
A charge OF 30 pounds of dynamite ID
enough to send the largest ironclad
atioat to the bottom OF the sea For q
time IL was thought that vessels could
be protected against torpedoes b,
steel-wire nets; but the heads of the
torpcdoes are now fitted with knives
which. propelled rs they are. will cui
through any wire yet invented. Pitts.
burgh Post.