Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1891-09-24
S,AOkkLESS POWDER.
A Chicago ARn Triss HE H1nc at Mah

A Chicago ARn Tries HE HInc at MAX
iES II.
eyes, tbs smokeless powder they
are talking about in Europe" said a
Chicago druggist, is few evenings ago,
sis undoubtedly great discovery,
but know something about such
things myself. l had little expert
ence with high explosives once which
nearly cost me my life. / was a
student then and my favorite study
was chemistry. had always had a
penchant toward experimenting with
explosives, gaseous, fluid, and solid,
and In the course of my work in the
laboratory | finally evolved one of
such terrific power that don't think
any other to equal it has ever been
found. 1t was illuminate, and when
l had succeeded in producing the first
few grains of white powder l decided
to try it. A half grain was all l
used. / didn't know how powerful
the stuff was. put it in big iron
mortar, suspended pestle over it by
thread, and fixed a cord so by jerk
ing it | could let the pestle fall. l
retired to the other side of the room,
pulled the string and-well, 1 was
knocked down, two windows were
shattered and had to pay $3.50 for
delicate apparatus ruined by the ex-
plosion.
"Knowing how frightfully danger
Gus the stuff was, and yet unwilling
to quit experimenting, fitted up a
little laboratory of my own in an
abandoned stable about a mile from
the college building. This was neces-
sary, for the faculty notified me to
stop monkeying with my illuminate
on the college property. l worked
away in my own improvised shop,
however, and soon had an ounce or so
of the stuff made. Then I invited a
friend of mine, good rifle shot, to
come out with me and try it. l
wasn't taking any more chances on
testing it indoors. Well, we went to
a little lake, about a quarter of a
mile wide, l carrying the illuminate
very daintily, you may be sure, and
he his rifle. We took boat, went
out about hundred yards from shore,
buoyed piece board and on it set
the can with the illuminate in it. /
only used half an ounce. Returning
to the shore we took up positions on
little knoll, and l asked my friend
to shoot at the can. He missed it
the first time, but the second, coinci-
dentally with the crack of his rifle,
came ripping crash like the heavens
were being torn aSunder. Both of us
were thrown fiat to the ground and
half stunned by the concussion. /
saw just flash, a splitting of the
waters to the bottom of the lake, and
fell. When we arose an enormous
wave rolled shoreward, and we could
see the water for a hundred yards,
all muddy, though it was very deep.
We took the skiff and pulled out
into the lake, and in moment dead
fish began to rise on all sides. The
water was fairly covered with them
in half an hour, all sorts and sizes
floating on all parts of the lake. i
think we killed every fish in the little
body of water, for there were thou
sands of them. We were a mile from
the college buildings, but when we re.
turned we found everything excite
ment there. They thought it was an
earthquake, for the walls had trem-
bled, and dozens of panes of glass
were broken. I've never given away
the formula of my illuminate. It's
too dangerous to be in the possession
even of scientists. "-Chica0o Times.