The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-11-08
HOW GUNPOWDER is MADE.
THE EXPLOSIVE WAS FIRST IN
VENTED BY THE CHINESE.
Common GunpOwder Has Become
Superannuated for Military Pur-
poses and Is Superseded by Smoke
less Powder.


and dried. 1t is mostly black and for
this reason also called black powder
The Chinese first discovered the explosive
power of saltpeter mixed with other sub
stances easily taking fire, and were
using such mixtures for their fireworks.
From China the knowledge of that dis
cOvery spread to the ByZantian empire
(the present Turkey in Europe), and the
Byzantines used powder, under the name
of Greek fire." for long time in war
fare, for burning their enemies. Their
powder consisted of nearly the same
parts of saltpeter, sulphur and charcoal
of which common gunpowder consists
nowadays. Yet, they originally knew
only the explosive, not the propelling
power of gunpOwder In other words,
they did not know, for long while, that
1t could be used not only for explosive
but also for shooting purposes. that is,
for propelling balls from firearms of any
kind or size. This discovery was made
in the second half of the thirteenth CEN
fury, entirely changing the mode of war
fare throughout the then known world.
Moreover, a German monk, named Ber-
thold SchwarZ, about the year 1920, in
troduced a method by which the ingre-
dents of gunpowder were thoroughly in
corporated. Thus the meal powder was
produced, as it was afterward used in
war.
Although the common or black gun
powder was improved in the course of
time, yet its essential ingredients re-
manned the same. The old powder has
ruled the world for about six hundred
years, causing, in war, immense destruc-
ton of life and property, but being. in
time of peace, also very beneficial TO
man in various ways. Yet il has. to
certain extent. become superannuated, as
to it's use for military purposes, and
been superseded. in this respect, by the
smOkeleSs powder, a recent invention.
that is better adapted more quickly to
discharge rifles of a smaller caliber than
were needed for the old powder and is
more effective than the latter. Smokeless
powder does not require so high tenn
perature to be ignited by the percussion
cap as common gunpowder; its combus-
ton leaves no residue and is unattended
by smoke, thus making quick firing, by
a proper rifle, possible; it's action is
much more rapid than that of COM
mon gunpowder. and the latter is greatly
influenced by moisture. which is not the
case with regard to smokeless powder.
what SmokeIess Powder IL.
SmokeIess powder is made of gun-cot-
ton, highly explosive substance OBJ
tanned by soaking cotton or the fibrous
matter, called celulose. of other plants
in a mixture of nitric and sulphuric
acids.
Gun-cotton was invented by a Swiss
chemist named Schoenbein about the
year 1S45. When first invented, it, in its
pure and simple condition, proved very
dangerous, because il exploded very cas-
lily and very forcibly. Yet. by the adj
mixture of other nOn-eXplOsive matter
ra IT II of i'm
proved that it could safely be used as an
explosive i'm industrial undertakings and
for filling such war material as bombs
and torpedoes. 1t only remained to use
the smOkeless powder also for charging
small arms and cannons. AS a prelimi-
nary statement i'm this respect. IL may
be said that when common gunpowder
is ignted nearly two-thrds of IL Is not
changed into gas, but into salts, being
reduced To the finest dust, we call smoke.
Smokeless powder, when burnt, dissolves
into carbonic acid, nitrogen and aqueous
Yapor. Carbonic acid and nitrogen are
transparent, while the aqueous Vapor
may be so condensed by the cooler
air that II will become visible in man
ner similar TO the white steam of a
locomotive. But this visible vapor rapid
" disappears. The common or black
powder. therefore, produces smoke, pre-
venting quick firing I'm a battle, while
powder made of gun-cotton may engen-
der some little steam rapidly disappear
ing.
There are two articles, collodion and
celluloid, both made of gun-cotton in
which the latter has been rendered nom
explosive. Collodion consists Of gun-cot-
ton dissolved in a mixture of ether and
alcohol. After these volatile liquids have
evaporated q film Is left. which Is called
collodion. If ignited, it burns. but it
does not explode. Celluloid consists Of
collodion derived from cotton or some
other celluose and TO which collodion
either camphor or some other non-eN-
plosive matter has been added. II is be-
ing used for the manufacture Of differ
ent fancy articles. particularly of but
tons. IT burns when ignited, but does
not explode.
Yet there are various liquids. for instance
acetic ether, by which gun-cotton can be
dissolved and reduced TO paste with
out losing its explosive power To this
paste camphOr or some other non-ex-
plosive matter can be added to weaken
and regulate the explosive power OF the
gun-cotton. Thus. a smokeless powder
for small arms and for cannons has been
invented and is being manufactured i'm
Europe now that suits the wants Of the
military authorities there.
Blasting GeIatine.
Alfred Nobel. the Swede, who invented
nitro-glycerine. the explosive ingredient
OF dynamite. has conceived the idea of
dissolving gun-cotton even by nitro
glycerine. or one explosive by another.
He has thus invented the so-called blast
ing gelatine, a most powerful explosive.
By using a great deal of gun-cotton and
only a small quantity of nitro glycerine
he has prepared a gelatine of which the
most excellent smokeless powder for ar
tilleIy purposes can be manufactured. as
has been proved by experiments made
Herewith at Krupp's well-known cannon
foundry In Germany.
While the mass, of which smokeless
powder is being made, consists of a
viscid paste. IL Is rolled out into sheets
of different thickness and the solvent,
which has dissolved the gun-cotton, is
allowed to eVaporate. The sheets then
become a horny, elastic and translucent
substance. They are cut first into strips
and then the strips are cut crosswise in
to grains of any required size. forming
the smOkeless powder for rifles or can
mons.
AS the paste Of which smOkeless pow
der is manufactured, can be rendered
stronger or weaker. as an explosive. by
the admixture of camphor or OF other
non-explosive material. such powder as
we'll as possible adapted TO firearms of
any size or bore, Is being manufactured
in Europe now. For this purpose the
several governments there employ the
most sxillful chemists. Thus they pre-
pare for warfare against each other, i'm
the most elaborate style. at the end of
Ha ;.