The morning call., 1893-08-09
MISSILE OF WAR.
Aluminium Instead OF
Lead in Cartridges.
The Invention of a San Francisco
Physician and the Advantages
Claimed for Ii.

In the various Improvements inIthe arms
with which the great powers of the world
have equipped their troops much attention
has been given to projectiles, the ever
changing character of the vesse! armor
requiring constant and pro pOrtiOnate
increase in the efficiency in the missiles of
destruction, and in small arms the i'm
provements have been equally marked.
But it remained for gentleman of this
city, DR.. Charles Edwin Parent, to perfect
a rifle cartridge which. If it does not revOlu-
tioniZe the manner of manufacture of these
comm oditleS of warfare. will at least
create not little interest among those who
are constantly seek ing for developments in
the art or war.
The cartridge which Dr.. Parent has ill.,
vented is similar in its construction to that
ordinarily In use. with the exception that
instead of lead aluminium Is used.
In speaking OF how the idea of utilizing
this metal for the purpose to which he has
adopted it came 10 him. the inventor told
CALL man that he had been reading a
history of the battles of the English troops
in India, In which exceedingly long
marches we're frequent, and during which
many of the soldiers became weary Of car
rying the required forty rounds of ammu-
milton and often threw the greater portion
Of it away. This fact developed when
numbers of the dead found upon the field
OF battle were discovered with empty car
tridge-boxeS.
The inventive spirit 10 the doctor having
been encouraged somewhat by the success
OF several efforts in that line while living
back East, he concluded to see what he
could do with the white metal.
AlumiDum's hardness is illustrated by
the fact that IS requires heat of 1900 de-
greeS Fahrenheit to melt it, while lead
melts at 600. 1t is also five times lighter
than lead. seven times lighter than GOLD.
four times lighter than silver and three
and q halftimes lighter than iron.
The doctor reasoned that If it were five
times lighter than LEAD soldier could
carry proportionately that many more
rounds of the aluminium cartridges than
the lead, or 200 rounds. 1t also occurred
to him that IN the transportation of large
quantities Of ammunition the ligh er metal
would have an apparent advantage.
In testing the penetrating properties of
the aluminium cartridges the inventor
found that they were much superior to
lead. The latter will hatten and break
when il encounters hard substance,
while the former retains its shape. The
doctor fired a number of bullets into the
body of pine tree, and dug one out that
was Embedded almost six inches in the
wood ana which was found in perfect
form. no results of the conclusion being
visible.
IN the matter of cost the inven tor claims
the new cartridge can be manufactured
much cheaper than that MADE of lead. In
1904 aluminium was worth S32 pound. A
short time ago it was gu tied at 81 a pound
IN small quantities. The metal is at pres
ent manufactured by only one firm in this
country, and could, of course. under the
circumstances. be purchased at much
less price Ii the aluminium can be bought
at the same price as lead, and being five
times lighter Will make proportionateIy
that many more cartridges. the saving is
apparent
At the point of the cartridge a small
piece OF lead is Inserted for a twolold
purpose-to give it weight and to prop
erly direct its course, in tie latter par
tlcular working upon exactly the same
principle as that pursued in the making
OF lead-tipped arrows for archery use.
From Dhilanthropic point OF view the
new missile certainly possesses merit if
what its inventor claims for it be correct
When lead bullet strikes bone or other
obstruction it flattens out and conse-
quently makes a ragged wound, while the
extreme hardness of the auminum pre-
vents this. Another feature in this con.
nection is the exemption from danger of
poisonous matter forming by the action of
the blood or moisture OH the metal in
case of gunsh0t wound where the
bullet could not be found or extracted.
The doctor has applied for patent on
his invention. but has not yet determined
what he will do with IL.