The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1896-11-21
PowpER.
Large orders Placed for It BY the Navy
DeDartment.

A1AA58
Department..
Smokeless powder promises to y
~lutionize naval warfare. After several
years experimenting, the authorities of
the war and navy departments claim to
have found a formula which, they de-
clare, will give this government the
strongest and best powder known to
the military powers of the world.
With a smokeless powder, fleet COM
manders will be enabled to maneuver in
sight of one another, execute danger
Gus tactical movements and be kept at
all times under perfect control by the
admiral commanding, through the sys-
tenn of flag signals. The entire fleet
drill book will probably be overhauled
and allowance made for the ease with
which signals can be used in battle.
In a few weeks the navy will pur-
chase upward of 100000 pounds of the
new powder for the vessels in service
and this will be followed later by still
larger orders until there is a good stock
on hand for all emergencies. Atpresent
the factory at Newport cannot furnish
the powder as fast as the ships require
it, so that it will become necessary for
the department to send its formula to
some private powder mandatory in
order to facilitate deliveries and in
crease the supply.
The last war shows that during some
of the great fleet evolutions in the south
| ships frequently ran afoul of one an
other through their inability to navi-
gate properly when obscured in smoke.
and that many a mistake was made
because the signals could not be seen
from the flagship. There were in
stances, also, when one vessel fired on
a ship of her own squadron, believing
her to be a ship of the enemy.
With the new powder 20 vessels might
engage with an equal number, but every
ship would be able to resd the orders
of the admiral accurately. The same
number of vessels in an engagement
where the present black, slow-burning
powder was used would develop a smoke
cloud which, in five minutes after the
action began,would practically shut out
of sight each vessel from the other.
The confusion on board when the men
are not able to see those at the next
gun is said also to have led to mistakes
resulting in some instances in the loss
of the vessel.
The adoption of the new powder oy
the army viii neeessitate alterations
in the tactics applying to operatf&ps =
the field of battle. The infantryman
who fires with this powder at nee OBJ
tains the advantage of having a clean
field of fire.
But, on the other hand, he is unpro-
vided with cover, either natural or
artificial, there will be no protecting
cloud of smoke to conceal him, and
should the enemy have found cover, he.
On his side, is more vulnerable than
when the smoke showed his position.
The supposition that troops can be ex-
posed to fire without knowing whence
it comes is more or less fanciful, in the
opinion of Gen, Miles and the best mill
tary tacticians in Washington.
1t is admitted that with the suppress
sion of smoke the advance against a
position will no doubt be somewhat
more difficult than formerly, but the
danger will not be greater until within
500 or 600 yards of the enemy. Beyond
this point,when distances al be judged
with less difficulty, when the errors OF
aiming are small, and where the
trajectory of the bullets &c the new
army gun will be altogether dangerous
it will make little difference, the ex-
perts say, whether smokeless or non
smokeless powder is used.-Military
Gazette. Z