The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1896-07-16

uA dppIeullC0 OIL Tue urSC CLASS III SIX
months, when he has rank which,
corresponds to the rank Of seamen.
Ind sailors. Harper's Round Table
Powder for Cnnnons.
The great trouble with powder int
cannon was soon found to be that It
exerted all its force too suddenly, 30
that all the strain came on one end OF
the gun. When gunpowder 10 set on.
ire it turns suddenly into gas, and the
gas needs about 300 times the space.
that the solid powder occupied. The.
explosion Of ordinary gunpowder is so
sudden that for a moment that part OF
the gun around the powder charge has.
to hold the big volume of gas squeezed:
down under enormous pressure until
the shot can make start to get out Of
the gun and make room for the gas.
II, therefore, gunpowder could be-
made which would burn a little slower
SO that it would not all be burned until
the shot reached the muzzle the gas
would be more gradually formed and.
the strain be distributed all along the
gun. Such powder was first made in
Germany, and was first called cocoa
powder, because it resembled in color
and general appearance a cake Of
chocolate. Its method of manufacture
was kept secret, but other countries.
analysed the grains and soon learned.
to make it even better than GERMANY.
It is made partly by changing the pro.
portions of the ingredients, making
them about 70 per cent saitpeter. 8.
per cent sulphur and Is per cent char
coal, thus also giving the powder it's.
peculiar color. Thus there arose di-
vision of gunpOWder into quick and.
powders.
1t was not alone necessary to make
a powder which would burn more
slowly, but, if possible, to make one
burn SO that more gas would be form
ing when the shot got near the muzzle
IMAM was forming when it started from
the breech, because there is more room
behind the shot when it nears the
and 1t therefore takes more
gas to keep up the same pressure
against it's base. .; = -, x
10 accomplish this, and to make the
grains lie so that there should be
spaces evenly distributed among them,
to allow the flame to reach every grain.
at once, causing all Of them to betfM
running together, grains. We're made.
OF irregular shapes, and each shape.
was tried to see how nearly it gave,
the desired results. Thus there have.
been used round grains, square grains,
phero-hexagOnal grains, cylindrical
grains and prismatic grains. OF COURSE
it is impossible to make a grain which
will have more and more surface to.
burn the smaller it gets, so the best
result which has thus far been OBJ
tanned is only an approach to it, and
this is obtained with hexagonal pris--
matte grain about one inch high and an
inch and a half in diameter with a
hole, or several holes through it
"GunpOwder," by Lieut.. John M. Elli-
colt, in st: Nicholas.
A Grand Celebrntion a..
Billy and Nat and the other boys
were on their way to the village to buy
fireworks for the Fourth when they
saw queer-looking wagon moving to-
ward them. 1t looked like hen COOP
on wheels, but when it came nearer
they found it was huge cage with an.
eagle in 1t. -4s.a r. H..
The boys surrounded the wagon at
once, and fired a perfect volley OF
questions at the driver.
II took that eagle from the nest
when it was little" he explained; ''andi
have just been carrying it to town.
to sell it to the show; but the show is:
gone, SO must cart him back
why, you ought to let him fly"
cried Billy. Don't you know, to-mor-
row is the Fourth and guess George
Washington would not have liked very
we'll to see the American eagle coopeda
up like chicken!'
The man laughed. ''Well, now, f.;
you boys feel SO, why don't you buy
him and let him loose tomorrow? He
would go up like sky-rocketsy'
The boys looked at each other.
THAT'S SOP they all cried together.
So bargain was struck, and they
carried the eagle home in triumph.
That evening the following handbiu
was posted around Merryvflle:
"Great sillybration! the Bird OF his
Country will make an cent on tho
4th Of July lat 3 sharp with flags
give him Libbaty or give him Death
admission cents
Quite crowd gathered the next day
to see the novel entertainment. Tho.
eager boys quickly pried off the stout
wooden bars Then the beautiful bird,
darted out with rush and a whiSe.
that made every one start He spres1
his grand wings, futtering the littie
flags that were tied to their tips and
scared away over the heads Of the
crowd. a..
They watched him sailing round and
round in, great circles, till at last III
was only a speck in the sky, and then
was gone.
Then Nat began to count their cato
while Bill said solemnly, Bet
ter than sky-rocketsv' -Selected.
A Clock Made of Bread
Bread is the most curious material.
out of which a clock has ever been
constructed. There was, and may still.
be, in Milan, a clock made out OF
bread. The maker was a native OF
Milan, who devoted three years of his.
time to the task. He was very poor.
md being without means to purchase.
the necessary metal for the making,
IF a clock, he set apart regularly q