Omaha daily bee., 1897-01-31

| large enough TO just lap over the powder case
! and is forced down on the latter by means
| of a screw so tightly that nothing but the
| power that lies behind II can drive it off.
! Then the mounted shell is slipped into a
! form of the exact size of the gun for which
| it is intended, to make sure that it is a per-
| feet fit and will not stick at the critical mo-
| ment.
When the charge is fused and ready for
| the gun ii is placed in a rectangular wooden
| box OF the exact size to fit it and is ready
| for shipment. The old ammunition cases
| were square wooden boxes, but they were
| not waterproof and have been superseded by
| the rectangular boxes and cylindrical steel
| cases, into which it is impossible for air or
water to penetrate. Another advantage Of
! this new form for storage Is that the pow
| der, being protected from moisture, will
| keep for any length of time.
! For the small bore, rapd-tire guns smoke
| less powder is used almost wholly at pres
| ent, and 1t comes In strips or tubes as shown
| in the accompanying cut, and these are tied
| together into a bundle in preparing the
| charge, much as one would tie bundle of
| kindling wood.
| From the supply depot the ammunition,
packed away in the cases, is sent to the yes
] sells, on order of the Navy department, as 1t
happens to be needed In time OF peace
| tho ships of our navy are required to carry
| 100 rounds for each gun. That means for a
| cruiser of the Indiana's class something over
| 100000 pounds of powder and a total am
| munition load of some 250 tons in all.
SAFE FROM FIRE AND WATER.
This is slowed away in the magazines
built below decks in the ship and is so care
fully protected that even If fire We're to start
among the powder cases there would be no
serious danger to the vessel. 1t is impossi-
bic for the fire to get at the powder and the
magazine can be automatically flooded until
every spark is quenchee Then the water
can be drawn Off leaving the ammunition
uniniured.
Some people not acquainted with modern
I cannon powder have had narrow escapes on
account OF their ignorance One case OF this
kind is related by Gunner Suley, who has
charge of the work at Fort Wadsworth.
resident of the town came to him one day
and said:
zone of your men who has been boarding
with me skipped out the other day without
| paying his bill. II he'd left anything be-
| hind worth taking I'd have held on to it.
| but he didn't. About the only things in his
| room were some unfinished wagon nuts and
some strips OF yellow wood. I'd have thrown
| tho pesky things into tn stove II I'd thought
| they'd burn, but as 1t was / dumped them
| ou. OF the window.
you want to thank your stars" replied
the gunner, that you didn't try to finish
those nuts or throw them in the stove. AS
/ 1t Is you had better go back now and bury
! them in the deepest hole you can dig before
! you are blown so far that you can't get
! back in this lite.'
Then he gave the man an object lesson
! I'm high explosives which made that in
dividual's hair stand on end as he thought
of the risk he had run.
When one looks about the great maga-
zines and reflects that each one OF the larg-
est projecties contains powder enough to
hurl a 500 pound projectile a dozen miles,
he Is apt to wonder what would be the
result II some untoward accident were to
set of the whole lot at once. AS matter
hnu thn n
| being swallowed up by an earthquake is
about as great, on the theory OF probablll-
ties. The men who work in 1t unite In
| saying that nothing is safer or healthier to
| handle than powder II only all sparks OF
/ 1re are kept away from IT.
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE SERVICE.
There are two impending changes which
are likely TO have an Important bearing
on the work OF supplying powder for the