The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-07-27
USE SMOKELESS POWDER
VOLUNTEER REGIMENTS WILL HAVE
THE NEW AMMUNITION.
Springfield Rifle a Popular weapon.
Guns Removed from the Arsenal
Camp Mount Notes.

II Is now deflnately known that the volun-
teers will fire smokeless powder after all.
When the announcement was made last
week that the ammunition to be issued to
the Observation-Disclosures Regiment
would surely be the smokeIess kind it was
taken for granted by both regular army
and volunteer officers that this meant the
Krag-Jorgensen rifle would be supplied
This, however. proves to be incorrect and it
develops that the simplicity of the SPRING
field rifle recommended itself to the officials
of the Ordnance Department over the
"Krag" for volunteers use. 1t has been
supposed, up to this time. that the Spring
fields would only be issued for temporary
use, but this also appears to be wrong. The
same ammunition now used in the Krag-
Jorgensen guns will hereafter be used in the
Springfields only in increased caliber. This
In effect means that the Springfields issued
last night to the Observation-Disclosures
first are to be kept for all time during the
war, and that the new ammunition will be
issued to them when they leave for the
front.
Many army officers are of the opinion
that even now for all purposes the SPRING
field, could it be remodeled so as to take
lighter ammunition, would be the SUI
perior of the ''Krag." Lieut. Maury Ellis,
Of the Seventh Regiment of regulars, who
was in the battles before Santiago and re-
ceived several wounds, wrote in the Army
and Navy Journal as follows: 1.-The bullets
fired by our Krag-Jorgensen rifles on sew
eral occasions rebounded from the walls of
churches and other buildings and striking
Spanish soldiers made frghtful wounds
The Spaniards suffered much more from the
wounds inflicted by our guns than our men
did from the bullets Of the dreaded Mausers
The Springfelds are worse in their effects
than either Of the others, but I would rather
stand before a Mauser bullet than before a
Krag-Jorgensen and / would prefer either
one of these to wound from Springfield"
THEY LOVE THE OLD SPRINGFIELD.
These sentiments have been voiced from
time to time by every officer who has been
on duty in this city, while the rank and
file of the army, while admiring the new
rife, still have warm place in their hearts
for the old Springfield rifle. The drill and
target practice ammunition will as hereto
fore be the old-fashioned powder, but the
field ammunition to be issued to the One
hundred and-sixty-first Regiment will be
the new smokeless powder. The Army and
Navy Journal, in reporting the result of the
work of the inspector of powder and the
Ordnance Department, says:
1T is announced that the Ordnance De-
partment has decided upon a smokeless
powder, which can be used in a Spring.
Held rifle, and that the manufacturers who
are now turning out the old-faShioned cart
ridges Will go to work at once on those
charged with the new explosive, and as fast
as the cartridges are delivered in suffi-
cient quantities to make a respectable
showing their issue to the volunteers will
begin. When the war began there was not
in this country. according to General Miles,
enough small-arm ammunition to supply
sixty rounds to the men in the army. Then
1t was necessary to accept any kind of
powder that could be had. Since then her
culean efforts have been made by the Ord
nance Department, with the result that to-
day, for the first time, nothing but smoke
less powder is being purchased for the field,
siege and seacoast guns of the artillery.
mas been used for the heavy coast artillery,
will be bought, the makers being now able
TO supply enough smokeless powder for all
artillery purposes. The black powder will
be reserved for saluting purposes. In the
last report of the chief of ordnance we
We're told that the selection of smokeless
powder had we'll advanced in the expert
mental stage. In the development of smoke
less powder for .45-caliber ammunition a
number of samples selected by the inSpec-
tor of powder had been tested and although
producing results hitherto unattained no
selection had been made The ordnance re-
port also informs US that the results thus
far obtained in the practical tests, of col.
loidal smokeless-poWder compositions agree
with theoretical conclusions and indicate
any other yet purchased. Other considera-
lions may, in particular cases, outweigh
this ballistlc superiority, and the definite
determination of the relative values of the
various conditions that affect the question
is one of the principal objects of the expert
ments now in progress We are further
told that satisfactory results have now been
obtained with the smokeless powders made
in this country. In all caliber of field,
siege and seacoast guns, including mortars
this powder has also been found to give
good results when firing with reduced cart
ridges. The restrictions placed upon the
purchase of powder by Congress compelled
the use of a powder manufactured in this
country and so far limited the selection
An offer was received from a German house
of q satisfactory smokeless powder, but to
use 1t requires the establishment of q plant
in this country, and the Germans did not
consider that the promise of business was
sufficient to warrant this. The Navy De-
partment is distributing smokeless powder
to the navy as fast as possible. Deliveries
are being made at the rate of 5000 pounds
week by the Duponts and the California
Powder Company. All the secondary bat
tertes and rapid-fire guns of the navy will
soon be provided with an ample supply of
smokeless powder. Several of the ships
have been fitted out with full magazines
for all their guns. and gradually others are
being provided. Within few weeks it is
expected that every vessel of the service
will have sufficient smokeless powder on
board for all guns up to and including the
six-inch type, and that soon afterward there
will be enough on hand for the eight and
ten-inch guns of some ships"