The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-05-31

How the United states Succeeded in
Having as Good as Germany.

Having as Good as Germany.
Chicago Tribune.
1t Is singular thing that gunpowder
remained practically unchanged and un-
improved for more than 400 years after
its discovery by the Europeans. Some re-
finements Of manufacture were intro
duced: IL was made less bulky and moro
Clearly: but Its component parts were the
same and its expansion about the same.
Military powder. as We know today, is the
invention and perfection of a decade.
With it. the amount OF damage OF which
the thirteen-inch gun is capable is mat
ter OF conjecture only practical DEM
onstration OF the effect OF shell backed
by this modern explosive will be given
many times during the war between Spain
and this country. To this struggle the
military men of Europe are now looking.
In fact. they talk of little else.
The United States has as good ordnance
powder as is to be found in the word.
Seven years ago they did not have. Their
possession of this modern explosive in It's
state of highes; development is due wholly
TO the skill, patience and dberality of Du-
ront. 1t should be said that DIg-gun pow
der is German invention. The German
government made the powder and il
guarded the secret Of manufacture with
jealous care. Dupont tried in vain 10 pur-
chase the formula. The servants of the
antocraey were incorruptible. Possibly
his French name had something to do
with his failure. He did manage to get
a sample of the powder. With this as a
model he began to experiment. He wa.
not Immediately successful. His work
extended over some years and bled him
heavily. He hit upon the secret after
many appointments. however, and then
improved upon his discovery. Today his
product is as good as that OF any German
factory. The secret of this powder Is
now common TO a half dozen OF the Eu-
ropean governments. Probably their form
ula all came from Dupont. 1t is not
known generally that the United States
contain but two factories capable or man
ufacturing the ordnance powders. one IL
owned by the Dupont-Nemours Company.
and Ia at Wilmington, Del. The other Is
owned by the California Powder Com
pany at Santa Cruz, Cal. The Dupont
people and the Santa Cruz people are re-
lated by blood and marriage. The COM
panies are practically one.
OF powders now made there are prob
ably a hundred kinds. They may be d.
vided however into three claSses-bfasr-
Ing. sporting and military. The military
powders look as little like ordinary gum
powder as II is possible 10 conceive. That
intended for the 30-ealiber rifles. with their
lead pencil bullets anu 700 yard zone OF
fire. IS very good imitation or Clean.
yellow, vel grained sand. Then there is
a powder intended FOR similar use that Is
OF 4 reddish brown, and is cur into snin
minute squares Powder TO be used IN
certain OF the field guns looks Ike moth
ing n the world so much as sheet glue,
oue-sixteenth of an inch thick. and broken
into irregular bits. The powder for the
Hotchkiss gun Is in blocks one-fourth OF
an inch square and a. solid as coal. Taere
is a spheroidal kind, whose gram is some
thing larger than an ordinary marble. II
looks like a bit az lead hardened into 8loo-
ular form This is also a field piece pow
der The thirteen-iuch guns take the
brown pyismaifc and the black prssmatic.
The black, which is the quicker Of The
two. is used merely fer purposes or ;gnl-
ton. These powders are called prs
matte because they are many sided, ike
A prism Each grain has a aoTe through
sts center. also an aid 10 general ignition
A grain of these powders is one inch in
height and two inches in circumference.
These explosives are OF saispeter and char
coal bases They make mucn smoke and
much ncise.
The charge Cor thi-teen-incn gun IL
% pounds. This will be composed 81
so pounds Of brown pr'smatlc and 30
pounds % black prisrattc, which is in
serted behind the printing. The discharge
by this device ~ made practically sym
rrletrfca! and instantaneous la effect. Of
course. - Titanic, At the Indian Head
proving grounds. below Washington.
once saw a projecgi!e from a thlrtee1-inch
gan sent against a HaTveyize1 plate saw
enteen inches thick. The plate WAC ore
OF lot made by the Carnegie people and
sent on for trial. TIE missile drilled a
hole through seventeen inches OF Harvey
gxsd steel through forty-four inches OF
solid oak backing and through five feet
az earfa. 50 far 81 she records extsna
IL ia SIN going. Somebody caiss3 for an
other Plate and il was set az. Il was
struck with Carpenter sheI, wa!cl
fused IN part \ chunk 81 IL Weighing
two pounds reSoun1e5 ID yards and threw
= hsfftll % dirt .ato the lynx eyes % Amos
Cummings who had come 01t OF the
F,orr b-proof 10 see the wheels 90 round
N~. Cummings started for ;he riveF. bat
gas captured after a snort, swift chase.