The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-06-04
blgb explosives
Structure Of SfnckeleSs Powder
and kow Tt OPERATES.

| is one upon which the military solicit
| tude and the inventive genius OF all coun-
| tries are now expending themselves.
| Hudson Maxim today discussed this
/ problem and its solution by himself and
Others, dealing with the recent success
| ful test OF the Gathmann shell and with
his own contribution to the development
Of smokeless powders, resulting in the
! Naxim-Schupphaus multi-perforated grain
now the service powder of this govern
ment and used in firing the Gathmann
shell at the test referred to.
Mr.. Maxim began the Investigations Of
the subject OF smokeIess powders and
high explosives in the autumn Of 1888.
AT that time the Pneumatic Torpedo and
CONSTRUCTION company, popularity known
as the Zalinsh Gun company, were con-
structing their air guns for the United
States government II filed several ap-
plications for letters patent on smoke
less powder in 1883" he said, zone OF
which was for a mulG-perfOrated grain,
to secure progressive combustion in the
gun, that is 10 say, a grain which should
present the minimum or surface TO the
flame Of ignition, and be consumed with
a constantly increasing5 area as the pro-
jecvtle moves along the bore, thus evolv-
ing gases faster and faster until the grain
is completely consumed. This order Of
combustion serves to maintain the pres
sure very well behind the projectile in
its fight throughout the entire length
Of the gun.
'@The multi-perforated grain produced
by DR.. Schaupphaus and myself has been
adopted by both the United States army
and navy, and is now the service powder
Of this government. By means of the
multi-perforated grains, much higher We
locities and greater uniformity in both
velOcities and pressures are secured.
This statement is borne out by the rec
ords of firing this smokeless powder by
the United State army during the past
FIVE years.
The recent disaster to the 10-inch gun
which occurred at Sandy Hook on the
29th of March last was due to no fault
of the powder, but was occasioned by ex-
plosive wave action The charge, having
been ignited from the rear. was sent vio-
lently forward and impacted into the con-
centrated space behind the proectile, and
before the projectile had been displaced
OF combustion in a tremendous wave, at
very high pressure, carrying the rapidly
BURNING grains, rebounded backward to-
ward the breech of the gun. and imping-
ing upon the breech lock blew it out.
BY referring to the report of the Chief
of Ordnance, 1894, page 245, it will be
found that this wave action is well rec
ognized as something likely TO occur I'M
der certain favorable conditions, and all
of which conditions did exist in the 10
inch gun which exploded:
THE conditions favorable to wave ac-
ton appear to be length of chamber,
quickness of the powder, high destiny Of
loading, un-uniform distribution Of the
charge, and end ignition. In our system
of large guns three of these conditions
are always present, and It is probable that
more or less wave action always occurs.
though It may not result in abnormal
maximum pressures. And when the
charge does not occupy the whole length
Of the chamber. abnormal results seem
likely TO occur, the more likely as the
powder is quicker.
THE most essential requisite to a sys-
tenn Of throwing high explosives from ord
nance rests in the powder charge, for the
following reasons: In order to secure the
maximum destructive effect upon a tar
get, the largest quantity of high explo-
sives should be thrown with the greatest
velocity. and this can only be brought
about by means Of gun with relative
y large calibre. As the projectile will
have a low density, as compared with the
heavy steel shells now thrown from nigh
power guns, a very high velocity may be
attained with comparatively low pres
sure. Let US take, Tor example the pres
ent twelve-inch sea coast rife. If we
double the calibre, with the same weight
Of metal and length of gun. the gun will
be little more than one third as strong.
In other words, it will stand a little more
than one-third the pressure, but that
pressure will be exerted upon a projecule
having an area or base four times as
great With the twelve-inch sea-coast
rife, an initial pressure of IS. 900 pounds
TO the square inch IS employed, the aver
age pressure to the muzzle being about
10000 pounds. With a gun Of dougle this
calibre and same weight, namely, fifty
two tons, an initial pressure Of 12.0o0
pounds and a muzzle pressure OF 5000
pounds could be employed. This average
pressure being ust half of the average
pressure in the twelve-inch gun, but ex-
erted over four times the area. will give
US a muzzle energy twice as great.
This means that we shall be able to
throw a projectile weighing twice as
much at as great velocity "a the pres
ent twelve-inch shell IS now thrown.
'tFThA Orasart fyT-aIxyz-f,cS,
eS3 pounds, and carries thlrty-seven
pounds Of black rife powder. The veloci-
y attained is about 2.010 feet per second.
With the torpedo gun Weighing no more
and costing no more, we can throw a pro-
ectile Weighing 1000 pounds, consisting Of
! 900 pounds Of steel and loo pounds Of
high explosive Consequently the system
proposed by me means simply that with
out additional cost or risk the present
twelve-inch sea-coast gun could be re-
placed by a gun throwing az equal We
locity a project.le carrying hale Ton %
high explosive in place OF thirty-seven
pounds OF black powder
This can be brought about only by the
use Of a powder charge which can be de-
pended upon 20 present SUCH a low mi
t.sl combustion area as 10 permit az a
fun charge being used without exer.frg a
pressure beyond I2.o15 pounds 20 the
square inch That such powder can be +
produced is best evidenced by The fact
that il has been produced. ard demon (
strated TO burn exactly as desired.
Last year during the Spanish vva-. 7
made the proposition to the United states f
government 70 build gun which should