Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1899-01-30
THE IDEAL SMOKELESS POWDER.

Great as r the advantages of the
best forms of nitroglycerine and gun
| cotton smokeless powder, there is not
n of them hat can be called an
ideal powder. They all suffer from
an inherent and ineradicable defect,
due to the presence of the nitrogly-
cerine and the fact that it's explosive
qualities are affected by changes of
temperature. The best of these pow
ders might be consided idel explosives
provided they are always used at
axactly the right temperature, but
they or rarely ever are.
When it is stated that 1876 pounds
of cordite fired behind a 1OO-pound
projectile in a 50-calibre 6-inch gun
will produce a muzzle velocity of q
642 feet a second, the statement is
not altogether complete; since one of
the elements affecting these results
has been omitted-or rather, it is
supposed to be understood. Strictly
speaking, these results can only be
obtained if the powder at the mo-
ment of firing is at the nominal temper
allure of the atmosphere. II it's tenn
perature is lower, as it would be in
the Arctic regions, the velocity would
be lower, and if it should be higher,
as during an engagement in the trop-
les the velocity would be higher.
Now between these extremes of cold
and heat there will be a difference of
velocity which will interfere with the
accuracy of the gun; for the sights
are adjusted for the ~velocities due to
the powder when fired at normal tenn
peratures.
The pressures, moreover, r even
more liable to change than the velo-
city. 1t frequently happens that a
gun becomes quite hot from firing or
from being exposed to the rays of the
sun. While in this heated condition
a charge may be inserted and, for
some reason, allowed to remain in
the chamber before being fred. The
heat of the gun is impaired to the
powder, and in this heated condition
it is liable to produce abnormally
high pressures, n may even detO-
nate and destroy the weapon. 1t is a
fact that in some makes of machine
guns serious accidents have resulted
from leaving the piece loaded for a
few minutes when the gun was over
heated.
These troubles are entirely due to
the nitroglygerine, and they are in
separable from any powders that in
clude this powerful agent as one of
the constituents.
For these reasons several of the Eu-
ropean nations have always opposed
the use of nitroglycerine in any form
and a vast amount of experimental
work has been done in the hope of
should contain none of this explosive.
We are reliably informed that a GER
tain Austrian chemist, who is consid-
cred to be the greatest European ex-
pert on high explosives, has at last
produced a smokeless powder which
is entirely free from the defects al
luded to and is as safe and reliable as
the old black powder. It contains no
nitroglycerine and is affected very
little by o~verheating. 1t is not only
very effective, but it can be manu-
featured much more cheaply than
smokeless powder of the ordinary
type.
Our informant, who is perhaps the
most noted expert in rapid-fire wea-
pons in Europe, states that the dis
covery has produced a sensation in
naval and military circles, and that
great expectations are entertained
regarding the new explosive, regard
ing which particulars will be made
public early in the year.-ScientJfc
american.
DR.. BULBS Cough Syxup should be