The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-09-24
WILL MAKE WAR A MASSACRE.
Effect of the Discovery of New and Pow
erfuI Explosives.
rom the New York Tribune.

From the New York Tribune
The discoveries of new explosives fol-
low fast upon each others heels and
the number of them in the worlds
markets is already well-nigh boundless.
One of the best known and the one
adopted by the British government is
eordite. In most of the high explosives
nitro glycerine enters largely into the
composition, which renders them dang
erous to handle. This is also true of the
composition of cordite, but in this ex-
plosive the danger is minimized by a 10
per cent admixture of vaselne. This
explosive has probably proved as eff
fectiVe as any, but its enormous ex-
pense is a serious drawback. The ac-
tual cost of the explosive proper is
the least of the expense, which is prin-
cipally from the wear and tear of the
guns from the erosion attendant upon
the use of this and other high eXplos-
ives. This enormous wear and tear
from erosion, and consequently great
expense, first led John Karstairs, an
English scientist, to attempt the dis
covery of a new agent wherein this
erosion was eliminated, but without d.
| minishing the force and power of the
explosive. Mr.. Karstairs thinks he has
succeeded in his quest, and on May %
last he took out patents in this country
to protect his discovery. Similar pat
ents have already been taken Gut in
Russia, Germany and England.
Experiments have been made at the
Sandy Hook proving grounds and it is
said they have been successful. Mr..
Karstairs is at present in Europe and
Charles 7. Nasmyth has charge of the
explosive in this country during his
absence. Mr.. Nasmyth, in speaking of
it, said:
THE explosive has no particular
name, being simply known at present
| as 'Karstairs' explosive and it is be-
| yond all doubt the most wonderful yet
discovered. 1t has a greater velocity
| and carrying force than any known
| explosive, and consequently it's use
| would increase the range of ordinary
| rifles. 1t calls for no particular style
| of gun and can be used in any weapon
| now known. 1t can, in fact, be used
| for any purpose for which any other
explosive is used save only the mining
| of coal. 1t is not subjected to chemical
| changes from the heat or cold, as is
| dynamite, and under ordinary circum-
| stances it is absolutely safe to handle.
| In filing, shell has to be rammed full
| of the explosive used, and this is dang
| erous with many of them, but not the
| least so with 'Karstairs' explosive
! The saving in expense it will effect
| will be enormous After so shots with
| the modern smokeless powder an ordi-
| nary gun no longer fires true, and after
| 120 shots it becomes useless. This is
/
| quire some twenty shots in proving the
| gun, so that this number must be de-
| Quoted from the actual use in warfare.
| Mr. Karstairs' discovery will largely do
away with this erosion and greatly add
| to the life of the gun. 1t also has no
wave of defamation. l do not know ex-
| actly how to describe this; it is a pc
| culiar vibration of the air caused by an
| explosion, which is likely to set off
| other explosives, even though they are
| at a distance. This is true of all eX-
| plosives, 1 think, but ours has the ad-
| ditional value of being perfectly
| smokeless powder.
| Among it's principal characteristics
are these: 1t burns in the open air
| without explosion, and no ordinary de-
! gree of friction or conclusion Will eX-
| plode it. 1t can be detonated only by
| powerful detonator in an Enclosed
| place; it's temperature of explosion is
| about one-half that of cordite, and
| hence erosion in gun barrels Is practi-
| cally eliminated by it's use. Millions OF
| dollars have already been spent on it
on the other side. In letter just re.
ceived from Mr.. Karstairs he speaks OF
| some experiments he has been carrying
| on for the Austrian government as fol-
| lows:
81 remained on an island in the Ad-
| Ratio more than six weeks. the trlals
| consisted in firing shells filled with my
| explosive against steel embrasures ana
| in dropping 500 weights at a time from
| such that even with all my past eX-
| perience / was myself astonished one
| high official made the remark: rms
sort of thing will turn war into simple
| massacre"