The times., 1899-12-11
navy SMOKHbBSS POWDER
The Subject May Figure Very Prom.
iHentIy in Congress.
Senator'S and Representatives Nay
Make Unpleasant Accusations
Against Rear Admiral SAMPSON
Charges That lie Neglected the
Service While Chief OF Bureau.

Congress viii be called upon TO make
an appropriation FOR the purchase and
manufacture OF smokeless powder. In the
estimates submitted to the Secretary OF
the Navy by Rear Admiral Charles O-Neu.
Chief OF the Bureau of Ordnance. occurs
the following paragraph:
Fuel tools. material and labor. main
tenance OF proving ground and smokeless
powder factory; for target practice; re-
serve supply of ammunition, conversion
Of 6-inch guns to rapld-dre: purchase and
manufacture OF smokeless powder; ma
chinery for gun plant and for instruction
OF seamen guuners and for new quarters
FOR watchmen at ST. Helena 81 sos. 500.
The recommendations with regard TO
smokeless powder were taken up by Sec
retary Long. who in mis- last annual report,
writes:
Immediately after the close ot tbe war with
Spain Jhl Uurlhas Of brown powder WsS di~Con-
lluIed. and thp manufacturers were directed
turu their attention exclusively lu the m8Huiae-
ture gi Eughelvss powder, >u FAR as their orders
for thg Navy were concerned They have made
coEImendgi'lc progress and are turning out
satisfactory product do considerable quantities
n is proposed 10 supply all. new ships with
snoko.es~ powder. and Tie powder for the hear-
sarge. heutucky. and Alabama i~ now ready Tor
them. Tie Older vessels viii also be supplied as
rapidly as possible.
The Government powder factory a. Indian Head
is proErt uE favorably, and win be completed
iu few months TlavuidablC delays iu obtain
lug materials have retarded lis progress to some
extent and :, Is preferable to do good work
rather .li4u hssty work II ls neither expected
nor desired 10 enter INTO eompelilou d, these
works with private manufacturers. except AS 10
quality. Il being rhr policy OF the department. 10
fostcg the commercial industry upon which Tie
&C ls must largely draw its supply
schIey's Friends May Act
The single item Of smokeIess powder
may be seized upon by the frisnds Of Rear
Admiral Winfield Scott Schley in the Fifty
sixth Congress as club TO bring discomfort
to the partisaus Of Rear Admiral William
T. Sampson. Il has been frequently said
al the Navy Department and by naval au-
thOTities iD this and in other countries
thai The only serious defect developed il
the American Navy during he war with
Spain was The uon-use OF smokeless powder
In this matter, ii is said, the American
Navy was behind the navies OF the least
progressive Governments in Europe. With
the warships Of the Old World, smokeless
powder was an old story. IT had been in
use for years.
Many official complaints against the use
Of brown and black gunpUwder We're made
By American naval officers during the waT
with Spain. and ii is admitted tha; in the
matter OF explosives. the ships Of Spain
were better equipped than hose Of the
United States
The officer who viii be charged with
responsibility for this defect is Rear Ad-
Iniral Sampson, who was Chief Of the
Bureau OF Ordnance from 1898 10 1898
succeeding Capt William A. Folger. and
being. succeeded by Rear Admiral Charles
O'Neil. IT is the Bureau OF Ordnance
which is charged with the duty of sup
plying The navy with explosives. Up 10
1885 sm0keless powder for naval ordnance
uses had not progressed beyond the ex-
perimentsI stage. though as early as 1890
Dr. r. G. Schupphaus brought 10 the at
teniion CT the American Government
what ii is said was demonstrated to be
q fTst-class nitro -glyceTine powder. In
1883 DT. Schupphaus. who had associated
himself with Hudson Maxim for the pur-
pose Of attacking The problem Of produc-
ing q gun cotton powder which should
have the ballistics OF niJro-glycsrine pow
ders. The problem was solved 70 the sat
isfaction OF the European Governments.
but not TO that Of the ordnance experts Of
the American Government. So disguised did
Dr. Schupphaus become at his failure 10
convince the American naval authorities
that smokeless powder is a good thing
thaf he wrote 10 q close personal friend
as follows:
do not try 10 educate the American
Government II you desire to declare divi-
deHds. Sell them what they think they
want II they wish 10 call red sand smoke
less powder. furnish it 10 them if lou
see profit in it,"
II the literature Of smOkeless powder
il is recorded that IN 1890 tests were
ar ..E. 4
the success OF thar explosive for use in
calibres mp TO and including the eight
inch gun Aitro-glycerine powders, il is
also said. showed satisfactory tests.
Complaints Against Brown Powder.
Lieut. A. C. Dillingham;. executive Off
Ger OF the gunboat Nashville. in q report
10 Commander " Maynard. commanding
that vessel. dated of Cienfuegos. Cuba.
May L. 1855. in telling OF the action on
Cienfuegos Of May II, said.
The enemy had smokelcss powder ssld fired from
the Nauser Tife- Here was shown one great adj
ssntsge o. smokeiess powder. Although were
Hder very severe fre, ue had no target bun the
country Te saw. Close up hy Tins time, 20
Eithiu 800 yards ~ The shore. not Sp1nilrd
could be seen, with our smoke rolling down 10
ieeHarai ouscurug Ihr enemy. With the u-
erezsiug Irr. UuI boats had ID stop work and
saek cover but they did mol start tiI they were
absolutely obliged to, under Nely severe snail
arm fire.
Lieut. John B. Bcrnadou who command
s6 the torpedo boat WinsloW in the unfCr-
tunaJe action al Cardenas. reported:
Al distance os about $50 yards at which
time the N-u,lrW Uas adRaLoug az about twelve
knots. Whlsh -egms her maximum speed iu quite
Enlal water Tie nf~t gun rt The engagement was
Sired from the naH of The Spanish gJmHoaf,
marked li clear pud ~ white smoke. This
fhot. which passed ozer the NinSiow, was at once
replied ta rs tEat ship and was the signal iar
The commencement from the beach 81 rapidly
sustained nrC characterized primarily hF ~. abe
senCe of smoke. Because 0i tuis condition i was
not practicable g. determine the exact location
of the guns.
Commander ". y. BToWus0G. command
ing the Yankee DO his report OF the action
Of SavauiIIa Point June l3, 1888, wrote
sm a 1he opinion -Hat had Fl mot been iu
tie serious interference af the smoke llIh srg
FIRE of our gums. Ue would Hatc DESTROYED tnr
larger ggHggst, Hat"lt ilstanaing iEe HTe - itie
hatferlrs But Che WIND W8s iE-uf from mo
sJutlEard and it Has impossible 90 maUcisre
the snip tLas tIa smoke did not hang gio-
under our lre. uC. only shIttng uut tine object
but also preventing 0Hr gun pointers from seeing
the isll % lher shot
Capt Nic0u Ludlow commanding the
Terror at the h0mbardmeut OF san Juan
reported.
orr first shots aefe dred into ,l.e .uns- larao
81 htres sf striking .HF vessels anchored taaru
the smoke beng So iiirl. coald sea nothing.
Under Sampson's Management.
IN view Of the facts that the magazine.
OF the American ships carried obsolet,
brown powder; Thar the magazines OF IN.
Spanish ships were filled sith approved