The Washington times., 1901-08-03
ALLEGED NOISELESS POWDER.
Lots of Talk About 1t, But None
Submitted Here.

eve have had several proposals by al
legged inventors looking toward the manu-
facture of a noiseless or soundless pow
der,'' said the acting chief of the Bureau
of Ordnance of the War Department
but they never came to anything. None
of them had any samples to submit and
| consequently no tests have ever been
made of a soundless powder.
Every once in a while some one thinks
how nice it would be IL there were a
soundless powder and writes to us tc
know If we would like to have such an
article, and that is as far as 1t ever goes
| Personally, 1 do not think that 1t is pos
| sible to produce such an article. All ex
pioslons grYduee o9neussion and concus-
| pneumatic guns there is more or less
| noise, as well as in the blowpipes used by
savages. There are two sources OF
sounds in connection with the explosion
of powder in gun: the impact of the
gases with the atmosphere and the sound
waves produced by the concussion in the
barrel of the gun. The metal is moved
and noise Is produced. This noise might
1 be lessened or even prevented by the
wrapping of the gun with an insulating
material, but / doubt II that would be
practicable as the increase in the size
OF the weapon would prevent its use.
see no way of preventing the sound waves
concurrent with the impact of the gases
with the atmosphere.
x
That is produced by perfect combustion.
Formerly powder left a heavy residue
ana as that residue was decreased the
smoke decreased, until IT is now at a
minimum. 1t is desirable on a firing line
to keep your sight clear, and at the same
time create smoke to bother the enemy,
consequently while shells are fired with
smokeless powder they are filled with
powder producing smoke; thus both OBJ
1ects are accomplished. On the other
hand, with a soundless powder little
would be accomplished, as with d firing
line mile in length tre sounds Of firing
are so confused that it is almost impos-
sible to tell by them alone from which
point the firing comes
All improvements in the art of war
fare, he continued, tend to lessen loss
of life in actual combat When the short
sword was used il was almost impossible
Tor the opposing sides to extricate them
serves, ana II was conquer or die. Flight
was difficult by reason of the fact that
the enemy was close up. Even in the
Napoleonic times, when muskets had
range Of about 200 yards, and artillery
scarcely more than 500 yards, the loss Of
NE was very great, as the battles were
almost hand to hand. and it was almost
impossible to conduct an orderly retreat
after armies became engaged. AS the
range Increased, and, especially since the
introduction OF smokeless powder, the
dangerous distance between armies has
increased until now IL runs into thou
sands OF yards, so that battles are fought
- +oLioN anu are
possible. The longer the range the less
the loss Of life"
1t appears that all those who have ad-
Vanced the idea of a smokeless powder
have been amateurs and without scientific
training or knowledge, ard scientists gen
orally hold the opinion that soundless
powder Is physical impossibility In the
navy II might be of advantage in naval
combat, in allowing a vessel to get In the
hrst blow, as the opposing vessel would
not know 1t was being fired upon until
the shot struck. At the same time how
ever advantageous the possession of a
soundless powder might be in warfare
its invention or discovery would be
fraught with danger to the human race
as the opportunities for its illegitimats g
use by burglars, thieves and assassins
would be practically unlimited.