The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-12-06
NOW FOR NoTsELEss GUNS.
Austrian Government is Experiment
ing With a Novel Invention.

(Vienna Correspondence of Omaha
Bee)
The military authorities here are
making experiments with view to
overcoming the sound caused by the
discharge Of rifles and heavy ordnance.
1t is believed that they have proved
so far successful, and that we shall
soon have added to the terrors of war
what will probably be a soundless, as
we now have a smOkeIess, powder.
The arrangement is supposed to be
made through a discovery in acous-
tics which allows of the reversing and
suppression Of the sound created by the
discharge of the gun. This is done by
means Of certain mechanical arrange
ments in the barrel of the weapon. and
IS said to be one of the most marvel
Gus inventions of the century. It is
likely to be applied in many other ways
Tor the suppression of sound as well as
IN connection with artillery.
Inc invention IS practically a neces-
Slty 10 modern armies and navies at
the present moment, unless war is to
become more horribly destructive and
costly than it is at present
II has been developed particularly to
onset the advantage of a new inven-
ton made by General Gilleta of the
Italian war department. who has sue
ceeded in producing an instrument
called the telemeter, with which he
claims to be able to locate the position
Of guns or rifemen whose discharges
may be invisible not only to the naked
eye. but also to field glasses.
This acute instrument denotes pre-
cisely the direction from which the
Wen as the approximate distance at
which the firing has taken place.
The Italian war Office has construct
ed a number Of these instruments at
the military engineering works of
Pavia, which it has made extensive
ana very satisfactory experiments
with.
The laws governing the transmission
OF sound are we'll known. When the
flash or smoke accompanying the re-
port of a rifle is seen, it is quite easv
TO judge its approximate distance in
yards by multiplying by 375 the num-
Der OF seconds which elapse between
sighting the flash and hearing the re-
port. This, however, is only a rough
method of calculation, and there are
disturbing factors to take into account.
the nrst Of which to occur is the direc-
is blowing at the time.
When the fash of smoke accompanv-
ing the report of a rife is invisible the
only means by which the position of
the firer may be located is the intensity
OF the sound. There are many causes
which may modify this intensity. such
Tor instance, as the distance Of the
sound, the amplitude of the vibrations
set up, the direction of the wind
sound being always better propagated
with favorable wind and more intense
than when it is contrary. To go even
further, the density of air at the place
OF report must be considered.
TO take an example, it is well known
that on high mountains, where the air
IS more fairfield than on level ground.
the discharge Of gun produces but
a teeDle sound. The velocity of sound
also naturally depends upon its VIC
lence.
A remarkable observation was made
by Captain Perry during one of his
Arctic expeditions. It was found by
persons stationed at quite a dis
lance from the guns that the report
or the cannon was heard before the
order to fire was given by the officer in
charge.
Some military critics expressed a
doubt that General Gfetta's telemeter
could be of much practical use except
on perfectly clear day when no wind
was blowing, but the fullest tests have
proved its invaluable qualities.
At midday a cannon is fired in Rome
from the castle Of St. Angelo to an
noUnce the hour Of noon. When the
wind is in the favorable quarter the
report shakes windows of houses fully
a mile away, and when it is in the op-
posite direction the report at that dis
lance is almost inaudible, while the
distance remains the same
The instrument has been tested at
this point under all circumstances. It
has been shown able to gauge the
strength of the wind and indicate the
variations in the strength Of the report
likely to be produced by variations in
the winds strength.
OF course its success has greatly dis
counted the use of smokeless powder
on which the Austrian government has
relied so much. On this account the
sOundless powder tests are being rap
idly pushed forward