The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-07-04
WIZARD OF JAPAN AND
HIS SMOKELESS POWDER

least % per cent of moisture to it. If
II were to be considered at all safe
But like all high explosives, the stuff
was extremely capricious and delicate.
and the slightest excess of moisture
caused it to become entirely nonexplosive.
1t was also delicate to keep, and in a year
would dry up completely. In some re-
spects the men kayaku" resembled the
American ''geraltine," which is tremend-
Gus in power, but is apt to get frozen in
cold weather. and this fact has brought
about terrible tragedies in mines and
elsewhere
After time Japan grew extremely
dissatisfied with her service powder, and
began to make inquiries about the Amer
lean ''moshlite." French .melinite." and
the '1oplit7 of Germany. DR.. Shimose
one day resolved to devote himself en-
tirely to the production of a new powder
which should be as perfect as it was
humanity possible to make it. He would.
he said to himself, devote years to the
work if necessary.
To the writer, who met him recently
in Sasebo the great naval arsenal of
Japan, the doctor declared modestly that
he had spent "a little over eleven years"
in producing the terrible explosive which
now bears his name. He is an exceeding
/ ly modest little man, this war chemist OF
Japan.
| On one occasion he was nearly blinded
| for life by premature explosion during
one of his experiments. Frequently his
hands and fingers were drearfully burn
ed; but nothing ever seemed to turn him
from his purpose, and at length. when
! the now famous "shimose powder was
perfect chemical compound, he took it
modestly to his government, with results
! now known to all the world.
| 1T is the most wonderful stuff I have
ever come across" remarked a Japanese
artillery major to the writer. II have
| seen Shimose heap Goals of fire on a
stack of it, bang 1t with all his force
with an iron mallet, and even fire shot
into it. But the most alarming thing he
could make it do under these and other
| conditions was to burn feebly like tar
and give off siclfly smoke. But only use
the simple little chemical Illuminating de-
vice which its inventor has provided for
it, and then indeed you will see the force
which mas dnnlnllaLeu tne power VI iii
| perial Russia
| DIR. Shimose once sprinkled some of his
/ powder in a circle on fiat iron surface
| two inches thick, and when he caused 1t
to explode the mere powder alone drove
| hole right through the iron, exactly
the same size as the ring of powder. This
/ is one peculiar feature of the shimose
] powder. was present at a confidential
/ experiment conducted by the imperial
naval department which interested me
much Great balks of massive oak tim
Der were piled up twenty feet high in
a square of nine feet, forming a kind of
massive tower.
| "A shell was fired at this from a six
/ inch naval gun, and the effect was truly
truly amazing. The tower of practically
solid oak was not only battered, the tim
| Der was splintered and pulverized-shat-
tered into fragments and scattered like
shavings. l have seen this wonderful
powder, which we. at any rate, consider
| superior to that used by any other great
power in the world, first strike through
| an object, and then expend all the ter
| rifle force of its explosion many feet be-
! yond it. 1t seems to possess several dis
tinct energies