New-York tribune., 1907-07-19
NO DEFECT IN POWDER.
Experiment Demonstrates HO1o
SIozcly 1t Burns.
FFrom Tho Tribune Bureau. J

Washington JuIv 1S-Naval powder experts are
vehement in their assertions that the recent acc'-
dent the battleship Georgia could not have oeen
due to defective powder. They insist that spon-
taneous combustion could occur only when the
powder was confined and that such would nave
been entirely out OF the question with bag OF
powder which had been removed from It's origlha'
package exposed to the air in both magazine and
handling room and in the ammunition hoist oeIore
it entered the turret Neither do they incline 10
believe that the accident occurred the result OF
spark floating in from the smokestacK. put are
disposed to believe that there must have been "A
bareback" when the breecA of the gun was
opened. even though IT was insufficient TO a''ra''
the notice Of the men handling the piece.
one ordnance expert made number OF eHpeII-
ments in the presence OF a representative or mo
Tribune 10 demonstrate how dimcut II "ou'u
hava been for a spark to have ignited the powder
He 1T a piece OF powder about the size or
cigar with a match. It did not catch Immediately
and tho match was almost consumed before the
poVder was ignited. He then eEtnguished the
flame by blowing It Again he lit H. ana
extnguished the fame with his fingers. brushing
It out with a third match he again lit II ana
allowed 1t burn itself out on the CRATE bars OF
his empty fireplace. 1t was obviously as d':hcult
light would be cigar without suction ana
there was nothing about the hamo 70 suggest a. an
explosion 1t burned rapidly. but with no pun'
much as slightly greasy waste would burn
Asked II the powder on the Georgia could have
been a part of the lot manufactured by the LallUI
& Rand Powder Company. which was condemned.
he said 1t could not because thcre was no Iah'n *
Moreover. the Latlin < Rand powder Wh'le con
dcrnnod because all the specifications had not been
+ fulfilled. could not have Gnited through spon-
: taneous combustion under the circumstances AZ
/ tending the accident the Georgia peoomposed
powder lie declared. OF whatever brand, would
have been instantly detected, because when De
composition occurs tho powder loses It's shape and
/ becomes gelatinous mass
II was suggested that II tho powder on tho
Georgia was iCuitcd by spark which is hardly
conceivable, the men handling It could have eX-
tinruished It had they retained their presence Of
mind We're It ignted by a nareback' however.
that would probably have been impossible All ofi-
GERS who discuss subject frequently emphasize
the fact that. while they can assert positively thar
the accident did not occur rs the result OF certain
given causes It IS impossible more than TO specu-
late on the actual in the absence OF the Off
cial report OF the board Of inquiry.
The theory OF ''fareback' I'm the sense In which
| that term Is ordinarily used, seems untenable In
view Of the fact that, according TO the statement
OF Midshipman Kimball, not only had tho breech
bcen opened but the proJectile rammed home be-
fore the powder was gnited Some officers sug-
gest however, that II is barely possible that some
portion Of the previous charge the Dag contain
ing the powder, for instance was not entirely CON
sumed and was brought out of the gun by the
ram which had just seated the prefecture. 1hls'
they believe might have been dropped on the bag
Of powder and iEnited II.
II was also asserted at the Navy Department
that not only tho compressed air blower en-
ployed 70 expel the gases following the hrlnS OF
the gun installed, but that when the men entered
the turret after the accident this was found stlll
10 he in operation and had to be turned on. II Is
difficult however to reconcile this statement with
the assertion that the projectle had already peen
rammed home.
lBy Telegraph The Trr -nel
wilmington. Dell July 1s.-Oncials OF the Du
Pont Powder Company announced tonight that
they know nothing about the allegation that naval
powder defects caused the fatal disaster on the
batteship Georgia last Monday. When the atten-
+,on Of A Felix Du Pont superintendent OF the
smokeless powder plant of the Du Pont company at
Carney's Point n. j. was called to an article pun
shed to-day 10 the above effect. he replied that
he could not understand upon what It was based.
Euokeless powder used warships is manufact-
ured at Carney's Point.
'The report Of the disaster" said Mr. Du Pont.
shows that a spark fell into the powder and
ienited IT, AS powder Is made 10 burn. cannot
understand what any alleged defect had to do with
the sad affair I know nothing about tho charges
Of defective powder. This is the first have heard
of