New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-07-25
AMERICAN suOKELEss POWDER.

\ close resemblance exists between the acct
dent reported on Tuesday from Plum Island,
near the eastern entrance to Long Island
Sound. and that on the Georgia only Il short
time ago. Fortunately the consequences of
the later one were not tragic as those Of the
earlier, but both were caused by "harebacks,
and these phenomena unquestlonably result
from hasty preparation for reloadng. All OF
the new warships Of the United States
supposed TO be provided with devices capable
of preventing any such gush of sparks and
burning gas. 1t must be inferred, therefore.
that either the equipment Of one Of the Geor
gia's S-inch guns was defective, or, what is
quite as probable, that the air blast which It
was designed TO force through the bore
shut off prematurely. Whether not this APP
paratus-a comparatively new invention. by
the way-has been utilized at all coast defence
Notifications we cannot say but If it has beer
adopted at Plum Island il apparently failed TO
do its work. Ia the one case as in the other
the breach Of a gun was opened to receive a
fresh charge sooner the event proved, than
was wise
Two theories have recently been advanced
which impute the mishap Oh the Georgia TO the
powder used. One is that unsafe ammunition
had been accepted from the manufacturers,
and the other holds that the grains OF powder
are so large that they are not consumed quickly
enough When the attention Of the government
was called to the first of these possibilities.
more than year ago, the matter was carefully
investigated by the Navy Department The Of
fetal conclusion then reached was that while
I'm some cases the government specifications had
not been precisely compiled with, no powder
that was dangerous had been taken. InaSmuCh
rs the contractors offered to replace any which
was to be regarded with suspicion, the gov
eminent had everything to gain and nothing to
lose by accepting the proposition, If the netes-
sitv for doing so existed The verdict rendered
ut that time should therefore be accepted with
confidence the more so because il is generally
conceded that the American powder is dis
tinctIy superior 10 that Of foreign countries,
owing to a radical difference in their compost
ton Compounds of guncotton are far more
stable and less liable TO deterioration than COM
pounds of nitro gyCerlne.
In determining the size of the grains of pow
der 10 be used several considerations must be
weighed To distribute the pressure Of II charge
along the whole length Of n gun, it Is desirable
that combustion shall not take place too rapidly.
If II be- true has been asserted, that the
American powder burns more slowly than that
II other countries, that characteristic must be
regarded rs advantag eous in many ways. Some
OF the qualities which now commend II TO
favor might be sacrificed if quicker combus-
ton were promoted by making the grains
smaller. Without doubt this rather compli-
Gated question has already been the subject
Of much experiment, but il is conceivable that
something might I've gained 10y further investiga-
ton SmOkeeSS powder has come into only
within the last eight or ten years. and its very
novelty tustifes further study of the problem
of securing from IL the best possible service.
Rapidity of fire. both in the army and navy,
is certainly To he encouraged. II is almost rs
essential accuracy. The government wisely
promotes 1t by keeping record of the work
done. and ut the same time seeks to impose
such checks on the zeal of the gunners their
safety may require Where these are mechan-