New-York tribune., 1909-09-25

nance hut it was simrly the force within and
behind those litro guns that made Ills voyage
possible and his return In triumph "a matter uf
history Uuartned In the midst of "a wilderness.
Hudso" and his crea might have been s'aupll-
tered rr taken captive ly an equal number ot
the ratires. Hut With The protection afforded
ty the rfirIiug cannon on tbc deck Of tho HALF
Moor and tie firearms carried by the company
II w"uid have required "a force Of five. or even
! ten. Go ono for the Indians to have triurphcd
TIE stun rammed into the rnuzzles or IIud-
sons cukcrins ana called powder WAS strong
and active aud fprccful In his day but Il would
b. regarded a. something Of joke In this day
and generation II rough and uneven. and
"h"u a slot was drcd the projoctno might 80
I half mile. but Uas far NOR" likely 20 have
/ rang or Il few hundred yurds> II the charge
was 900 heavy Tho gun WAS frequently blown
to rit~ ard The erea destroyed. and such acct
dents were not irftrqucrt In the hand 70 hand
actions fought hy th, stips and artillery Of
three centuries ago.
~ ,i's p"wder >"uId NOT al.,lo good ma
tcr@ tor fireworks today ~ matter OF
fact. tho best black r",yd~r ever made y-o.ld
not serve Tho ordnance OF modern armies and
uavirs. for u-,ng aith thc general progress OF
the world "'l,h was Impaired D. tho discovery
Of the uso Of powder. the industry of making
1t hAs also clipped uutu ore charge Weighing
the same as that used ia firing the Half Moons
starfoard quarter gun would hr sufficient t.
burst every gun carried hy the ship ana tlen
have force enough l,ft to hlo@ tho ahal, .atrc
Of The yess" into natchNood.
Wrlc Hudson's battery would cover ui. hip
with dense. white Teccy clouds of sfroil, after
a siTglc discharge The big guns Of t"-dry. using
smolclvss powder. would not even haze tho sun
ncrs' eyes during fleet action. While the pury
rrojcctues from nudsons ship might reach an
extreme range of t;.lf IL mite. The machine guns
of modern vessel using modern powder would
centre buIrs-eyes on II target half a milo away
90 fast that reply. saye from behind armor /
would be out of tie question. However. long I
before the machine guns could get TO work q
single small shell loaded with an Ordinary +
bursting charge. would aipe out ship equppod /
like the Half Moon.
Instead Of shooting Iaif q iriie lie powder II /
to-day win send half ton or steel carr, ing /
several hundred pounds OF hiri explosive. "i,h /
the .,c. urlcy cf small rife Tor sis. ecvcu aai
ten or ruorc miies This illustrates the differ /
cucc tctaccn the quality or the powder used in !
Hldpons time ana that turned out by the T..
/. du Pont de Nemours Powder Company, which
hes factories IN many sections II the United /
States aud plants and properties valued at SI1- /
O7t -; The history ~ this great company
began IN lSn2 when f.. T. du Pont dc Ncmours.
a French Statesman. began the manufacture of
powder IN Delaware So much skill and sue
cess were gained by the initial operation Of the
company that before many years the concern
had contracts TO supply the United States gov
erumcnt with ALI it's powder and at the same
tlroc branching out into civil fields of in
dustry.
The founder Of the company WAS associated
with his brother and father in the business OF
making powder and the family, which is now
known as du Pont. has been in the front rank
Of American endeavor. patriotism and civic
power since It took up citizenship in tie United
States
The founder vas practically driven out II
France for his political views and suffered the
loss OF fortune and property during the days Of
the French Revolution lie was a scholarly
man and made great Impression upon the life
/ Of tc infant republic. lie died in epidemic
of cholera in Philadelphia in 1884.
lie wos succeeded 10y his second son. Henry
Gu Puut who. with two brothers. carried tho
business until his death. in 1889. In 1903 the
company bearing the name of the founder vas
Incorporated to take over and consolidate the
various properties controlled 10y the du Pont in
terosts The capital authorized was $25OOO.-
900 r per cent cumulative preferred stock and
$50 On0000 common. Much Of the preferred
stool. not outstanding. The dividends have
been aid regularly the preferred issues. and
the rate at which distribution is made upon the
common stock is per cent Each year since
the consolidation the balance sheet Of the COM
pany has shown a vast increase. and. according
TO its most recent report the assets Of the com
pany are over $76.0OO.OO0
T. C. du Pont is president. II. NJ. Barkslale.
Alfred L. du Pont. Victor du Pont, jr.. j. A.
Haskell A j. Moxham and G. l.. Patterson aro