Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1917-09-26

- SO hNiitt lihN ullNto lNlhNkN
the air Illuminated and allows ri1emen.
anti-alrcraft gunners and avlators TO
md the range OF the enemy has just
been perfected by the dupont Com
pany for the use Of the United states
Government 10 is so manufactured
that IL is possible TO watch the course
or the bullet almost from the time 10
leaves the gun and TO observe it
striking on or about the target. The
effect Of the bullets when fred from a
machine gun Is comparable TO a Roman
candle display, with the exception that
the machine gun operates with tremen-
dous rapldity and the bullets ny In what
seems, at times, 10 be a spray OF flow
ing fire balls.
A test OF the "tracer'' bullet was
conducted yesterday at Rife Range
Camp, south OF New Castle, under
the supervision of ordnance experts
of the United States Army. and in
ciuded studies OF tracer bullets
made in this country by the duPonts,
by the FrankfOrd Arsenal of Philadel-
phia. and OF some made abroad. The
bullets were tested IN machine guns
and In rifles. the Vickers, Colt and
Lewis machine guns being used In
the demdnstrauon The ranges at
which the tests were made varied at
from 600 to 1000 yards.
The officers in charge OF the test
and those present IN AN official ca.
pacity, were: Colonel George Mont
gomery, commanding officer; Major
Cushman, technical supervisor; Cap
tain Clay and Captain Doe. all OF the
Nj N. L.
Captain Wright. Ordnance Depart.
ment, United States Army: Captain
Gravely. Lieutenant Ropert. Major
MacDougal. OF the United Suites Ma.
rine Corps: Colonel Harris. command
ant OF Fort DUPONT; Colonel Willis.
Of the United States Signal Corps:
Mr.. Formau. Of tht Signal Corps I;
Professor Walker. of the Massschu.
sets Institute Of Technology, and the
following men from tho DUPONT com.
pay. all Of whom are technical ex.
perts; Major K X. v Casey, w. Il.
Witsn, W. c. Spruance, IT., w. NJ.
Written, w 3. Lewis and G. I. B.
Henning and 8. @. Lloyd. ballistlc
engineers, and w. II. BueA. and II. r.,
Peck chemists OF the experimental
station
All the tracer bullets demon
strated proved highly successful The
test was made during two hours OF
the morning under conditions that
were pronounced to be exceedingly
unfavorable. There was q mist hang
ing over the river and the shooting
was done against Inc sun. In spite
of this. the results were said TO be
eminently satisfactory. During the
/ afternoon tests the conditions were
much better, the mist having cleared
up. The army officers attending the
demonstration were able 20 observe,
through their glasses. the course OF
the bullets even when the guns were
raised and the projectiles sent far
on. over the range into the river.
The tracer bullet idea was de-
veloped in Europe In the present
war. There never had been any sure
way to observe the effects OF rife
IRE and 20 know whether the bullets
were reaching their objective. There
also was q great need for such bull
let's 10 use in battles against air
planes The usual method OF usinl
them is 10 discharge one tracer
bullet 10 five ordinary bullets. The
"tracer" bullet following the path o.
the trajectory and showing the range
The great difficulty with them hith
erto has been In obtaining stability il
storage or keeping qualities. Wher
the attention Of Americans was turned
90 these bullets samples Of them werl
obtained from abroad. I'm ordinary
times Il would have been compare
lively easy thing TO have duplicated
them. but, owing 10 the shortage oil
chemicals IN America. lt was neces-
sary to revise the materials used abroad
and utilize other materials obtaining IN
the United states. To this end the du-
Pont Company, in cooperation with
officials Of the Frankford Arsenal. has
been experimenting for some time "a
obtain a tracer bullet that will keer
satisfactorily. The test yesterday prov.
ed that a satisfactory composition from
i all standpOlnts had been obtained anC
all the observers agreed to this point.
There was another highly important
test made yesterday at the Delawar,
State range OF an incendlary bullet
The function OF this missile is 90 ex,
plode innammable liquids. such a.
gasoline, used I'm the tanks OF airplan,
engines. The tank is perforated by