IGNITION IN GUN-BARREL. 



AN old companion asks me what I think of the 

 following statement made to him by a gunmaker : 



"When at the point of ignition, a preponderating 

 portion of a charge of gunpowder became exploded, 

 the remainder of the explosive that was not then 

 fired in the first instance, gets burnt on its passage up 

 the barrel, such additional burning giving increased 

 power towards propulsion of the charge of shot." 



In spite of being considered egotistical, I will 

 state my view on what he is desirous to learn, viz., 

 does the ignition of unburnt gunpowder, in its passage 

 up the barrel, give increased velocity to the shot ? 



We are all mortal, and, therefore, prone to error, so 

 if I am wrong in what I am about to state as my 

 belief, correct me, for I hold that none are too old to 

 learn. I do not think that powder igniting on its 

 passage up the barrel, after the first ignition takes 

 place, adds to the velocity of the projectile, but, on 

 the other hand, detracts from it. This struck me to 

 be the case as far back as the siege of Sebastopol, 

 and the, to me, most painful yet cruelly practical 

 illustration that set me thinking on the subject, cost 

 me two friends, whose names I will not recall, as 

 even after this lapse of time there may still exist 

 relatives of the unfortunates, whose grief for their early 

 death has not yet become quite effaced. 



The first instance occurred near the Victoria redoubt. 

 The victim was a young engineer officer, just relieved 

 from duty, and returning to his division. The sun 



