142 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. V. No. 108. 



Prof. Mason intends to follow up this ex- 

 cellent piece of work with a primitive trade- 

 route map of the United States and Can- 

 ada, including trails and portages. He will 

 be gratified to receive information on these 

 points from travelers and explorers, or ref- 

 erences to where such may be found. His 

 address is the National Museum, Washing- 

 ton, D. C. 



D. Gr. Beinton. 



Univeesity of Pennsylvania. 



SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND NEWS. 

 MODERN ARMY RIFLES. 



The portions of the Governor's message of 

 January, 1895, to the Legislature of the State 

 of New York referring to the re-arming of 

 the State troops ; the Law passed May 10th, in 

 compliance with its suggestions, and the rules of 

 procedure of the New York State Board ap- 

 pointed to select improved arms for the militia 

 of the State ; the report of that Board, Septem- 

 ber, 1895, and the Governor's message of Oc- 

 tober 22d, relating to the report, are just pub- 

 lished in pamphlet form by the Savage Arms 

 Co., of Utica, N. Y., the makers of the gun se- 

 lected by the Board. This makes a convenient 

 compendium for those interested in the subject. 

 A table is also included showing the dimensions 

 and character of the rifles adopted for military 

 purposes by the governments of the world ; 

 substantially all of which have adopted a small 

 calibre, usually about 0.30 inches, and smoke- 

 less powder. The United States has accepted 

 this specification for its army rifle, but the 

 navy gun is of but 0.236 inches bore. Curi- 

 ously enough, all of the States of the Union 

 have armed their troops with the U. S. Spring- 

 field gun, except New York, which has the 

 most antiquated of rifles, of large calibre ; and 

 all the militia of all the States are using black 

 powder. 



The N. Y. State Board reported in favor of a 

 ' lever action, ' in preference to the ' bolt action ' 

 adopted by all the nations of Europe, as being 

 in all respects superior to the latter and as 

 having the further advantage of being a gen- 

 erally used American invention, and hence 

 familiar, already, to all habitual users of the rifle 



in the United States. A stronger metal for barrels 

 than heretofore employed is specified, and the 

 study of nickel steel as a material for such guns 

 is advised. That alloy is already adopted by 

 the United States Navy, both for small arms 

 and for ordnance and armor. The Board sug- 

 gests the attempt to secure at least an elastic 

 limit of 75,000 pounds per square inch, tenacity 

 of 110,000 or 120,000 pounds, and at the same 

 time a ductility of at least 20 per cent, in eight 

 inches. It is thought possible to secure these 

 figures, which would insure an extremely strong, 

 yet light and very safe, barrel. The United 

 States Army regulation bore, chamber and rifling 

 are advised, in order to secure uniformity of am- 

 munition. The Board seems doubtful whether 

 the higher velocity, approximating 2,300 feet 

 per second, greater range, attaining something 

 like two miles, and higher penetrative power of" 

 the small bores used by our own navy, and by 

 several foreign nations, is not, on the whole, 

 compensated by more serious disadvantages in 

 loss of ' stopping power ' and difficulties of 

 manufacture and manipulation. The gun se- 

 lected has a muzzle velocity of 1,950 feet and a 

 range of about a mile and a-half 



The use of the ' clip ' for holding cartridges 

 is not found desirable, with a satisfactory form 

 of magazine and mechanism. The use of the 

 gun as a single loader, with a reserve in the 

 magazine, is thought likely to prove, in action, 

 the usually desirable arrangement. 



Twelve guns were entered for examination 

 and report. Their behavior under test, accord- 

 ing to the statement of the Board, ' ' is believed 

 to have been the most wonderful performance 

 of new magazine rifles of different patterns of 

 which a record is known. It was a splendid 

 exhibition of American skill and genius in the 

 invention of effective military magazine arms." 



The report is unanimous and is signed by 

 Messrs. Albert D. Shaw, of Watertown; E. W. 

 Bliss, of Brooklyn, and R. H. Thurston, of 

 Ithaca, N. Y. 



GENERAL. 



The cable dispatch (see page 103 in the last 

 number of this .Iouenal) regarding the disposi- 

 tion of the fortune of the late Alfred Nobel is 

 confirmed by later advices. The annual income^ 



