[July 15, 1880. 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



475 



County Sportsmen's Club is painful to relate. Five pair 

 were liberated a few miles east of the city, and a friend 

 on whose farm they were put out writes me that one pair 

 Mated in a meadow 1 an ft neighbor's farm, who in mow- 

 ing cnrne on the nest unexpectedly and cut the lege off 

 one bird and the toes off its mate. There were fourteen 

 eggs in the nest, and the farmer thought to save them by 

 flawing a hen hatch thorn, but he can scarcely succeed. 

 They appear to prefer meadows for nesting, and it is to 

 be feared that the mowing machine wnll kill our stock 

 and spoil our experiment. II' there was any way of get- 

 ting a supply a month earlier the young would "probably 

 be able to Lake care of themselves by the time haying 

 begins, and if they should avoid this modern war chariot 

 they might in time spread all over the land and justify 

 the hopes of those who have tried the experiment. 



E. R. 



§mt\e §ng atfd §nif. 



JTOX IS A CLOSE MONTH FOR GABLE. 



— Address all communications to 

 Publiskiug Company, New York," 



' Forest and Stream 



Dittmai 



on ; and 



ublishmg Company. 

 erne the powder is Dr. 



A NEW GUNPOWDER. 



ANEW powder has been manufactured by the Du- 

 pont Powder Company which is specially adapted 

 for choke bore guns. An interesting trial of this powder 

 -was made at the Brooklyn Driving Park, June 23tb, the 

 test being to shoot at one hundred wooden balls without 

 intermission and without cleaning the gun ; also making 

 a target, 31 inches diameter, at the end of each twenty 

 shots. The gun was a Parker, 10-bore choke, of ordinary 

 pattern ; cartridges loaded with 4drs. powder, 1^-oz. shot. 



Two targets were made at 35 yards, twenty shots fired. 

 two more targets at same distance, and so on, until one 

 hundred shots had been fired at 35 yards, and twelve 

 shots at 45 and 50 yards. The balk were, with one 

 exception, all weli hit, showing the marks of from four 

 to eighteen shots each. 



The patterns of the 21-inch targets, made as above, 

 were : first target, right barrel, No. 9 shot, 390 ; left 

 barrel, No. 10 shot, 635; second targets right. No. 10. 

 620 ; left, No. 10, 578 ; third target, right, No. 9, 17!) ; 

 left, Is 1 ". 10, 638; fourth target, right, No. 9, 504 , left, 

 No. 10, 606 ; fifth target, right, No. 9, 493 ; left, No. 9, 

 444 ; sixth target, right. No. 9, 483 ; left, No. 9, 485. A 

 seventh target was made, after an interval of ten minutes 

 to allow the gun to cool, showing for the right barrel No. 

 9 shot. 346 pellets ; left barrel, No. 10 shot, 537 pellets. 



As to the particular point for which the powder was 

 tested, namely, comparative cleanliness and the moist- 

 ure of the dirt in the barrel, it was found that the dirt 

 had not caked in the barrels even after sufficient time 

 had been allowed for it to cool. Simply wiping out the 

 barrels with a rag restored them to their proper condi- 

 tion, and, so far as this point is concerned, the trial 

 amply showed that the powder is what its manafacturers 

 claim. _ 



THAT DITTMAR POWDER ACCIDENT. 



BELOW we publish several letters relative to the Ditt- 

 mar powder accident, of which an account was 

 given in the June 1 0th number of this journal. The most 

 noteworthy of these letters is that of Dr. Nash himself, 

 and of Sheriff Johnson, which, with the can of powder 

 received by us, establish the main facts as detailed in 

 Dr. Nash's original communication. We consider it now 

 sufficiently proven that the accident did occur as at first 

 stated : that the powder employed was the Dittmar 

 brand FFF, manufactured and sold by the " Ditti 

 Powder Company,'' which preceded the present firm, 

 that the gun was loaded with the charge stated, namely, 

 3drs. 



We may properly say here that having had former 

 correspondence from Dr. S. P. Nash, and that correspond- 

 ence having been of a nature to show that he was no 

 novice with the gun, we were oirrselves perfectly willing 

 to accept his statements as first sent, and published them, 

 believing them to be authentic and reliable. The event 

 has proved that we were correct. If some of Dr. Nash's 

 statements were incoherent, or, as claimed, the things be 

 described impossible, so much the more evidence was 

 offered of his sincerity ; for of such an accident, it is a 

 well recognized fact, no two men would give the same 

 account ; and on the other hand, if a person were delibe- 

 rately to manufacture an account of the bursting of a 

 gun he would take good care to make it a clear and 

 thorough story. That Dr. Nash's recital was somewhat 

 confused was the very best proof of its inherent truthful- 

 ness. 



What this may show as to the character of Dittmar 

 powder, probably each of our readers will have an opin- 

 ion of his own. Our duty toward our correspondent, 

 the Dittmar Powder Manufacturing Company and our 

 readers in this affair is done when we have given all an 

 opportunity to know the truth. 



Philadelphia, Miss., June Mth. 

 Editor Forest, and Stream:— 



I have just received EOKEST and Stream of June 17th, 

 and in it I notice an article from the Dittmar Powder 



Companv in which they scorn to be in a tenable fever 

 abflUt an' article iff' mine,' published in FOREST AND STREAM 

 of June lOthj and call upon you for the name of the 

 Louisville merchant who gave nue the. powder, and the 

 lame of the merchant from whom the Louisville mer- 

 ■baut obtained the powder, also requesting you to have 

 the original canister containing the rest of the powder 

 from which the charge was taken which caused the acci- 

 dent sent to you, together with the small circular which 

 accompanied 'the same, etc. I returned from Louisville 



week, trying to getnp just 'such tn 



POWd It I tompanv request yon to ha' 

 the result of this work I sent to Mac 

 pressed to the Forest and St ream V 



The Louisville merchant whogav 

 E. Poster, physician, drugget, dealer in guns, ammuni- 

 tion, etc. I called on Dr. Foster for the bill of Dittmar 

 powder, that I might get names and date of purchase. 

 On examination ol 'the bill, 1 find that 1 was mistaken 

 about the powder being purchased i.i New York, but it 

 was bought by Mr. Foster, of Louisville, Miss., from 

 Crook, s A- Bilder, 604 North Fourth street, and G03 North 

 Thud street, St. Louis, Mo. 



I obtained from Dr, Foster the canister, and a part of 

 the powder, which he says is the original canister and 

 powder that catised the explosion. Before sending the 

 canister to the Forest and Stream Publishing Company, I 

 waited three days Cor Dr. Foster to look up the circular 

 that came with the powder, He at lirst told me that he 

 thought that he had given the circular to some of his 

 friends, and did not remember who, but on the third day 

 ho handed me the circular that 1 send with the powder, 

 irked No. 3, and said that he thought that it was tl 



against the Dittmar powder, for I was satisfied that if 

 rightly used it was a valuable invention. The small 

 amount of dirt and smoke that if seemed to create, when 

 burned, caused me to believe it to be valuable. 1 brought 

 only one charge against the company, and that was they 

 diil' not give the public a sufficient chance to become ac- 

 quainted with the various grades of their powder in their 

 advertisements, etc.. 



Since making the charge I have been making a moro 

 careful examination of the circular I sent yon marked 

 No. 1, and find that the Dittmar Powder Company saj 

 that " FFF, a very line grain Specially made foi all muz 

 rife-loading arms, might also be used in breech-loading 

 shot guns," recommending it, to be used in the very way 

 that I used it when the accident occurred, and making it 

 unnecessary to change their advertisement, Thestate- 

 nt just referred to in their circular makes it necessary 



that came with the pow 

 f the fact, as 1 bad given him some eir< 

 villi Dittmar powder that I received fr 

 Co., after the accident with the Dittmai 

 ~ ster. So I am not certain that 

 revdar that came with the po' 

 n that it is not. It will be see 

 . . : in Forest and Stream, fron 

 ines. inclusive, that I relied on what Dr. 

 bout the circular (some one else havb 



Id not be certa 

 ulars that came 

 >m Bogardus & 

 powder ordered 

 by far. Foster. Sol am not certain that 1 sent you the 



"_' lal circular that came with the powder, but am of 

 theopinion that it is not. It will be seen by referring to 

 the 33d to S8th 

 Foster told me 

 „ the circular fol- 

 iation at the Lime), and cannot, be certain on this 

 point. From the information that 1 could get about the 

 circular, before I Itred the charge that caused the explo- 

 sion, it seemed that the circular only gave a description 

 of the powder, and slated that it could be used in both 

 shotgun and rifles by using the same amount by measure. 

 The circular I sent you (No. 8) gives other instructions, 

 and instructions that I did not see until i received the 

 powder I ordered from Bogardus & Co. Hence my reason 

 for giving it as mv opinion that it is not the circular that 

 came with the powder ordered by Dr. Foster. 



I will state here that Dr. Foster stands very high in 

 Louisville and vioiuity as a physician, druggist and gen- 

 tleman, and if he has made a mistake in Bending the cir- 

 cular I do not think that it was intentional, for he lost 

 considerable time, and worked very hard for one of his 

 age (he seems to be nearly eighty years of age), in trying 

 to get the circular. 



I wish here to make a correction in regard to what I 

 Said about the label on the canister. I had been moved 

 bome from Louisville (twenty-four miles) before I wrote 

 my last letter to the FOREST and Stream, and nearly a 

 month had elapsed since I had examined this label, I 

 had to write from memory of what I had seen, and as I 

 had beeu examining circulars that came with other can- 

 isters. I had goUon'things a little mixed, and my mem- 

 ory, although correct on the main point, was not alto- 

 gether correct on the whole. In my letter to the FOREST 

 and Stream I said that the label on the face of the can- 

 ister stated that it was one of the brands of rifle powder, 

 and was marked FFF. This FFF mark was not on the 

 label on the, face of the canister, but pastecLon one edge 

 of the canister, and although it is not on the label as I 

 believed it to be when I wrote, the circulars which 1 have 

 force me to believe that if it is a genuine article of Ditt- 

 mar powder it must be rifle powder. For instance, the 

 printed instructions pasted on the back of a canister that 

 is now in my possession, of Dittmar's Diamond Grain C 

 powder state that : "The shot gun powder is lettered B 

 and C, the latter the finer. The shot gun powder is not 

 to be used in rifles. The rifle powder. F, works very well, 

 and is preferable to B and C in 14 and 16 bore. The FFF 

 can be used in muzzle-loading shot guns." 



The canister just referred to, with two others, was 

 bought by me from Bogardus & Co., Chicago, III. These 

 canisters were delivered to the express company at Chi- 

 cago on the 34th of March, and before Dr. Foster bought, 

 bis Dittmar powder, but owing to some carelessness of 

 the express company my powder was not received until 

 the 1st of May — after Dr. Foster had received his and 

 after the explosion of my gam. These canisters were 

 wrapped in white paper with the letter C printed 



the wrappe 

 Hie G. These < 



id. dr; 



•ab-,1 



i. struet.i. 



J fo 



tl 



lions. The lace of 

 the Dittmar Pow. 

 the words Dittmai 

 I infer that thes> 

 inoiid Grain C p 

 culars accompanil 

 sent you by expr 

 and marked No. 

 have been in the p; 



ir Ma 



i Diau 



lufactu 

 ond Gt 



pith pencil, around 

 i had printed 

 I the backs of 

 these instruc- 

 i addresses of 

 impany, and 



C 



ipon them. So 

 canisters contain genuine Dia- 

 wder. A quantity of loose cir- 

 1 the canisters, two of which I 

 as, with the powder I sent you, 

 t and No. 3. Other kinds may 

 ,---,kage, but several persons called to 

 examine them whde I was in my bed, and carried off 

 such as suited them, and' I have now left only two kinds, 

 samples of which I sent you. I give description of the 

 powder and circulars that were sent to me by Bogardus 

 & Co., because I have been requested to do so. In call- 

 ing on you for certain evidence of the accident, the Ditt- 



mar Powder Manufacturing Comps 



ay say tha 



t " without 



this evidence we think you will al 



so admit t 



hat there is 



no ease made, on! against us" (thei 



l). In mv 



other corn- 



municatiou to the Forest and Str 



EAM it was 



not my in- 



tention to make out a case against 



the Ditto 



W Powder 



Manufacturing Company, bul aga 



nst mysel 



. At thai 



time] believed the accident to ha, 



re been cat 



ised from a 



more "careful than 1 had been. It will bo seen by re- 

 ferring to my article of May 13th that I there state that 

 1 had not written it through any prejudice that I had 



for the Dittmar Po 



prove that this po 1 



ed the 



u-rible 



r Ms 

 der, labeled Ditto 

 explosion of ray gn 

 thumb, was not manufactured by the 

 since been tampered with. Should tit, 

 there will lie a case, and a. strong one, t 

 them. In their letter of June 11th th 

 cally declare their disbelief in it ever hi 

 factured by them, and further down ft 

 furnish you a dozen affidavits that 



tg C< 



R c 



iy to 



ar, that 

 I of my 

 . or that it baa 

 fail fo do this 

 tie out against 

 most emphati- 

 ng been nianu- 

 that they can 

 igle grain of 



tide to suffer. I do 



Manufacturing Com- 



•ident was published in 



they disbelieve hi this 



der was ever put up or sold by their company which 



was not sealed and did not show their printed directions 

 on each can or keg. 



In justice to the Dittmar Powder Manufacturing Com- 

 pany, I will say that the canisters which contained the 

 powder that caused the explosion of mv gun, and bought 

 by Dr. Foste, for Dittmar powder, had neither seals or 

 printed instructions upon them, and I am in hopes they 

 will be able to clear themselves of putting such a danger- 

 ous article in the market. Their threat to spare neither 

 time nor expense to ferret Ibis matter out to the bottom 

 pleases me very much, and they will find no one more 

 willing than myself to lend all possible aid in this matter, 

 and should they clear themselves of having been the 

 cause of the suffering and expense which I have had to 

 bear, I am not willing that the matter should stop until 

 the guilty parties are found and 

 not see why the Dittmar Powdi 

 pany should complain that 

 your paper, if, as they al 



powder ever having been manufactured by them. It 

 seems that they should be glad to know that there is a 

 dangerous powder being manufactured and sold as their 

 powder, and perhaps for the purpose of injuring their 

 powder. 



In their communication to Forest and Stream the 

 Dittmar Powder Manufacturing Company declare their 

 disbelief in the possibility of such results coming from so 

 small a charge of any powder in the world, unless made 

 to specially produce similar results. If this powder is not 

 genuine Dittmar powder, but an article put in the market 

 to injure, their reputation, it is possible it was made to 

 specially produce such results ; and if it is genuine Ditt- 

 mar powder it is not sealed, and it is possible that some 

 wicked wretch removed the seal and introduced enough 

 fulminating silver, fulminating gold, dynamite, nitro- 

 glycerine, anything that would produce an explosion, 

 and the charge that I shot being the first used from the 

 can, it might have contained a part or the whole of the 

 explosive substance. 



It is a fact beyond successful contradiction that the 

 accident which I reported in Forest and Stream did 



.vben I 



dei 



hooting only 

 tbat I had been 

 out of. As evi- 

 ct you to publish 

 nson, and the ar- 

 ' Jwdea; that I sent 

 the editor at the 



actually occur, and that, ti 



3drs. of the powder from an 84 lb 



accustomed to shoot 4drs. black pc 



deuce of this fact I ask, and shall exp< 



the letter I sent you from Sheriff Jo] 



tide in the copy of the Winston Count 



at the, same time, also the note from 



bottom of the article. 



If this is not sufficient evidence, I will give as reference, 



Drs. G. Y. and G. P. Woodward, Dr. Conwell, Dr. E. 



Foster, Dr. J. Fox, and Dr. A. S. Rick, of Louisville ; 



also, Mr. Duncan Eatman, of the firm of Woodward, 



Metts& Co., J.B.Gage, Hugh Hatborn (clerk), C. J. 



Woodward, John Graham, and Col. M. A. Metts. I 



could send other names, and could send any number of 



affidavits, but if this is not sufficient to convince anyone 



let the doubter come and see my crippled hand, and the 



thumb winch was torn from it with sufficient force to be 

 standing when I 

 Icohol, and expect 

 vhich it was torn 



hand in a swing, 

 yet before 1 can 



thrown forty yards from where I w; 

 fired the gun. I have my thu '~ 

 to preserve it to show the man 

 from my hand. It has been o 

 accident, and 1 still have to c 

 and it seems as if it will be a 1 

 use it. Since some of tl 



•ry i 

 tig til 



hand some of the bor 

 badly broken that wt 

 as if my band will he 



1 ling has 



fession after my ha 



Sheriff Johnson, 



deuce, through yoi 



' Loi 



my pro- 



He has 

 Dpi, and 



mt of my 

 of my hand were found to he 

 re not noticed before, and it seems 

 drawn in a manner that will make 

 possible for me to practi< 

 : is well. 



10 had kindly offered t 

 valuable paper, of the a 

 ry popular in Louisville and Winston Count, 

 once been elected to the Legislature of Missi , , 

 twice to the office of sheriff, and is considered by all 

 who know him to be an upright, honest; and truthful 

 man. He helped me to put the identical load in my 

 shell that caused the explosion of my gun, and afterward 

 drew one of the loads from a shell that had been previ- 

 ously loaded and measured it, to see what charge of hlack 

 Dowder I had been shooting. Hear what he says. 



S. P. Nash. 



Office op W. B. Johnson, 

 Sheriff of Winston County. 

 Louisville, Miss., June 'Mth. ) 

 Editor Forest and Stream :— 



My attention has been directed to an article in the 

 Forest and Stream in regard to an accident that oc- 

 curred in our village on the 21st of April last, in which 

 Dr. S. P. Nash was seriously wounded from the explo- 

 sion of a doable-barrel shot gun, charged with powder 

 taken from a can labeled " Dittmar Powder, FFF." I 

 was present and saw Dr. Nash load the shell, and there 

 were 3drs. of this Dittmar powder put m the shell. After 

 the accident I examined the shattered pieces of the gun, 

 aud am of the opinion that a double or treble charge of 



