MjXY 12, 1900.] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
878 
are carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and nitrogen, other 
products being potassium carbonate, sulphate and sul- 
phide. The calculated gas yield at 0° C. and 760 mm. 
pressure is 264.6 c.c, while Noble and Abel actually ob- 
tained by experiment 263.74 c.c, numbers agreeing very 
closely. At the temperature of e-xplosion this volume is 
enormuosly increased. 
In 1832 Braconnot found that ^tarch, ligneous fiber and 
similar substances, when treated with sirong nitric acid, 
yielded exceedingly combustible substances, and Pelouze 
in 1838 extended the mvestigation to cotton and paper. 
Schonbein announced in 1845 his ability to make an 
explosive which he termed gun-cotton, and a year later 
Bottger made a similar announcement, and on a confer- 
ence being held betwen these diemists their methods 
were found to be identical. The method was not dis- 
closed at the time, since it was hoped that the German 
Government would purchase the secret; but in a very 
short time several investigators solved the problem, and 
attempts to make the new explosive commercially were 
common. Unfortunately, the earlier product was un- 
stable, and several disastrous accidents occurred which 
led to the abandonment of the expernnents except in 
Austria. General von Lenk, who continued experiment- 
ing that country, showed that if sufficient care was 
taken to insure complete nitration and to remove all 
traces of free acid from the finished material, the sub- 
stance was stable. He introduced a method of manufac- 
ture which was improved by Sir Frederick Abel in 1865. 
The physical character of the cotton fiber is such that it 
presents every obstacle to the removal of free acid, since 
it is built up of capillaries, but by reducing these tubes to 
the shortest possible length, as in Abel's process, the 
removal of acid is facilitated. 
Since water' is a product of the reaction of nitric acid 
on cellulose, the nitric acid would become diluted, form- 
ing "collodion cotton" instead of the inore highly nitrated 
gun-cotton, and therefore sulphuric acid is used with the 
nitric acid to absorb this water, the usual proportions 
being three parts by weight of sulphuric acid (1.84) to 
one part by weight of nitric acid (1.52). Cotton waste, 
which has been picked, cleaned, cut into short lengths 
and dried, is dipped in ij^-pound charges in the acid, 
removed after fiA^e or six minutes, the excess of acid 
squeezed out, and the cotton placed in cooled earthenware 
pots for some twentj^-four hours for nitration to be com- 
pleted. The gun-cotton now goes through the lengthy 
process for removal of all traces of acid, starting with the 
removal of the greater portion of the acid by a centrifugal 
extractor, washing in water till no acid taste can be de- 
tected, boiling in water till free from action on litmus, 
i-educing to pulp in a hollander, and finally, the thor- 
ough washing of the pulp by more water. If the product 
now satisfies the tests for purity, sufficient alkali— lime 
water, whiting and caustic soda — is added to leave from 
I to 2 per cent, in the finished gun-cotton. The pulp is 
drawn up into a vessel from which it can be run oif in 
measured quantities into moulds fitted with perforated 
bottoms, the water being drawn off by suction from 
below, and finally a low hydraulic pressure is birought 
to bear on the semi-solid mass. The blocks are taken to 
the press house and submitted to a pressure of some five 
tons per square inch, after which the finished block will 
contain from 12 to 16 per cent, of wat^r, 
= From- its chemical reactions gun-cotton must be re- 
garded as an ether of nitric acid, a view first suggested 
by Bechamp. The point of ignition of the substance has 
been found to vary considerably, ranging from 136° to 
223° C, this difference being probably due to variations 
in composition. Good gun-cotton usually ignites between 
rSo" and 184° C. The combustion is extremely rapid when 
fired in loose unconfined masses — so rapid, in fact, that it 
may be ignited on a heap of gunpowder without affecting 
the latter. When struck between hard surfaces gun-cot- 
ton detonates, but usually only in that portion which is 
subjected to the blow. The volume of permanent gases 
evolved by the explosion of gun-cotton, as stated by dif- 
ferent observers, has varied greatly. Macnab and Ris- 
tori give for nitro-cellulose— 13.30 per cent, nitrogen— 
673 c.c. per gram, calculated at 0° C. and 760 mm. 
Berthelot estimates the pressure developed by the detona- 
tion of gun-cotton — sp. gr. i.i— under constant volume, as 
24.000 atmospheres or 160 tons per square inch. 
Various attempts have been made to adapt gun-cotton 
for use in guns, but the tendency to create undue pressure 
led to its abandonment. In 1868 Mr. E. O. Brown, of 
Woolwich, showed that wet gun-cotton could be deto- 
nated by the use of a small charge of dry gun-cotton 
with a fulminate detonator, and since it can be stored 
and used in the moist state, it becomes one of the safest 
explosives for use in submarine mines, torpedoes, etc. _ 
Nitro-glycerine is a substance of a similar chemical 
nature to nitro-cellulose, the principles of its formation 
and purification being very similar, only in this case the 
materials and product are liquids, this rendering the 
operations of manufacture and washing much less diffi- 
cult. The glycerine is sprayed into the acid mixture by 
compressed air injectors, care being taken that the tem- 
perature during nitration does not rise above 30' C. The 
nitro-glvcerine formed readily separates from the mixed 
acids, and being insoluble in cold water, the washing is 
comparatively simple. 
This explosive was discovered by Sobrero in 1847. 
Nitro-glycerine is an oily liquid readily soluble in most 
organic solvents, but becomes solid at three or four 
degrees above the freezing point of water, and in this 
condition is less sensitive. It detonates when heated to 
257° C., or by a sudden blow, yielding carbon dioxide, 
oxygen, nitrogen and water. Being a fluid under ordi- 
nary conditions, its uses as an explosive were limited, 
and" Nobel conceived the idea of mixing it with other sub- 
stances which would act as absorbents, first using char- 
coal and afterward an infusorial earth, "kieselguhr," and 
obtaining what he termed "dynamite." 
In 1875 Mr. Alfred Nobel found that "collodion cot- 
ton" — soluble gun-cotton — could be converted hy treat- 
ment with nitro-glycerine into a jellylike mass which was 
more trustworthy in action than the components alone, 
and from its nature the substance was chirstened "blast- 
ing gelatine." The discovery is of importance, for it was 
undoubtedly the stenping stone from which the well- 
known explosives ballistite. filite and cordite were 
reached. In 1888, Nobel took out a patent for a smoke- 
less powder for use in guns. In which these ingredients 
were adopted wiUi or without the use of retarding agents. 
The powders of this class are ballistite and filite, the for- 
mer being in sheets, the latter in threads, Originally 
camphor was introduced, but its iise has been abandoned, 
a small quantity of aniline taking its place. 
Sir Frederick Abel and Prof. Dewar patented in 1889 
the use of trinitro-cellulose and nitro-glycerine, for al- 
though, as is well known, this form of nitro-cellulose is 
not soluble in nitro-glycerine, yet by dissolving the bodies 
in a mutual solvent, perfect incorporation can be attained. 
Acetone is the solvent used in the preparation of "cor- 
dite," and for all ammunition except blank charges a cer- 
tain proportion of vaseline is also added. The combus- 
tion of the powder without vaseline gives products so 
free from solid or liquid substances that excessive fric- 
tion of the projectile in the gun causes rapid wearing of 
the ririing, and it is chiefly to overcome this that the 
vaseline is introduced, for on explosion a thin film of 
solid matter is deposited in the gun, and acts as a lubri- 
cant. 
The proportions of the ingredients are: 
l<ritro-glvcerine 58 parts. 
Gun-cotton 37 parts. 
Vaseline 5 parts. 
Gtm-cotton to be used for cordite is prepared as pre- 
viously described, but the alkali is omitted, and the mass 
is not submitted to great pressure, to avoid making it so 
dense that ready absorption of nitro-glycerine would not 
take place. The nitro-glycerine is poured over the dried 
gun-cotton and first well mixed by hand, afterward in 
a kneading machine with the requisite quantity of acetone 
for three and one-half hours. A water jacket is provided, 
since on mixing the temperature rises. The vaseline is 
now added, and the kneading continued for a similar 
period. The cordite paste is first subjected to a prelim- 
inary pressing, and is finally forced through a hole of the 
proper size in a plate either by hand or by hydraulic pres- 
sure. The smaller sizes are wound on drums, while the 
larger cordite is cut oft' in suitable lengths, the drums and 
cut material being dried at 100'' F., thus driving off the 
remainder of the acetone. 
Cordite varies from yellow to dark brown in color, ac- 
cording to its thickness. When ignited it burns with a 
strong flame, which may be extinguished by a vigorous 
puff of air. Macnab and Ristori give the yield of perma- 
nent gases from English cordite as 647 c.c, containing a 
much higher per cent, of carbon monoxide than the gases 
evolved from the old form of powder. Sir Andrew Noble 
failed in attempts to detonate the substance, and a rifle 
bullet fired into the mass only caused it to burn quietly. 
Lyddite is probably the explosive .which has received 
most notice during the past few months. In 1873 Spren- 
gel, in a paper read before the Chemical Society, stated 
that "picric acid alone contains a sufficient amount of 
oxygen to render it, without the help of foreign oxi- 
dizers, a powerful explosive when fired with a detonator. 
Its explosion, is almost unaccompanied by smoke." 
Picric acid was first prepared by Hausmann in 1878 by 
treating indigo with nitric acid. It may be made by the 
direct nitration of phenol (carbolic acid), but a better 
result is obtained by first dissolving the phenol in sul- 
phuric acid, forming phenol sulphonic acid, which is dis- 
solved in water, and nitrating this compound with nitric 
acid (1.4)- On cooling, the picric acid separates out, 
and is purified by recrystallization from hot vi^ater, the 
yellow crystalline product being dried at a temperature 
not exceeding 100° C. 
Picric acid containing as much as 17 per cent, of water 
can be detonated by a charge of dry picric pow^der; a 
thin layer may also be exploded by a blow between metal 
surfaces, its sensitiveness to shock being greatly increased 
by warming, for at a temperature just below its melting 
point a pound weight falling from a height- of 14 inches 
will explode it. 
The sensitiveness of picric acid can be reduced by con- 
verting the powder into larger masses, this being accom- 
plished either by granulating it. with a solution of collo- 
dion cotton in ether-alcohol, as in the earlier»forms oi 
melinite, or by fusion, which takes place some twenty 
degrees above the boiling point of water, and casting 
directly into the shell, as in lyddite and possibly the 
melinite of the present day. In any condition perfect 
detonation would yield only colorless gaseous products 
rich in carbon monoxide, but the bursting of a lyddite 
shell is frequently accompanied by a yellow smoke, prob- 
ably formed by undecomposed acid in the form of vapor. 
The shells appear to burst in two distinct ways, in one 
case giving a sharp, powerful explosion with enormous 
concussion and no yellow smoke, and the other a dull, 
heavy report with ihe yellow smoke, the two results ap- 
pearing to be due to perfect decomposition in the first 
instance, while in the second partial decomposition only 
probably occurs. 
Various mixtures of picric acid or its salts, together 
with some oxidizing agent, have been used from time to 
time, Abel's powder consisting of ammonium picrate, 
potassium nitrate and a small quantity of charcoal. 
It is impossible to deal with the numerous other ex- 
plosives Avhich are largely in use in such a survey as this, 
and therefore attention has been confined to those which 
play the most active part in modem warfare. — Nature. 
Rifle at Shell Mound. 
San Francisco, April 23 — Yesterday was chiefly bullseye day at 
Shell Mound range. Weather conditions good. Scores: 
Golden Gate Rifle Club, yearly competition for Bushnell trophy: 
F. E. Mason, 226, 226, 227, 226. 
Club's gold medal: C. M. Henderson, 223, 224, 210; A. B. Dorrell, 
Club's silver medal: J. Kullman, 192, 1S2; G. Tanuneyer, 199, 
197, 203, 206, 197; J. F. Bridges, 217, 209; E. Woenne, 187, 2li 198, 
192, 187, 184, 192. 
Club's first class trophies: C. M. Henderson, 215, 214; A, 3. 
Dorrell, 219, 217. 
Club's secoiid class trophies': J. Kullman, 199. ^ 
Golden Gate Pistol Club monthly competition: J. F. Bridges. 76, 
72; C. M. Henderson, SO, SO, 86. 
Revolver trophy: J. E. Gorman, 92, 93, 87, 90, 86. 
Germania Schuetzen Club monthly bullseye shoot: F. Brandt 173, 
D. B. Faktor 276, R. Finking 343, D. Salfield 430, H. Stalling 472, 
F. Rust 173. H. Hellberg 500, T. Gefken 523. T. Utschig, Sr., 542, 
N. Ahrens 543, F. P. Schuster 586, L. Bendel 636, C. Schrader 696. 
Germania Schuetzen Club competition for cash prizes: F. P. 
Schuster 73, H. Stelling 72, D. B. Faktor 7L 
San Francisco Schuetzen Verein monthly bullseye shoot: H. 
Burfiend 170, L. Bendel 326, F. Brandt 340, F. Schuster 384, A. 
Tungblut 391, T. Bentler 473, T. Utschig 487, J. Woeheke 514, J, 
de Wit 521 it. Zacher 5SS, H. Lilkenfaerg 670, R. Finking 670, 
E. Stehn 779, F. Koch 797, W. Garros S33, W. Morken 836, F. 
Rsthjens 845, O. Lemoke 920, F. Rust lOH, R, Stettin 1094. 
Norddeutscher Schuetzen Club monthly medal shoot: First 
champion class, not won; second champion class, H. Huber, 426; 
first class, D. Salfield, 401; second class L. Brune, 381; third 
class, Hy. Huppert, .347; fourih 'class, William Gottschalk, 327; 
best first shot, J- D- Heisse, 23; best last shot, D. Salfield, 23. 
ROEEt 
Cincinnati Rifle Association, 
The Cincinnati Rifle Association held its regular shoot April 2^ 
at 200yds., off-hand, standard American target. Following is the 
result. Capt. Gindele was declared champion with the score of 93: 
Gindele 9 10 8 10 10 8 10 10 10 8—93 
9 10 10 8 9 10 7 6 9 10—88 
8 9 10 9 9 9 10 10 9 5—88 
Payne ' 9 9 9 9 9 6 9 9 9 10—88 
10 10 8 10 10 6 9 8. 9 8—88 
9 10 9778 10 97 10—86 
Weinheimer 896698 ? 88 7—76 
85 10 894 10 95 7—75 
86466684 10 9—68 
Roberts 9 10 10 8 8 8 10 9 8 5-85 
8778 10 7 10 88 9—82 
688 10 10 7779 10—82 
Nestler 10 10 10 8 8 7 5 9 8 6— Bl 
8 10 8 9 10 6 8 5 7 10—81 
77 10 678998 7—78 
Touscher 8 7 6 10 9 8 7 6 8 9—78 
6 10 9 10 7 8 6 10 4 8—78 
10 86679867 10—77 
Drube 59976789 9 9—78 
88 10 678876 6—74 
6889668 10 5 5—71 
Bruns 8 8 10 8 7 9 10 9 8 8—85 
10 8 10 8 9 9 10 7 5 9—85 
9 10 8797789 7—81 
Tonf 10 6 7 8 9 10 6 7 8 9-80 
^ 998779887 10—83 
988 10 87789 - 7—81 
Hasenzahl 10 9 8 6 9 9 8 7 10 10-86 
6 10 5959667 5—68 
598577769 4-67 
Columbia Pistol and Rifle Clab. 
San Francisco, April 29.— Several members of the Columbia Pis- 
tol and Rifle Club met at the range to-day and mdulged m match 
shooting. Washburn and Young each had a fine chance to break 
the record with pistol on the Columbia target, but strange to say 
both got a flyer on their 9th shots. Young's was the result of a 
bad hang-fire, and has not occurred before in several thousand of 
Peters .22 shorts, which he was shooting. Washburn shot Peters 
.22 long rifle cartridges. Scores, Columbia target, ofr-hand : 
Pistol matches, SOvds. : 
F O Young 3 4 3 1 1 3 4 3 14 3—39 
xoung 2 3 6 4 5 3 3 5 8 2-41 
263524453 2—36 
33622 11 838 3—49 
334859564 5-52 
^ s w-^^-" ] ]llllxtV'i 
61 61 74 
Dr T F Twist 6 6 5 1 1 3 5 2 10 14—53 
UT J r iwibi.. 34775554 13 2-55 
G Hoadley 11 1 5 3 4 5 4 3 8 11-55 
60 61 64 70 
N A Robinson...,. 84 89 
.30-30 repeating rifles, Laflin & Rand powder, 50yds.: „ „ „ „, 
P Becker . . 22212 3 432 3—24 
411435334 4-32 
Dr H C TrasK. 38 46 ^ ^ „ , 
F. O. Young, Sec'y. 
In the final competition on April 26 for that month Mrs. Louis 
H. Schortemeier, of the Lady Hudson Rifle Club, won the special 
prize for the month, a diamond pin. She made the remarkably 
good score of 240 out of a possible 250. The shootmg was ott- 
liand. She had eight competitors, who shot well, too. The scores 
were: Mrs. L. Schortenieier 240, Mrs. H. Mahlenbrock ii30, Mrs. 
J. Evans 234 Mrs. T. Rebhan 232, Mrs. B. Thiele 230, Miss L. 
Brown 229, MVs. M. Mahan 222, Mrs. J. Woelke 213, Mrs. H. Breesr. 
208. . , 
'If you want youc shoot to be sumoonced bat tend Is 
aetlce like the {oUowtost 
Fixtutes* 
INTERSTATE ASSOCIATION TOURNAMENTS. 
May 18.— Interstate Park, Queens.— Open target shoot of the 
Medicus Rod and Gun Club. ~Dr. C. E. Kemble, Sec'y. 
May 23-24.— Richmond, Va.— Interstate Assocu.tion's tournament, 
under the auspices of the West End Gun Club. W. H. Colquitt, 
Sec'y. 
June 11-15.— Interstate Park, Queens, Borough of Queens, L. 1.— 
Interstate Association's Grand American Handicap tournament; 
?1,000 added. Edward Banks, Sec'y, 318 Broadway, New York. 
July U-iZ.— Narragansett Pier, R. I.— Interstate Association s 
tournament, under the auspices of the Canonchet Gun Club, i-red 
Ct Serenson, Sec'y. 
Aug. 7-8.— Newport, Vt.— Interstate Association's tournament, 
under the auspices of the Newport Gun Club. J. R. Akin, Sec'y. 
Sept. 12-13.— Salemn, N. Y.— Interstate Association's tournament, 
under the auspices of the Osoma Valley Gun Club. 
May 9-10.— Natchez, Miss.— Peters Cartridge Co.'s target tourna? 
ment, under the auspices of the Gailliard Gun Club; }400 guar- 
anteed. F. C. Sampson, Sec'y. John Parker, Mgr. 
May 10-11.— Tyrone, Pa.— Tyrone Gim Club's target tournament. 
D. D. Stine, Sec'y. ^ ^ , • 
May 11.— Dexter Park. Brooklyn.— Lebohner's Dexter Park spring 
tournament; live birds. L. H, Schortemeier, Mgr. Second 
day. May 25. , , 
May 12.— Worcester, Mass.— Target shoot of the Worcester 
Sportsmen's Club. A. W. Walls, Sec'y. , ^. , t. 
May 14.— St. Louis, Mo.— Missouri State Game and Fish Pro- 
tective Association's twenty-third annual tournament, week com- 
mencing Mav 14. Herbert Taylor, Sec'y-Treas., Chemical Bldg. 
May 14.— East New York, Brooklyn.— All-day shoot of the 
Fulton Gun Club. Team race between Fultons, Hudsons and 
Oceanics. A. A. Schoverling, Sec'y. 
May 15-18.— Chambersburg, Pa.— Tenth annual tournament of tbi 
Pennsylvania State' Sportsmen's Association. J. M. Runk. Cor. 
Sec'y. r ^. 
May 16-17.— Newell, la.— Amateur target tournament of the 
Newell Gun Club. H. G. Hall, Sec'y. 
May 16-17.- Chicago Junction, O.— Live-bird and target tourna- 
ment of the Deer Lick Gun Club. J. M. Elder, Pres. 
May 22-24.— Marshalltown, la.— Iowa State Sportsmen s Associa- 
tion's annual tournament. L. C. Abbott, Sec'y. , , , 
May 23.— Newcastle, Pa.— One-day tournament of the Newcastle 
Gun Club. Henry P. Shaner, Sec'y. „ ^ , * 
Majr 23-24.— Alcester, S. D.— South Dakota State Sportsmen a As- 
sociation's annual tournament. 
May 23-24.— New Jersey State Association's target tournament. 
May 23-25.— Dallas, Texas.— Texas State Sportsmen's Associa- 
tion tournament: two days targets; one day live birds; |500 added. 
V. C. Dargan, Sec'y. „ , , ^ ^ j , n 
May 24-25.— Upper Sandusky, O.— Upper Sandusky Gun Club s 
tournament. „ , , t t . . t-. . n i 
May 25.— Dexter Park. Brooklyn.— Lebohner s Dexter Park 
spring tournament; live birds. L. H. Schortemeier, Mgr. 
May 30.— Canajohap.s, N. Y.— Annual target tournament of the 
Canajoharie Gun Qub. Charles Weeks. Sec'y. . 
May 30.— Palmer, Mass.— Shoot of the Massachusetts Shootmg 
May 30.-^Warwick, N. Y.— All-day target shoot; open to all; 
Rose system. „ 
May .30.— Interstate Park, QueenS, L. I.— John S. Wright s Dec o- 
ration Day live-bird shoot. . , .-t.. ^- a 
May 30.— Palmer, Mass.— Massachusetts Amateur Snooting Asso- 
ciation shoot. H. B, Perry, M.D., Pres. 
