278 
MODERN GUNPOWDER AND CORDITE. 
careful we must be, to Have only one variable in experimental tests of 
this nature. Again, I may remind you that for all these experiments 
we have every shot weighed to the fraction of an ounce and the rotat¬ 
ing bands gauged most carefully, to ensure that there is no other 
variable, when testing powder, than the powder itself. 
There is still one other result which, although hardly within the 
scope of this lecture, ought not to pass without notice, as it shows, in 
an interesting manner, what modern guns with modern gunpowder are 
capable of doing. If we could imagine the highest mountain in Europe, 
Mount Blanc, placed between us and London, a shot which was fired not 
very long ago would have passed 5482 feet above its summit and 
lodged at the other side in London. This gives us some idea of what 
Fig. 5. 
21,263 FEET 
Shot380lb. RANGE21,800 YARDS. OVER 12 MILES. 
M. Velccity2375ft. OBTAINED IN 1863. 
modern guns with modern gunpowder will accomplish. We cannot 
yet say what they will do when cordite comes to be used. I daresay 
this result suggests to some of us that we may possibly enable a pro¬ 
jectile to leave the earth, as suggested in one of Jules Verne's stories, 
but practical gunnery has not yet approached to this. A velocity of 
between five and six miles a second would be required for the purpose, 
while about half-a-mile a second is our present maximum, possibly in 
the next few years we may do it, and attempt to disturb the equilibrium 
of the planetry system by sending messengers to the moon or else¬ 
where ! 
If the time at our disposal permitted, we could examine a long series 
of practical results which demonstrate that where properly handled and 
reasonably treated, modern gunpowder is a very reliable propellant. 
And further, until quite recently, when compared with any other, it 
might fairly claim to hold its own as a speed producer against all com¬ 
petitors. Quite recently, however, the high position which modern 
gunpowder has held, has been disputed by its youthful rival, cordite, 
and other smokeless powders whose characteristics we shall now 
discuss. 
